--- Forwarded Message from Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/11.1.0.040913
>Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:32:08 -0500
>Subject: Digital language lab / Macintosh Question
>From: Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum   
<[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

After 15 years with a Tandberg IS10 28-station, dual-teacher cassette-tape
lab (with random pairing and video distribution) that is used every single
day and only getting more use every year we have it (amazing, I know!), I
really need to bite the bullet and pull the cassette recorders out and get
the lab going entirely digital.  We have money this year to do it right, and
I would very much like to hear from others who are using Mac in your
language labs before I make any final decision.

There are some features that are non-negotiable for us:

* stay with Mac computers at each station, but we're buying a new set

* continue having two teachers bring in classes simultaneously and assign
any individual station to either teacher

* distribute audio from various prerecorded sources such as CD

* do synchronous oral quizzing (especially the teacher asks questions live
and controls the start and stop of the student recordings)

* pairing

* language AP exams

Pushing synchronous video from DVD or VHS would be a plus, but could be
accomplished with a data projector and screen just as well.

The options we are considering are:

* Sanako Lab100 -- a closed system with proprietary hardware at the student
stations and a custom media server for each teacher station (This also
requires figuring out a solution to accommodate the Windwos-only lab control
software -- Sanako does not official support dual-boot or VMWare-type
scenarios, but I was thinking of RDPing in to a Windows machine to run it.)

* DiLL, a Mac software-based solution from Northwestern that could use our
existing OSX server and ActiveDirectory on our network, recommended by the
regional Sr. Systems Engineer from Apple.

* LangLab, also a Mac software-based solution that uses our existing OSX
server and network.

I have spoken at length with all three vendors, but I would appreciate
hearing off-list from anyone who has implemented any of these solutions,
especially in a dual-teacher lab set-up.  I will be happy to post summaries
back to the list.

Cheers,
Margo


-- 
Margo Burns
Director of the Language Center
St. Paul's School 
603-229-4665 (portable phone)
603-229-4666 voicemail



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