--- Forwarded Message from "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> --- >From: "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> >To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: RE: #5628.8 Lab Experience (!) >Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 10:53:22 -0400 ------------------ Ronald-- I'm really interested in the Virtual Lang Lab Project with Teleste at Cal State. Could you describe please? Thanks for the comments. > -----Original Message----- > From: LLTI-Editor [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 10:26 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: #5628.8 Lab Experience (!) > > --- Forwarded Message from "res04m4j" <[log in to unmask]> --- > > >From: "res04m4j" <[log in to unmask]> > >To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum" > <[log in to unmask]> > >Subject: RE: #5628.67Lab Experience (!) > >Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 06:19:53 -0700 > >Importance: Normal > >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> > > ------------------ > Linda, > > I too am very interested in your design- I am very interested in the use > of > various technologies to produce a transparent layer for which a teacher > can > use. One of the major requirements of this technology layer is user > friendliness and portability of files. This is what I feel makes the > Tandberg solution so viable. > > If we take a wholistic approach to lab design, then one of the pieces is > of > course the lab itself and all of the ramifications this brings. > Additionally, and as an enhancement to the lab would be the implementation > of up to date authoring stations for faculty use as well as an area to > explore for media content. A database of searchable files that are in a > standard format for use in developing content for the lab as well as > virtual > classes deliverable via the web. > > This wholistic approach to language facilities is part of the Virtual > Language Lab Project that the California State University is exploring in > partnership with Teleste, Inc. > > Thanks > Ronald Bergmann > Technical Services Manager > CSU Strategic Language Initiative > 562-951-4748 > 562-833-1192 (mobile) > > -----Original Message----- > From: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of LLTI-Editor > Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 5:59 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: #5628.67Lab Experience (!) > > > --- Forwarded Message from "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> --- > > >From: "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> > >To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'" > <[log in to unmask]> > >Subject: RE: #5628.6 Lab Experience (!) > >Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 15:58:18 -0400 > > ------------------ > We're a small program: about 150 students, max. We teach five levels of > ESL. > Courses offered are oral communication, written communication, > reading/writing combo for upper levels, conversation, and content courses. > We have one, two, or three sections of each level, each course. > > -----Original Message----- > > From: LLTI-Editor [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 8:27 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: #5628.6 Lab Experience (!) > > > > --- Forwarded Message from Heather Colwell <[log in to unmask]> --- > > > > >Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 01:15:04 -0400 > > >From: Heather Colwell <[log in to unmask]> > > >Subject: Re: #5628.3 Lab Experience (!) > > >To: [log in to unmask] > > > > It would be interesting to know how many students and how many classes > > this > > lab serves. > > Thanks > > > > > > On Wed, 19 Jul 2000 08:12:59 EDT, LLTI-Editor > <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > >--- Forwarded Message from "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> --- > > > > > >>From: "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> > > >>To: [log in to unmask] > > >>Subject: Lab description > > >>Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 13:04:20 -0400 > > > > > >OK--here goes. In response to some requests from LLTI participants for > a > > >description of our lab. > > > > > >University of Miami Intensive English Program Media Center > > > > > > We constructed our Media Center (MC) at the University of Miami > > >Intensive English Program in August 1999. Each workstation includes a > PC > > and > > >a built-into-the-desk cassette deck. We have a seven-foot oval table > and > > >chairs in the back of the room. In the corner of the room we have a > small > > >office where the assistant director of the MC sits. That office was > built > > >with two large square windows facing the entrance to the lab on one > side > > of > > >the office and the front of the lab on the other side. > > > The oval table has worked out well as a study area. Students > meet > > >there during independent hours. The office with the windows (no blinds > on > > >the windows) invites students to use the assistant director as a > resource > > >(an unanticipated dynamic, and something that took quite a bit of > > adjustment > > >by our assistant director). We also have student assistants to monitor > > the > > >MC. > > > We chose Dell 450 PCs and a Tandberg audio system. The Dells > were > > >the recommendation of our IT department. We chose the Tandberg system > for > > >several reasons: We didn't like the technical configuration of our > former > > >system and we wanted a system whose features were somewhat intuitive > (in > > >contrast to the incomprehensible interface and technical manual of our > > >previous system). After visiting a Tandberg lab, visiting a > competitor's > > >lab, and watching a demonstration from a third manufacturer, we found > > >Tandberg's software and hardware to be the best. I posted questions to > > other > > >lab managers on the Web and got positive reviews of Tandberg > performance > > and > > >a few complaints (one very serious) about the technology of one of > > >Tandberg's closest competitors. > > > We needed our lab built (total room renovation included), > wired, > > and > > >ready to go in three weeks (during a semester break). Since we had this > > >tight timeframe, and since ergonomics were an important aspect of the > > lab, > > I > > >chose Synsor furniture, which has a sleek Scandinavian look, but a > > studious, > > >old-fashioned library look at the same time. Another motive for > choosing > > >that furniture is that Tandberg is a distributor. That fact reduced the > > >chance that the technical equipment wouldn't fit the furniture, thus > > >minimizing the chances of the furniture being set up, and then finding > > that > > >things didn't fit, having to reorder and redesign, etc. The furniture > > worked > > >out perfectly. We have thirty carrels that are semi-enclosed by > dividing > > >side panels that are lined to reduce noise, and a plexiglass, numbered > > front > > >panel.The PCs have MS applications, access to instructional software > > (from > > a > > >Dell server and a Meridian CD Net 14-bay CD server), Internet access, > and > > a > > >stability device called Centurion. The Centurion has been critical to > the > > >success of the lab. Essentially, it partitions a temporary drive for > > student > > >use. When the system is rebooted, the system refreshes itself. We are > > >currently testing another product, Fortres, which has one big advantage > > over > > >Centurion, i.e., we can stipulate one area on the hard drives of each > > system > > >that won't be refreshed when rebooted. We also have a Hewlett Packard > > >LaserJet 8000 N printer, which has proved to be perfectly adequate. > > > Our teachers bring classes into the Media Center as a regular > > part > > >of the curriculum. The Tandberg system is controlled from the teacher's > > PC, > > >as any traditional language lab. In other words, the tape decks are > > stopped, > > >started, etc., by the teacher using the Tandberg interface. It can also > > be > > >set in library mode so that students can individually control their own > > tape > > >decks. It has all the features that our teachers requested, and more > > (e.g., > > >pairing students randomly or by selection, group conferencing, > > telephoning, > > >distributing a tape that's in the teacher's console to all or a group > of > > >students in the lab; testing with the teacher's voice as the program > > source > > >and students recording from their carrel's cassette desks; testing with > > >tapes as the program source, etc.). Students are also free to come into > > the > > >Media Center to study independently. We keep the lab open three to four > > >hours after classes and an hour before classes. For independent study, > we > > >added a Tandberg product called the Divace (soon to be updated to the > > >Tandberg "Duo" we hope), which we purchased experimentally and > installed > > in > > >one row of our lab. The Divace (that's a Tandberg acronym) easily > > digitizes > > >analog tapes, compresses them with the same interface, and puts them on > a > > >server. (I no longer have to worry about one tape out of the set of six > > >that's missing since the digitized "data" is duplicated on the server). > > >Another feature is that it has two tracks. In other words, a student > can > > >independently come into the lab, sit at a system with a Divace, open > the > > >interface, select a "tape" (now in digitized form) or digitized video, > > >listen, record his or her own voice (which would destroy an analog tape > > on > > >another system) and listen to his/her own voice. The Divace is > > >user-friendly, as are all the Tandberg interfaces. Our server is very > > small, > > >only about 10 gb, but we plan to add another 10 gb. It's runs Novelle. > > >When the teachers came back from their break to face a new system, they > > >panicked. After looking at other manufacturers' interfaces, I think it > > >probably would have been worse. After the first semester of Tandberg > use, > > >the teachers felt comfortable, and they are using most of its features. > > >Students congregate here because the workstations are well > > >designed--conducive to whatever they want to do (study alone, > collaborate > > >with the person next to them, use the PC and/or cassettes, watch a > > video). > > >They study independently more than ever, often using our Divaces. > > > We have four TV monitors attached to the ceiling from which we > > >project the videos (controlled at the teacher's workstation through the > > same > > >Tandberg interfaces). We also have a "Vizcam," essentially a camera > that > > >projects but doesn't record. It's great to use not only as you would > use > > an > > >overhead projector (better because it projects on the TV monitors and > you > > >can project any image--your hand, a page from a book, rather than > having > > to > > >use transparencies) but also because students can do presentations and > > >appear on "TV," which seems to inspire them. > > > The equipment almost never fails (teachers will claim technical > > >malfunction occasionally, but it is almost always pilot error). Things > we > > >plan to add: a cable connection to run CNN at lunch time and lots of > > >web-based, teacher-authored material. > > > > > >Linda Cahill, PhD > > >Assistant Director for Learning Resources > > >University of Miami > > >Intensive English Program > > >[log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > > >> From: john w harris [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > >> Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 9:42 AM > > >> To: Cahill, Linda E. > > >> Cc: Ursula Williams > > >> Subject: Re: #5628.2 Language Lab experience (!) > > >> > > >> > > >> On Tue, 18 Jul 2000 08:01:56 EDT LLTI-Editor > > <[log in to unmask]> > > >> wrote: > > >> > > >> > --- Forwarded Message from Ursula Williams <[log in to unmask]> --- > > >> > > > >> > >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > >References: <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > >Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 14:13:42 -0500 > > >> > >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information > Forum > > >> > > >> > <[log in to unmask]> >From: Ursula Williams > > <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > >Subject: Re: #5628.1 Language Lab experience (!) > > >> > > > >> > ------------------ > > >> > >--- Forwarded Message from "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> > > --- > > >> > > >> > > >> Linda, > > >> > > >> I second Ursula's interest in your program and want to know your > answer > > to > > >> her > > >> question, "What's your secret?" > > >> > > >> John > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > >> > > >From: "Cahill, Linda E." <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > > >To: "'Language Learning and Technology International > Information > > >> > >Forum'" <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > > >Subject: RE: #5628 Language Lab experience > > >> > > >Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 16:17:10 -0400 > > >> > > > > >> > >------------------ > > >> > >Our lab is the most popular aspect of our program. Would you like > a > > >> detailed > > >> > >description of the lab/program? Would that help? > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > I for one would love to hear more about this, Linda. We have an > > >> > active lab at Notre Dame, but not as active as I would like to see, > > >> > given the large number of students completing foreign language > > >> > courses. There are always methods and strategies to promote the use > > >> > of the lab, and to make it more effective. Indeed I have a list of > > >> > benefits that I routinely quote when asked (and sometimes when > not!) > > >> > But we are a long way from "most popular." What's your secret? > Maybe > > >> > you could share with the list? > > >> > > > >> > Ursula > > >> > > > >> > -- > > >> > > > >> > Ursula Williams http://www.nd.edu/~uwilliam > > >> > Director > > >> > Language Resource Center http://www.nd.edu/~lrc > > >> > 201 O'Shaughnessy Hall > > >> > University of Notre Dame > > >> > [log in to unmask] > > >> > Notre Dame, IN 46556-5639 > > >> > 219.631.5881 > > >> > > >> ---------------------- > > >> John Harris > > >> Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor of Education > > >> & Associate Provost for Quality Assessment > > >> Samford University > > >> Birmingham, AL 35229-7020 > > >> (205) 726-2674 > > >> (205) 726-2908 FAX > > >> [log in to unmask]