Instructors face a number of teaching challenges this fall, as the entire campus moves forward with face-to-face learning. Fortunately, instructors also have access to tools to maximize their students’ experiences. The staff with Learning Spaces and Audio/Visual Technologies, which manages most classrooms at Illinois State, will hold events the week of August 9 to help instructors gear up and be more confident in their classroom delivery.
Personal amplifiers for instructors
One of the challenges this fall will be teaching while wearing a mask or other face covering. To compensate, instructors will be able to use personal voice amplifiers. These units, which include a headset microphone and a small chest- or belt-worn speaker, allow students to hear their instructor’s voice clearly.
All instructors, including graduate teaching assistants who are a course instructor of record, can pick up an amplifier at one of these times and locations:
| Mon. 8/9 | 1 to 2 p.m. | State Farm Hall of Business – Atrium |
| Tue. 8/10 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Williams Hall – Entrance off the Quad |
| Wed. 8/11 | 1 to 2 p.m. | Center for Visual Arts – Rotunda hallway |
| Wed. 8/11 | 1 to 2 p.m. | Nelson Smith – Room 207 |
| Thur. 8/12 | 1 to 3 p.m. | Student Fitness Center/McCormick Hall – Main Entrance |
| Fri. 8/13 | 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Schroeder Hall – First floor lobby by room 138 |
| Fri. 8/13 | 1 to 2 p.m. | Schroeder Hall- First floor lobby by room 138 |
| Mon. 8/16 | 8 to 10 a.m. | Nelson Smith – Room 207 |
| Tue. 8/17 | 8 to 10 a.m. | Nelson Smith – Room 207 |
Please note: Only one unit is available per instructor. Instructors must pick up their device in person. For those who cannot make it to one of these pickup locations, please contact Learning Spaces at (309) 438-7412 or LSAVTHelp@ilstu.edu after August 17.
Classroom technology demos
All general-use classrooms at Illinois State are fitted with webcams with microphones, Zoom, and the ability to use the document camera in Zoom. Some classrooms also feature a special wide-angle camera that allows instructors to change the view from the lecture station to the whiteboard.
These improvements, introduced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, give instructors maximum flexibility in a variety of teaching situations. For example, most classrooms are now set up so instructors use Zoom’s cloud recording feature to capture an in-class lecture and, later, share it with quarantined students through ReggieNet or Microsoft Stream. Classroom improvements are designed to give instructors options. Faculty will not be expected to provide an online option in classes that require face-to-face meetings (either fully in-person or hybrid).
Learning Spaces will demonstrate general classroom technology in a series of approximately 45-minute sessions starting August 9. No registration is required. Sessions will be held in Williams Hall, room 128:
- Monday, August 9 at 10:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, August 10 at 9:30 a.m.
- Thursday, August 12 at 1:30 p.m.
- Friday, August 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Instructors who can’t attend in person can also view sessions on Zoom.
Additional support
Questions about personal amplifiers or classroom technology options? Email Learning Space and Audio/Visual Technologies at LSAVTHelp@ilstu.edu
For more information on teaching this fall semester, consult the recently updated Redbirds Keep Teaching guide.
