Computer in the Classroom
Computer in the ClassroomComputers and Electronics in the Classroom
Computers and electrical equipment in a modern educational room are essential for a well-rounded workspace. The need for computers is obvious. They allow students to do research far deeper and faster than ever before. They allow students to type reports, and check electronic-messages. They also assist in performing an infinite array of other tutorial programs, and diagnostics. Though their technology is impressive, some major problems occur when you put even a single computer into a room. How are we going to show the images from the computer to those who will learn from it? How are we going to be able to hear what is produced from our programs, and how will we prevent the computers from overbearing our voices? If there is more than one computer, how shall we network them? Possibly the last and most important question is how we make it available and easy for everyone who wants to use it?
Traditionally, each student sitting at a computer would have a 14" or 15" conventional monitor sitting on the desk, taking up a good 50% of the workspace. These monitors are usually greater than a .3 dot pitch or worse and some with only a 33 mHz refresh rate. According to Van Horn, a professor at Augsburg, in his essay titled Electronic classrooms: design and use, this is absolutely unacceptable for multiple reasons. Looking at a computer screen with a low resolution or refresh rate is stressful on the eyes. When students are constantly straining their eyes, according to his studies, creativity is reduced, errors increase due to a hasty finish, and enthusiasm is lost. Ideally, the student would be able to just have their images "pop" into the air in front of them. Its resolution would be infinite and liquefied, and its refresh rate would make you think it wasn't running on frames. While we do not possess the technology right now to create such marvelous screens, we are not so far away. Right now we have projectors and high definition TV's capable of displaying any computer screen in the room onto the wall at almost any size we can make. With monitors being at least .28 dot pitch, in a well-lit room, and a refresh rate in the 66 mHz range, the effects of poor monitors are negligible. The student is then allowed to work without strain if used not excessively. The room must also be designed so that a professor or student may show his work to the entire class. This is achieved by having a high-resolution projector mounted from the ceiling, or placed in the back of the room. It should be connected to a "matrix switcher." At Bucknell in addition to the University of North Florida, we use the same AMX brand, podium mounted touch screen to...
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