One of the main goals in designing COL was to minimize interference with classroom activity. The system was meant to be transparent to the instructor. However, there are a few things you should know in order to effectively use the COL equipment.


Audio and Video
The audio and video capture are the least intrusive of the capture methods. To record sound, microphones are installed on the instructor desk and in the ceiling. A video camera is also installed in the classroom. These devices turn on and off automatically to capture sound and video during the scheduled hours of class. Instructors do not need to do anything with audio and video equipment.

You may find when viewing your class session online that sound quality is lacking. It may be possible to improve audio quality by standing near a microphone when lecturing. If necessary, make note of where the microphones are located in your classroom. It might also be helpful to repeat student questions to the class, since students aren’t always seated near a microphone.


PC Screen Capture
The instructor’s PC in the classroom has a screenshot capture daemon program pre-installed. To capture the screenshot from the PC, you must use the classroom PC. If you normally use your own laptop for classroom presentations, please save your files to a floppy disk and access them through the instructor PC provided.


Document Camera
The document camera is run by an application located on the desktop of the instructor PC. To use the camera, double click on the icon Doccamera.exe. Never turn the document camera off and on at the camera. Doing this causes the camera to revert to its default lighting settings, which then have to be adjusted in order to properly display your document.

The document camera can be used in the classroom the way you might have used an overhead projector in the past. The camera works with both paper documents and clear projector slides. You can use the zoom buttons on the document camera tozoom in and out. You can also activate (or deactivate) auto focus by pushing the AF button.


Whiteboard
Mimio, the whiteboard capture system, is the only equipment that requires a few minutes of instruction. Note that the pen is encased in a pressure-sensitive jacket that transmits an ultrasound signal to the Mimio bar mounted on the whiteboard. The bar records the pen-down events and tracks the pen strokes within a 4’ by 8’ area adjacent to the bar. You should write slowly, with even pressure on the pen to effectively capture writing. To clean the whiteboard, you must use the special Mimio eraser in the same way you handle the pen. To completely erase the PC whiteboard, hit the top button on the Mimio bar. To view what the Mimio captured, click the Mimio icon on the PC desktop.