Connected Classrooms
images by sridgway
Overview
Contents |
Connected Classrooms are part of the DET wide Interactive Classrooms Project to Equip every NSW public school with an Interactive Classroom (interactive whiteboard, video conferencing facility and data collaboration).
TAFE NSW has also been provided with these facities and are currently being rollout to every college accross Sydney Institute.
The Interactive Classrooms project will:
- Equip every NSW public school with an Interactive Classroom (interactive whiteboard, video conferencing facility and data collaboration).
- Enable direct video links to allow online field trips to places such as the State Library, The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the National Museum of Australia.
- Allow university and industry experts to be connected into classrooms to deliver lectures and take questions.
- Support increased use of ICT within Quality Teaching.
- Support teachers to personalise learning.
- Enhance opportunities for collaboration between students, teachers, classes and schools across DET.
- Provide necessary infrastructure to facilitate collegial support networks for teachers.
See the DET intranet for more information on the Interactive Classroom Project
Video Conferencing
Videoconferencing is an interactive communication medium which allows students and teachers to have a visual and audio connection to other classes, other people, other industries whether they are down the hall, across the street or across the country.
Videoconferencing provides students and teachers with access to technology that will benefit all involved.
Once you start to really think about the benefits of video-conferencing, you can easily see where and how you will be able to utilise in your delivery.
An excellent example is providing students with guest speakers whom they would not normally have access to. For example, students in a 3D animation class in Enmore could have the opportunity to discuss working in the industry with lead animators from animation studio Monkeystack based in Adelaide.
Types of Videoconference Sessions
There are two types of videoconference sessions that staff can participate in:
- Point to Point sessions
- Multipoint sessions
1. Point to Point means that one site will simply dial the other by selecting their site entry from the directory. This type of conference means a maximum of only two sites can participate in the conference.
2. Multipoint means that more than two sites can participate in the conference. The number to dial will not be on the videoconference directory, but will be supplied by the site organising the session. It is up to this person to supply all other participants with the ‘Virtual Meeting Room Number’. To find out your sites Virtual Meeting Room Number you will need to contact the VC help desk on 1300 304 338.
Even the organising site which is being called by all others needs to call and enter their own virtual meeting room.
It is important that users know what type of session they are participating in. If they try to connect to a session that is point to point and two sites are already in conference, they will not be able to join that conference.
To connect point to point – use directory and scroll to find location, or use number buttons to dial supplied ptp number and press “call” button.
To connect to multipoint – use number buttons to dial supplied number and press “call” button
Video Conferencing Infrastructure Upgrade
Effective from the 27th April, 2011
- Larger scale conferences, involving connection to more than 20 sites will require organisers to log a call to the ICT Service Desk to arrange the conference
- Large scale conferences are capped at a maximum of 80 sites
- Users will be able to organise an ad hoc multi-point conference with up to 20 sites connected
Locations accross Sydney Institute
Ultimo
DG.40 Located in the LearnSpace on the ground floor of the Library Building D - Connected Classroom (Operational)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Learning & Innovation (H323)
Point to Point Number: 20271821
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5158914 (multipoint)
Keys to the control box are held at the Customer Service Desk in the LearnSpace with the dg-40 keys
D4.04 Located on Level 4 Room 04 Building D Video Conference only (Operational)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Room UM D4 04
Point to Point Number: 20271702
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5119203 (multipoint)
Keys to the control box are held at the Customer Service Office on Level 4.
D4.11 Located on Level 4 Room 11 Building D Video Conference only (Operatinal)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Room D411
Point to Point Number: 20271701
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5108076
Keys to the control box are held at the Customer Service Office on Level 4.
G3-15 Located on Level 3 Room 15 Building G
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number: 202714011
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5134959
NG-33 Located on Level G Room 33 Building N Video Conference only (Pending Installation)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number:
Virtual Meeting Room Number:
Marcus Clarke W5.18 Video Conference only (Operatinal)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Marcus Clarke W518
Point to Point Number: 20271842
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5180118 (multipoint)
Marcus Clarke W6.08 (Operational)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Marcus Clarke W6 08
Point to Point Number: 20271841
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5177679 (multipoint)
Executive Unit - Building A1.05 (Operational)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number: 5140992
Virtual Meeting Room Number:
'Executive Unit - Building A1.07 (Operational)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number: 5664896
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 'Institute Office - TBA (Pending Installation)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number:
Virtual Meeting Room Number:
B1-04 (ITSU) - Building B (Pending Installation)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE Turner Hall
Point to Point Number: 202715210
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5109867(multipoint)
BG-04 (ITSU) - Building B (Operational)
Directory Listing: Ultimo TAFE ICT
Point to Point Number: 20271521
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5145921 (multipoint)
TES - Building C Level 1 "Muse" Meeting Room C 1.06 (Operational)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number: 20600114
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5632367 (MultiPoint)
TES - Building C Level 1 "Muse" Meeting Room C 1.08 (Operational)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number: 20600115
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5650271 (MultiPoint)
Sutherland
Loftus - C104, Connected Classroom panoboard & VC (Operational)
Directory Listing: Loftus TAFE Room C1-04
Point to Point Number: 20241441
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5100519 (multipoint) Keys held by College Director EA
Loftus - GG19 - Video Conference only (Operational)
Directory Listing: Loftus TAFE Room LF GG19
Point to Point Number: 20241442
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5173611(multipoint)
Keys held by College Director EA
Gymea - A201 - Video Conference only(Operational)
Directory Listing: Gymea TAFE Room GYA201
Point to Point Number: 20161441
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5106528(multipoint)
St George
D216 - Connected Classroom (Operational)
Directory Listing: St George TAFE D216
Point to Point Number: 20161521
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5124402 (multipoint)
Key to cabinet and stylus held by library. Entry to room via security. Book room via central booking system.
AG05 - Video Conference only (Operational)
Directory Listing: St George TAFE SGAG-05
Point to Point Number: 20161522
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5103636(multipoint)
Keys to cabinet held by College Director EA. Book room via College Director EA.
Eora
F1-ABE - Connected Classroom (Operational)
Directory Listing: Eora TAFE Room EO A1 10
Point to Point Number: 20191401
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5156853
Enmore
A1-01 - Video Conference only
Directory Listing:
Number:
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5111448
A1-08 (Pending Installation)
Directory Listing:
Point to Point Number:
Virtual Meeting Room Number:
Petersham
West Street Campus, EG-18 - Connected Classroom (Not Operational)
Directory Listing: Petersham West TAFE Room PWEG 18
Point to Point Number: 20191361
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5165841 (Multipoint)
West Street Campus, A1-13 - Video Conferencing Only (Not Operational)
Directory Listing: Petersham West TAFE Room PWA1-13
Point to Point Number: 20191362
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5158716 (Multipoint)
Crystal Street Campus, A1-10 - Connected Classroom (Operational)
Directory Listing: Petersham TAFE Crystal St Room A110
Point to Point Number: 20191441
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5686289 (Multipoint)
Randwick
Room AG17 - Connected Classroom (Operational)
Directory Listing: Randwick TAFE Room RA AG17
Point to Point Number: 20191761
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5109564 (multipoint)
Room ALG17- Video Conferencing only (Operational)
Directory Listing: Randwick TAFE Room ALG19
Point to Point Number: 20191762
Virtual Meeting Room Number: 5160846 (multipoint)
Connecting to external sites
Until recently it was not possible to connect to an external video conference site, by external in this context we mean outside the DET NSW firewall. In late 2010 ITD installed a VC bridge which makes it possible to include external sites in a multi point conference.
When planning an external site in a conference you need to consider the following points.
- Liase with the external site well in advance and ensure you know what equipment they are using by asking the following questions
- Will the site be dialling out using I.S.D.N. (Integrated Services Digital Network) or via I.P. (Internet Protocol)?
- What brand of video conferencing equipment will they be using (Polycom, Tandberg or other)?
- Get the exact name of the site, that you will be video conferencing with?
- The scheduled date and time for the video conference to take place, especially if it is over seas?
- Shedule a test prior the session
If they use Tandberg or Polycom then you can try the process outlined below which uses your room Multipoint number
If they use a TANDBERG video conferencing system, then they dial in using the following virtual meeting room number: <VC room multipoint number>@153.107.119.149
If they use a POLYCOM video conferencing system, then they dial in using the following virtual meeting room number: 153.107.119.149##<VC room multipoint number>
If the external site wants to use I.S.D.N or has onther VC system you will need to liase with the VC help desk
The DET VC Help Desk
The DET wide Video Conference help desk can be contacted on the following number: 1800 338 483
Recording and Playback of VC sessions
Recording a session
To record a session simply dial 99 before the conference room number. This is for both point to point and multi point sessions.
Play back a session
To play back a recoded session navigate to the DET Recording repository site @ http://vcrecorder.det.nsw.edu.au
1. Click the "click here to log in" link
2. Under User options: click the "View recordings list" link
3. Navigate to your recording
4. Choose your player and bandwith of choice
Can I VC with a site outside of DET
NO the Tanberg VC units used in Connected Classrooms and the Polycom VC units used in DET can only connect to each other within the DET VC network. This means you cannot connect to any site outside the DET firewall.
Click here to download instructions for accessing recorded video conferences
Resources
Manuals and Guides
Most of the equipment manuals can be found on the DET Connected Classroom Project for schools and TAFE support site.
Connected Classrooms Program (DET Intranet)
Interactive Classrooms DETNSW resource
Other Resources for Reference
Videoconferencing for Meetings (CLI: Learning Reference repository)
Riverina Institute's VC Manual
Interactive Whiteboard Resources wiki
SMART Board Resources Page - Produced by the Eora LTM, Gihan Lahoud this page contains useful SMART Board resources - PDF / WORD DOC and Videos to assist with SMART board and Notebook 10 training.
Click here to check TAFE NSW library catalogue for resources on Videoconferencing/Connected Classroom. If a book that you would like to borrow is not at your local college, ask library staff to do an interlibrary loan for you.
TAFENSW libraries subscribe to a number of periodical databases which provide you with full text articles available to you online. One example is the suite of EBSCOhost databases. Click hereto link to articles from EBSCOhost databases on wikis. If you wish to find out more about how to set up a RSS feed for a topic of your choice from one of the available databases please contact library staff at your college library.
Project resources for reference
Teaching by Videoconferencing Training Manual
Teaching by Videoconference - slides
Teaching by Videoconference - session plans for training program
Teaching by Videoconferencing - flyer
How to Record Your Videoconference
Videoconference Equipment - Successful Setup and Usage - a Training Manual for Support Staff
Videoconference Equipment - Successful Setup and Usage - slides
Videoconference Equipment - Successful Setup and Usage - 1 hour session plan
Successful Setup and Usage - flyer
