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Interactive Classroom at Washington University

The challenge. To add interactive touch-screen technology to a new classroom in an historical structure, optimizing functionality and appearance for classes in a variety of disciplines.
 
The client. Washington University is a world-class private educational institution located in St. Louis. Alan Wieter, manager of over 100 “pooled” or shared classrooms on campus, says “the University prides itself on hiring the best and bringing in the best students. Our mission is to create technology that’s the best, and that was the goal in Ridgley Hall.”

The solution. Washington University has standardized on plasma displays using the Smart Technologies touch-sensitive overlay for its high-end classrooms.

Here CTI suggested they use a projector to provide a second, larger image from the Smart system. Professors use the combined system to control computer presentations and annotate images from a variety of sources, including a ceiling-mounted document camera.

With the 61” plasma overlay, instructors can control computer applications by touching the screen, rather than using the mouse; they can write or draw electronically on a blank screen or image, then save and print or email the results; and they can draw on computer or video images. The technology provides a much more compelling experience for students, focusing their attention on the professor and the screen image simultaneously.

Since the university intended this as a high-end meeting space, they used custom-built furniture, wood cabinetry, and carpeting, and they inset the chalkboards and plasma into the wall. Wieter says, “we had never inset a plasma into a wall before and didn’t realize they generate so much heat. CTI suggested we open up the back end and run air through the triangle created by angling the wall toward the students. That worked out very well.”
 
The university has kept CTI on its recommended vendor list for many years. “When you’re completely dependent on technology,” says Wieter, “it can be a little scary. CTI brings some creativity that is appreciated. They’re very respectful in that they listen to what we have to say, but they constantly throw out ideas. Those two things put together are really what we look for in a vendor.”
 
Equipment list: 61” plasma with touch-sensitive overlay, ceiling-mounted projector, motorized screen, ceiling-mounted doc camera, DVD player, VCR, sound system with 4 ceiling speakers, control system with 15” touch panel.

Conference Technologies Inc.®  ~   Creating A Vision For Technology