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They Can See Clearly Now
Marquette University puts experiments within six inches of its students' noses with a high-tech video and projection system
7/30/2007
"It's only the beginning of our second year using this, and during the first year we learned that it's not the system itself that was creating challenges," said Ausman, "but rather they way in which it was being used."
Making the Grade
As the TAs acclimate themselves to using technology to get their students clued into the nitty-gritty of their experiments, the system helps them reap other rewards. A slide-out drawer on the demo cart, for example, can accommodate a computer and allow the TA to transfer Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint images onto the big screen.
That's a big improvement over the single, 3-1/2' x 8' blackboard that was previously used in the labs to give students a light "preview" of the day's experiment. "The TA would jam it all onto that little space in the corner of the lab," said Ausman.
Being able to convey that information on Excel and PowerPoint slides has not only made life easier for the school's chemistry team, but it has also helped motivate students to success. "Chemistry is not the most beloved of classes, so we need to kind of beat them over the head with something they don't have to struggle to see," said Ausman, who attempted to use whiteboards at one point, then turned to the new and improved solution when the projection system was installed.
Intended to support the general chemistry lab program at Marquette, the SmartChoice AV system is currently being used both by regular session and summer school classes. Ausman doesn't expect any other departments to make use of the system but doesn't rule out the use of similar technology in other areas of study as the school continues to upgrade its facilities.
"This was really designed for the chemistry space," said Palecek, who added that he sees the high-tech system as a selling point for the school when it comes to student recruitment. "We took some of the best practices from other [schools] and made them better, while at the same time trying to keep things economical. The end result is a differentiator that sets Marquette apart from other campuses that students are applying to."
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Bridget McCrea is a business and technology writer in Clearwater, FL. She can be reached at bridgetmc@earthlink.net.
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