eLearning Laboratory
e·learn·ing lab·o·ra·tory
noun
: an experimental environment, enhanced with technology, that promotes exploration of electronic tools and materials that support education; also: classroom 2.0
The eLearning Laboratory (eLL) is a state-of-the-art space supporting flexible teaching styles and collaborative student learning. Located in the Harris Center, Room 136, this prototype teaching and learning space provides students and faculty access to innovative digital instructional media construction, creation, collaboration, and presentation tools, and internet-based telecommunications technologies.
eLearning in its simplest definition is any means of enhancing learning via the use of information and communication technologies. In the eLL, Franklin & Marshall faculty have opportunities to explore and experiment with new teaching and learning technologies to help guide the design of future teaching and learning spaces at the College. The eLL will provide interdisciplinary support for all academic departments and disciplines and is supported by professional staff as well as by specially-trained student instructional media consultants.
Semester Hours:
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM; Monday - Friday
- Evening, Weekend, and Summer Hours - By Reservation
The eLL is designed to be a flexible and experimental teaching/learning space. As such, the eLL may be reserved by faculty members for individual courses on a day-by-day basis Mondays - Thursdays from 8 AM - 2 PM, and Fridays from 8 AM- 4:30 PM. Mondays - Thursdays from 2 PM - 4:30 PM the eLL may be scheduled for the entire semester for courses that require the unique technology requirements the space offers.
Check the eLL schedule for scheduled events and availability.
For more information about the eLearning Lab and/or scheduling requests, please contact the Director of Instructional & Emerging Technologies.
How might a professor use the eLL?
- experiment with new teaching tools like audience response systems, wireless writing tablets, audio- and video-conferencing, podcast production and delivery, and instructional digital media production
- teach a class using one or a combination of the supported tools with or without the support of an ITS professional staff or Student Instructional Media Consultants (IMCs)
- schedule a class session for you students to be trained by ITS staff on one or a combination of the supported tools
- assign your students eLearning projects; Student IMC support is available on evenings and weekends
Sample Projects
- record audio clips practicing oral exercises
- produce short student-produced video vignettes
- create visual stories using different languages
- podcast a story
- hold a live audio conference ("e-tandem") with two or more students
- global collaborations (student to student, student to subject matter expert, student to faculty, etc.)
Hardware
- 24 seat interactive technology-enhanced prototype classroom
- 12 student digital media interactive workstations
- Multi-standard (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) video projection
- Multi-region (world) DVD projection
- Video iPod projection (pictures/slides/audio/video)
- High definition (HD) video projection (Blu-Ray, HD DVD)
- 16x9 Widescreen HD projection
- Interactive white board with multi-source projection
- "Remote lectern" (control your presentations from anywhere in the room)
- Control and project any computer in the eLL from the Lectern
- Hands-free presentation recording
- Student Response Systems ("Clickers")
- Wireless internet device testing (iPod Touch, Skype Phone)
- High-speed (gigabit) internal ethernet; zDisk, digital project storage
- Next-generation operating systems
Software
- PowerPoint & Keynote: create a presentation
- iTunes: listen to podcasts
- Audacity: record and edit an audio clip
- iMovie: make a movie
- iDVD: publish a movie as a DVD
- Comic Life: create visual stories and storyboards
- iChat AV: participate in an audio- or video-conferenc
- Skype: talk to other Skype users using VoIP*
* voice over internet (protocol)
