--- Forwarded Message from Jonathan Perkins <[log in to unmask]> ---

>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Jonathan Perkins <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #8257.2 (!) printer control software?
>Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 10:52:45 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum   
<[log in to unmask]>


We have a low-tech solution that may work.  We keep the printers  
behind the front desk, sell $1 print cards good for 20 printed pages.  
and use a stamp to mark the cards for every print.  Charging for  
printing keeps people from printing everything without worrying about  
the cost.  We do not, however, charge for print jobs that are part of  
an in-class assignment.  The university has a high-tech printing  
system which automatically deducts from prepaid student accounts, but  
as this system would require students to pay for printing in-class  
assignments, we opted out.  Our cost per page is lower than all of  
the other computer labs on campus and it helps us to recoup the costs  
for paper and toner.

JP


****************************************************
Jonathan Perkins
Associate Director
Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center
University of Kansas
4070 Wescoe Hall
1445 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence KS 66045-7590

Phone:  (785) 864-4782
Fax: (785) 864-1256

www.ku.edu/~egarc
www.ku.edu/~language


On Jun 2, 2006, at 1:16 PM, LLTI-Editor wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
>> Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2006 13:16:36 -0600
>> From: Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
> <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: #8257 printer control software?
>> In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> References:  <[log in to unmask]>
>
> I'd love to hear some discussion on how to approach this printing  
> problem
> conceptually.  We haven't been able to think of a solution  
> sufficiently
> flexible and intelligent to handle our usage patterns.
>
> During classes, most printing happens at the end of class, when  
> everyone is
> in a hurry to print and turn in the assignment (or take it away  
> with them).
> Anything that would slow down the process would be a problem.   In  
> this
> type of class, every print job is likely to be valid.  The teacher
> certainly can't put their focus on approving print queue requests, and
> would be very unhappy with the busy work of approving 100% of the  
> requests.
>
>
> During classes that include web browsing and student printing of
> interesting materials, the biggest problem is that students hit  
> "Print"
> intending to get the one page that they are looking at, and end up  
> printing
> many subsequent pages of extraneous material.  Again, the teacher  
> will not
> want to focus on maintaining the printer queue, and will not have  
> any easy
> way to judge whether a 5 page print job request is valid, or  
> represents 4
> wasted pages.
>
> Our biggest problem with paper wasting is during non-class use.   
> How can we
> monitor the drop-in students' print jobs?  We don't know the  
> content or the
> appropriate size of the jobs.  We could have a lab attendant approve
> anything under a certain page count, but there would be time pressure
> problems.  Most printing requests are shortly before the next class  
> will
> start.  Students will leave, if they can't get their printout quickly.
> This leads to valid print jobs being thrown into the recycling bin,  
> and
> places too big a burden on the staff during the rush periods.
>
> I've wondered if we could find a way to automatically truncate  
> every print
> job at one, or possibly two, pages.  Students who wanted to print more
> would be able to print additional print jobs, but the hassle would  
> dissuade
> some of the abuse.  We would probably have to turn that limit off,  
> during
> some classes.
>
> I think we may have to give each student a printing account, with a  
> certain
> page count per semester.  That has overhead and usability problems,  
> too.
> What if the student is in class, and required to print and hand in an
> assignment, and has used up their page allotment?
>
> Has anyone else come up with a system that works well for these  
> kinds of
> printing scenarios?   We use Macs, but for me, the conceptual problem
> precedes the software implementation problem.
>
> Derek
>
>> I write to ask if anyone knows
>> of some kind of software out there in the world that could be  
>> installed
>> on each student station and the teacher control station (all  
>> running XP)
>> that would allow the teacher control station to act as a queue  
>> into which
>> student print requests would line up and from which permission to  
>> print
>> would be granted, thereby saving reams and reams of wasted paper.
>
> Derek Roff
> Language Learning Center
> Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
> University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
> 505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
> Internet: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
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