Classroom of the future UMR's new IBM Advanced Technology Classroom
(UMR' s Advanced Technology Classroom was unveiled al a Ribbon CUllin g Ceremony held in December. Among lhose in allendance at the ceremony were Missouri Gov. John Ashcrofl ; Charles Bruce, Edu calion Services Director, U.S. Educalion, IBM ; and Richard Smilh , Program Direclor, Syslems Trainin g and Signal Processor Program , IBM. UMR Chancellor Marlin C. Jischke presided over the cermony.) By Ernie Gutierrez Wh en UMR faculty members want to tes t their students' kn owl edge of a given subj ec t, they now can ask a question and get immediate responses from everyone in the class at th e touch of a button thanks to the cam pus's new IBM A dvan ced Technology Classroom (ATC). T he ATC, a computerized elec tronic classroom of th e future, enables an instructor to display a 2 February 1990
question on an electronic blackboard at any tim e during a class . Each student in the class can th en answer the question by means of an indi vid ual keypad respon se sys tem. "Each keypad contains 10 numbered buttons - 0 through 9 plus additional buttons that w ill allow students to answer true/fal se, yes/no, and multiple choice questions; clear or change an answer, recall or review a previou s answer; and ask for assi stance," said Dr. Madison Dail y, U MR assistant professor of engineer ing management. " Students punch in th eir an wers, w hich are di splayed on a liquid crystal display sys tem on th e key pad, to either open-ended or close-ended question s and send th em to th e instructor," he added . " U sing data generated by stud ent respon ses, the computer system tabulates and offers immediate graphic di splay of responses in th e form of graphs or pi e char ts," he continued . " The sys tem also enables the instructor to compare responses
from previous classes and shows him or her which answers came fro m which stud ents." In addition to the keypad response sys tem, th e ATC permits an in structor to integrate graphics and tex t, videotape, videod isc, audiotape, and lighting inlO a presentati on either through a handheld remote control dev ice or from a "sman lectern " eq uipped w ith a touch- ensiti ve plasma panel. T he entire sys tem is controlled by a persona l computer. Acco rding to Dail y, th e ATC is an example of sta te-o f-the-an technology being used to enhance th e educational process. "UMR's ATC is the mos t sophistica ted in use in an academic settin g anywhere in th e worl d," he sa id. " It's fitting th at thi s fac ility be avai lable at UMR, one of the country' s lead ing technolog ica l insti tut ions. " [t 's been said that in thi s country we do a good job teachi ng tec hno logy, but that we don' t do as
