The Information Technology Services (ITS) AV Design and Build team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was a finalist for the 2016 Harman Innovation Award for Classroom Design at UBTech for its work in the renovation of the Manter Hall Teaching and Anatomy Labs.
Colleges worldwide participate in the award program, vying for $25,000 in Harman products and recognition in University Business magazine. Awards were presented at the UBTech event in Las Vegas on June 6, 2016.
The bulk of the AV Design and Build team's work included the design and installation of 71 displays, 30 PC's, 12 instructor stations and six cadaver stations with custom designed cadaver cameras that can accommodate up to six students each.
With its displays and cameras on custom mounts and lifts, the rooms easily transitions from instructional mode with displays down to lab mode with displays up and cameras active. The goal, AV Design and Build team member Greg Carstens said, was to keep the technology versatile, while also improving the space's functionality.
Groups of students rotate through the different anatomy stations as class progresses. As the cadaver examination takes place, any noteworthy items instructors want to highlight can be displayed on each station's local 60-inch display or sent to all 16 displays in the room for every student to see.
The cadaver cameras, fitted with LED spotlights, connect to a local PC via USB for still image capture or video capture of particular procedures. Instructors can then control video feeds and cameras through an integrated iPad running TPControl and the AMX system.
The ITS team worked closely with faculty to insure optimal layout of the lab. Several of the elements, such as the cadaver cameras and TV lifts, had not previously been used in the instructional environment. To help faculty better understand how the new technology could be used prior to the build, the AV Design team built demonstrations of each component to simulate how it would look and function when the labs were completed.
"The faculty were deeply involved in the design of the space as well as providing feedback on the technical components as the project progressed," Carstens said. "Additionally, we have interviewed the faculty and teaching assistants about the effectiveness of the technology. There is definitive consensus that the technology has allowed an increase in the number of students in each section, but more importantly, the quality of instruction and therefore amount of learning has increased."
The labs run on an AMX system and utilize Enterprise RMS (Resource Management Suite). The RMS allows the design team to collect usage data and provide analytical feedback to the faculty on the number of hours of use by each component on the system.
Carstens said his team continues to work with the department IT staff on advancements to the user interface, helping the faculty grow their educational effectiveness.
“This is a wonderful recognition of a remarkable space," said William J. Nunez, Ph.D., chief of staff and associate to the chancellor. "Plus, the faculty are immensely pleased with the final product and it is a huge impact on student learning for the investment”.
For more information on the Harman Awards visit http://www.universitybusiness.com/innovationawards