The problem of the hands-on computer classroom, Parmly 302 in particular

Hugh Blackmer
2 June 2003

In order to make effective use of new possibilities in teaching with technology, we need physical space in which to explore and develop non-conventional approaches to teaching and learning, especially those which facilitate multiple modes of communication and emphasize the use and creation of electronic resources.

As far as I am aware, the only facilities on the campus that permit hands-on use of computers as an integral part of teaching are Parmly 302 and 304, Robinson 25 (a Macintosh lab), the Williams School's and Journalism department's computer labs, the Computer Science department classroom, and the training lab on the 3rd level of Leyburn.

Because Parmly 302 and 304 are configured, maintained, and primarily identified as computer labs, they are less than ideal as teaching spaces, and are not assigned by the Registrar as university classrooms. The demand for them as classroom space is growing, as part of the growth in need for a wider range of choices for the pedagogical use of computing resources.

Parmly 302 was the only 'public' computing facility in the Science Center for several years, until Parmly 304 was equipped with stand-alone workstations. All of the science departments now offer departmental computing facilities for their majors, so the larger public labs are less essential to provide drop-in computing resources for students.

I have used Parmly 302 as the venue for more a dozen classes (and many workshops) over the years, because I want to incorporate hands-on use of computing in the everyday operation of each course, and because I include GIS and other computation-intensive activities in most courses. The room presents some difficulties that must be addressed if it is to be a success as a classroom:

  1. The noise of the air handling system is such that it is all but impossible to use the room for class discussion, and presents challenges for lecturing. This is well known to a variety of people in B&G and University Computing, and I'm told that the problem COULD be solved in one of several ways (a time switch for the fan would be the cheapest). One nighttime denizen reports that the air handling turns OFF in the wee hours of the morning, and that the room is silent. Something needs to be DONE about this.

  2. The room is often glacial, so that students resort to opening windows and/or fiddling with the thermostat to warm it up, thus compromising the building's air conditioning regime. Some more effective controls need to be implemented to make this a comfortable classroom space.

  3. Parmly 302 is the only facility in the Science Center with linked workstations, allowing for broadcasting and monitoring screen activity. The Link system is antiquated and effective for some purposes (especially redirecting one screen to all others), but limits utility for other presentation modes. The room would be a much more useful venue for teaching if it was equipped with a hard-wired LCD projector and screen. With the addition of basic sound equipment (and solution of the air-handling problem) it could also be used to show video and use Web sound resources. It may be that Parmly 304 would be a better location for the Link system, if an LCD projector was installed in Parmly 302.

Two other possible augmentations of the Parmly space for consideration:

Thanks to the generosity of the Provost, Parmly 302 now has central tables that facilitate face-to-face discussion (not an option in the more conventional lab setup of Parmly 304). Except for the ambient noise, this proved effective for this spring's Global Stewardship Institute, and will be essential for courses I will teach (Anthropology 230 and INTR 131) in the next academic year.

In the absence of any specific budget provision for immediate attention to remedying the deficiencies of Parmly 302, I wonder if it would be possible to mobilize the fiscal power of the various users of the facility (who include or might include Geology, Global Stewardship, East Asian Studies, Physics and Engineering, Environmental Studies, Nonlinear Dynamics, and perhaps others) to fund the purchase and installation of an LCD projector and sound equipment. I also wonder if the Provost can be persuasive in getting B&G to finally DO something about the air handling problem before I use the room in the fall for Anthropology 230.