The Daily Bulletin Archive

Buffalo State currently has 43 high-tech, or “smart,” classrooms and averages between eight and 10 regular-to-smart classroom conversions each year. Smart classrooms, designed for general use, leverage the latest technology. Each comes equipped with a networked computer, a VCR and DVD player, a document camera, a video projector, an audio amplifier, networked laptop connectivity, and an overhead projector.

Computers in these classrooms run on Windows XP, include a CD/DVD drive, and come loaded with a host of software, including Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, SPSS, SAS, Minitab, Mathematica, and ARTstor Offline Image Viewer.

Melaine Kenyon, associate director of instructional technology, manages the conversion and upgrade of Buffalo State’s technology classrooms. As a result of her efforts, Buffalo State is making its mark as a technology resource—most recently with the unveiling of Bulger Communication Center N2A as the college’s first IP videoconference learning space (photo above). In place for only two months, the classroom is being used regularly to host remote meetings and facilitate distance learning.

“I’m excited that we are able to interact with five other sites simultaneously and also that no proprietary networks are involved,” said Maryruth Glogowski, associate vice president for library and instructional technologies. “We can connect anywhere in the world as long as they have an Internet address.”

A large—and ongoing—task, classroom conversion is something Kenyon won’t take on alone. She works closely with the Smart Classroom Committee, a group she assembled and charged at the start of 2006 to assist with the identification of classrooms and classroom technology. The committee is composed of the associate deans as well as representatives from Instructional Resources, Computing and Technology Services, E. H. Butler Library, Campus Facilities, the Registrar’s Office, and Events Management.

The group meets regularly to select which classrooms will be targeted for technology enhancement or rehabilitation and also to evaluate the latest teaching technologies. Currently, the group is considering wider installation of wireless whiteboards, already in place in two School of Education instructional spaces, Bacon Hall 108 and 116A. The group is also discussing “clickers”—handheld devices that allow students to respond to questions, vote on issues, and complete multiple-choice exercises—as use expands steadily across campus.

This summer, smart classrooms Ketchum Hall 320, Caudell Hall 212, and Classroom Building 118 and 119 will be upgraded to reflect the current smart classroom setup; tab-arm chairs will also be installed in these classrooms to make better use of space and encourage discussion. In addition, Classroom Building 118 and 119 will be outfitted with instructor consoles designed especially for wheelchairs. For a complete list of technology classrooms and features, classroom images, and information on how to schedule technology classrooms, please visit the Instructional Resources Web site.