Faculty Guide
- Distance Learning Overview
- The Interactive Distance Learning Classroom
- Presenting Visual Material
- Computer Presentations
Requirements To Play Videos In Class
- Distributing Class Material
- Canceling Classes
- Contacts and Telephone Numbers
- Copyright Media Statement
- Distance Learning Network Rates
- Video Profile Sheet
If you have any questions, email Jim Dalley at Educational Technology Services.
This guide is designed to give faculty an overview of the many capabilities
of interactive distance learning at
The following sections cover many topics related to the technical delivery of distance learning classes that apply to faculty needs. If you have any questions about topics covered or not covered, please contact a distance learning staff person.
*Important Note: Distance Learning staff will always try to accommodate any requests that are technically possible. Advance notice is appreciated and will help guarantee that class time will not be interrupted or delayed, but we know that advance notice is not always possible. We will accommodate last minute requests whenever possible as quickly as we can and try to keep class interruption to a minimum.
This manual deals specifically with distance learning classes taught from
the interactive video distance learning classrooms. We currently have
classrooms in various locations on the I.S.U. campus in
We primarily use a compressed video system for our interactive distance learning. It allows us to connect to several sites simultaneously. The video and audio are high quality, but it has the characteristic look of digital video, where the motion is slightly stilted. We have found that students and faculty quickly become accustomed to it, but you should be aware that motion handling is limited. Slower, more deliberate motion is preferred.
For every distance learning class, there will be a distance learning operator at each location involved in the class to take care of the technical aspects, such as moving cameras, so students and faculty can concentrate on the content of the class. You are encouraged to communicate with the distance learning operators at each location if you have any questions, requests, or need assistance.
Our classrooms have fully interactive video and audio. The compressed system is voice-activated, which means all locations in a class can hear all of the other locations, and they will see whichever site has the dominant speaker. In practice, this allows all of the distant locations to see the faculty member or lecture materials when he or she is lecturing, or see who is talking during discussion periods. It also allows you to see a student at a particular site when that student asks a question.
It is important to remember that ISU distance learning uses push-to-talk microphones for students. As the name implies, students must press a button and hold it to be heard. While it is easier for the students at the remote sites to remember to use the push to talk microphones to be heard, it is just as important for the students in the room with the professor to use them so that the remote students can hear questions and answers, and follow discussions. The local students often need to be reminded to use the push-to-talk microphones.
There is a monitor in the back of the classroom for the lecturer that shows the students at the other locations. We have the ability to show only one site at a time, so if there is more than one distant classroom participating in the class, the video will rotate every minute from one location to the next. There is a camera located above this monitor that shows the professor. It is positioned so you can ignore the camera and, by looking at the faces of the students on the monitor, appear to make eye contact with the distant students.
The monitor and projection screen in the front of the classroom are for the students. They can show visual materials presented by the faculty or show the other classrooms. The distance learning operator ensures that the screens show the appropriate video.
The faculty member wears a small microphone with a lapel clip that allows him or her to be heard by the students at the distant classrooms. The microphone has a thin cord about ten feet long that attaches to the faculty podium. You have the option of requesting a wireless microphone, which allows movement around the room. The concern is that if you move around the room, the operator needs to adjust the camera shot to a wider angle to compensate, which gives the students in the other classrooms a more distant view.
Every classroom has computing capabilities. If you have specific computing needs for a distance learning class, please contact a distance learning staff person to make ensure that the room meets your needs. Most rooms are equipped with a Sympodium connected to an LCD projector. The Sympodium is a device that acts as an interactive interface with the computer. This allows you to control computer function with the light pen interface and annotate on prepared presentations while you lecture. If you have any questions about incorporating computer capabilities into your class, please contact the Instructional Technology Resource center at 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu.
We use desktop conferencing as much as possible to preserve the quality of computer presentations, but it is important to keep in mind that some locations can only receive a computer presentation via compressed video. This means that the video quality will be slightly degraded and not as clear and crisp as the presentation appears on a computer monitor. Also, video isn’t compatible with desktop conferencing, so if you have video embedded in your presentation, please let a distance learning manager know. We recommend following a few guidelines that may help when creating a successful computer presentation for a video conference class.
- Use a dark background such as blue, dark green, dark gray, or black
- Use a very light text color such as white or yellow
- Use large, bold, sans-serif fonts
o Above size 32 for headers
o Size 26-32 for general text
- Stay away from bright red colors if possible, as it may look too bright and distract from the presentation
- Where possible leave a space, preferably at a bottom corner for the insertion of a picture in a picture box of the faculty member or presenter
For faculty who write notes as they lecture, the Sympodium provides a Notebook application that allows you to write notes on the same screen on which you show your computer presentations. This is the preferred method for write-as-you-go lecture notes. For those who do not choose to use the Sympodium, there is a document camera provided with pens and paper for a more traditional approach.
The document camera can also be used for pre-prepared written material. There are several issues to consider when preparing them. Video images are wider than they are tall. Specifically, they use a 4 X 3 aspect ratio. All this means is that when preparing written materials, to use word-processing terms, the paper should be in the landscape orientation instead of the standard letter orientation. When using word-processing software, we recommend using a font size no smaller than 36 point, preferably larger than that. Any font size smaller will be difficult, if not impossible, to read by the students on the video monitors.
If you have existing material that cannot be re-made, and does not meet the above criteria, we can compensate somewhat. The document camera can zoom in and out for smaller fonts or for papers in the letter orientation. This, of course, means that the complete paper will not be shown, so you need to use the document camera monitor to make sure the area to which you are referring is in the camera shot.
Transparencies are not ideal for video distance learning. In most cases they are in letter orientation, and in most of our classrooms, glare from the lights can obscure the writing. Using the plain paper masters or copies from the transparencies is preferable. If the transparencies are the only option, we will compensate to make them look as good as possible.
The document camera is also a good way to show small objects to students. It is the best way to show the object to the distant students, and generally is better for your local students than passing an object around the room or having students huddle around the object.
Requirements to Play VHS tapes or DVD's in Class
All distance learning rooms have the capability to show DVDs and VHS tapes. In order to show a program a Copyright Media Statement for must be completed. This will list all the media you wish to show in your class. You can download the Copyright Media Statement or get a copy from a distance learning staff person.
If you have any questions about the Copyright Media Statement please contact Educational Technology Services at 282-3212
Distance Learning Recording Policy
Students wanting a class videotaped should talk with the faculty. It will be the responsibility of each faculty member to request videotaping of his or her class. We recommend that the professor asks the operator to record at the beginning of the class to be recorded. If the professor wants to request a class taping in advance, he or she should talk to a full-time staff person.
The first priority for distance learning operators is to ensure that the live interactive class is operating smoothly. We will do our best to meet videotaping requests, however, distance learning staff will not be held responsible for missed tapings.
Faculty should ask the operator to tape the class in the location of the student needing the tape ( Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls).
Once videotaped, operators will give the tape to the faculty or designated ETS staff person, who will place the video tapes in a central checkout location for student access.
Distance learning operators will not be responsible for distributing or retrieving tapes.
All tapes will be bulk erased one week after the end of each semester.
There is also some availability of encoding classes in Real Media. If you are interested in this technology, please ask a Distance Learning manager about it.
Pocatello: Any staff member. Tapes are in Office B34.
Boise: Any staff member. Tapes are in Room 135.
Idaho Falls: Cindy Hronek-Brush 282-7892 Twin Falls: Maggie Seipel 1200
Material needed for students in distant locations should be sent well in advance to the faculty support staff in those locations, listed in the final section of this guide. These staff people are separate from the distance learning department. We do provide a wall file at most locations, including Pocatello, designated for each distance learning class to use for distributing material. Also, every course has an online component available that can be used to distribute material electronically. If you have any question about how to do this, please contact Instructional Technology Resource center at 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Distance learning staff persons, including supervisors and operators, are not allowed to collect or distribute any kind of class material, nor are they allowed to proctor tests. The faculty member's department office is responsible for these duties in Pocatello. Please contact the support staff in the outlying areas with any questions about these subjects.
Distance learning staff does not need to know in advance of class cancellations. We plan to be ready for every regularly scheduled meeting of your class. This way you do not need to be concerned with notifying us of cancellations, or notifying us if you had previously cancelled a class but then decided to hold class after all.
Contacts and Telephone Numbers (Click here for pdf version)
Pocatello:
Jim Dalley, Manager 282-4871
Guy Cotroneo, Producer/Director 282-2243
Matt Burch, Video Instruction Manager 282-3007
Katie Cikaitoga, Video Instruction Manager 282-5726
Holly Brown, Part-time Video Instruction Manager 282-3688
Rick Fowler, Video Instruction Manager 282-2439
Angela Burnham, Part-time Video Instruction Manager 282-4394
Educational Technology Services Front Office 282-3212
Internet and Computer Technology Related Questions: 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu
Idaho Falls:
Frank Mason, Producer/Director 282-7971
Gina Hartgraves, Video Instruction Manager/EDA 221-4374
Cassandra McIsaac, Video Instruction Manager 282-7788
Dave Edwards, Part-time Video Instruction Manager 282-7737
Kristine Flaherty, Part-time Video Instruction Manager 282-1107Twin Falls: Cary Craner, Video Instruction Manager 736-2119 Cherhys Hubbard 736-2119 Off Campus, Pocatello Area: 282-1205 (Use Pocatello contacts if there is no answer)
Boise:
Casey Skelton, Producer/Director 373-1755
Todd Christensen, Video Instruction Manage 373-1757
Kevin Hansen, Video Instruction Manager 373-1756
Justin Ward, Part-time Video Instruction Manager 373-1756 (Use Pocatello contacts if there is no answer)
Idaho Falls:
Cindy Hronek-Brush 282-7892
Boise:
Main Office 373-1701 Twin Falls: Maggi Seipel ext. 1200 or 736-2101