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Classroom Orientation Guides
The following classroom orientation guides can help you get accustomed to the technology in Laurier's classrooms.
- General Classrooms
- Web-conferencing Enabled Classrooms
- Active Learning Classrooms
General Classroom Orientation Guide
The multimedia control panels in classrooms provide a similar range of options for instructors to display their content. Content can be projected from the classroom PC or from a device like a laptop or tablet.
Using the Classroom PC
- From the button control panel on the teaching console or next to it on the wall, select ON to turn on the room's projector
- The classroom PC is the default input when the projector is turned on, and can be selected using the "PC" button on the control panel
- Log into
Connecting your device
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To connect your own device, use one of the laptop inputs on the teaching console and select "Laptop" or alternate source as the source from the main control panel. In some classrooms with multiple laptop connections, you may have to select "HDMI" "VGA" or "USB-C" to indicate the connection you're using.
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If your connected device isn't quickly recognized by the projector and displaying content, try restarting the computer with the cable connected and check the display settings your device's options or preferences.
Audio
HDMI and USB-C connections carry audio and video, so sound should automatically play through the room's speaker or projector as soon as you connect your device. You can change the sound output of your computer in the sound options in the Control Panel on a PC or in System Preferences on a Mac.
- Audio is controlled with a combination of the volume in the app you're playing from, computer volume and the volume control on the teaching console control panel. Adjust each to a reasonable volume.
- Check the computer audio as well as the audio from the sound source (The in-app volume slider on Youtube's, Spotify or Apple Music, etc.). If the computer is muted or too low, no audio will carry through to the rooms' sound system.
- If you're not hearing audio or the audio is faint, please check the levels on all three of the following:
- The sound source being played (The in-app volume slider on Youtube's, Spotify or Apple Music, etc.).
- The overall computer volume
- The teaching console control panel volume controlling the classroom sound system.
Audio in Web Conferencing Classrooms
To change the computer audio output so that sound from the computer plays through Zoom, click on the small speaker icon in the lower right of the classroom PC taskbar and then click on the default speaker name and select the computer audio output listed on the bezel of the classroom PC monitor.
Camera and Microphone names will be listed around the bezel of the computer monitor, and are typically the only other selectable options. If not otherwise listed, they should typically be set to:
- Computer Audio: Extron Scaler
- Microphone: Extron Speakerphone
Document cameras are provided in all multimedia classrooms and can help to provide more writing and drawing options where whiteboard space is limited, or to magnify non-digital content so it's visible in larger classrooms.
Displaying the document camera using the control panel input (recommended):
- Turn on the document camera and wait a few seconds for it to boot up
- From the console control panel, one of the input selection options will normally be "Doc Cam", and you can press it to select.
- If there is not a Doc Cam option on the classroom control panel, use one of the laptop guest connections (normally HDMI) and connect it to the document camera and then switch to that laptop input using the console control panel.
- Use the buttons on the document camera to change brightness, focus, and zoom.
Using the document camera through the classroom PC:
- The document camera can also be run through the classroom PC and is connected by USB, which is normally connected by default.
- Turn on the camera by pressing the circular ON button until it glows blue
- On the classroom PC desktop, the open the app called camera and the document camera image should appear.
- For Image Mate cameras, the app Image Mate will also all granular control of the document camera.
Students can book classrooms by completing the Waterloo Campus Room Booking Form or the Brantford Campus Room Booking Form. Staff and Faculty should use the room booking forms on Connect.
For in-class technical support, please contact the ICT ServiceDesk at 519.884.0710 x4357.
When a presenter's voice is the primary focus, wireless Bluetooth headphones are a convenient way for instructors to maintain their spoken content for transcripts and recordings as they move around the room. Most Bluetooth headphones have microphones built-in that can be wirelessly connected to a computer and selected as the audio source in Zoom to enable clear audio recording anywhere in the room. Presenters can leverage their favourite wireless headphones in any classroom using their personal devices or the classroom computer.
Most current classroom computers do not have microphones built in and will not connect to Bluetooth headsets on their own. Consider a small, inexpensive USB bluetooth receiver like the TP-link Bluetooth 4.0 Nano USB adapter to plug into any computer USB port and use your own wireless headphones to stream and record in any classroom, even ones without web-conferencing capabilities. Make sure that the Bluetooth receiver you choose supports headphones and audio specifically.
There are some steps you can take to help maintain classrooms for the entire community:
- Erase whiteboards before leaving class.
- Return furniture to its original location before the end of class.
- Refrain from removing furniture from classrooms or moving furniture between classrooms.
- Report any technology problems or general classroom problems as soon as possible so they can be resolved.
Turn off Projectors After Class
If there’s not another class coming in directly after your class finishes, the room projectors should be turned off to help conserve energy and extend the life of the projector bulbs.
Log Out of Classroom PCs
Classroom PCs now require you to log-in with your Laurier username and password. In order to protect your information, please ensure that you log-out after class by using the “sign out” option in the Start Menu. An automatic logout timer appears on the desktop of all classroom PCs and is programmed with the most common class times to make automatic logouts easier.
Wireless Microphones
Wireless lapel microphones are provided in some of Laurier’s lecture theatres. Your instructors bring their own AA batteries to classes for these microphones.
Whiteboard Markers
Whiteboard markers are re-stocked in classrooms overnight by Custodial Services (two black markers and one eraser per whiteboard). You are encouraged to bring any additional markers or specific colours needed.
PowerPoint Remotes
Wireless remotes to advance PowerPoint slides are provided in multimedia classrooms. Remotes only work in the classroom they are set-up in and should not be removed. Missing or damaged remotes should be reported to ICT for replacement.
Video Conferencing
Your instructors can book time with ICT to assist in setting up video conference connections in classrooms.
Waitlisted Students
Students commonly attend classes they’re hoping to register for during the first few weeks of term, which can lead to more students in attendance than seats in a classroom. If you are attending a class because you're on the waitlist for the course, please leave seats for registered students.
Classroom furniture is set to the capacity of each room, in accordance with fire code occupancy. For safety reasons, capacity should not be exceeded.
When you arrive at the classroom, you'll log into the classroom PC using your Laurier login credentials and then open the Zoom app using SSO.
Do not use the default Zoom login and password fields, instead, look for the “SSO” button next-to or below the default username and password fields. The Company Domain is “wilfrid-laurier” and you'll log in using your Laurier credentials.
Once you start the Zoom session, you can select the room's correct camera, speakers, and microphone if they're not already selected by default. Use the small arrow in the corner of the camera and microphone icons to select the correct camera and microphones which will be indicated around the bezel on the classroom's computer monitor. More information is in the next step.
To set the camera and microphone before the Zoom session starts, click your profile picture in the Zoom app, followed by "Settings" with the gear beside it and select the camera and microphone for the room.
The additional ceiling microphones, speakers, and camera(s) in web conference-enabled classrooms run through the classroom PC. They are selectable as audio and video sources before or during a Zoom meeting. By default, the correct audio and camera sources should be selected, but they can be changed even during a Zoom session.
If there are buttons on the teaching console control panel for the microphones or cameras, press these to wake the camera or unmute the mics (red means muted). The camera(s) in the room have selectable presets that you can cycle through by pressing the same "Camera" button that woke the camera.
To set the camera and microphone before the Zoom session starts, click your profile picture in the Zoom app, followed by "Settings" with the gear beside it and select the camera and microphone for the room.
Once you start the Zoom session, you can select the room's correct camera, speakers, and microphone if they're not already selected by default. Use the small arrow in the corner of the camera and microphone icons to select the correct camera and microphones which will be indicated around the bezel on the classroom's computer monitor.
To change the computer audio output so that sound from the computer plays through Zoom, click on the small speaker icon in the lower right of the classroom PC taskbar and then click on the default speaker name and select the computer audio output listed on the bezel of the classroom PC monitor.
Camera and Microphone names will be listed around the bezel of the computer monitor, and are typically the only other selectable options. If not otherwise listed, they should typically be set to:
- Computer Audio: Extron Scaler
- Microphone: Extron Speakerphone
Whenever you're sharing content during a classroom web conference or Zoom session, you'll also have to share it in the Zoom session, either from the classroom PC, or from your own device that is also in the same Zoom meeting.
Sharing in Zoom from the Classroom PC:
The green “Share Screen” button in Zoom allows you to share any open app or window, your entire desktop.To share audio, make sure to select "Share Computer Sound" from the bottom of the screen sharing window before you hit share.
To help video clips play smoothly, select "Optimize for Video Clip" as well as "Share Computer Sound" when you start sharing video
Sharing from another device
Even though the classroom PC is running the audio and video of the Zoom session, you can still join your Zoom meeting from another device type, either as a participant or through sharing only.
No matter how you join from the device you're sharing from, it's important not to connect to audio when you join the meeting from that device, or choose to disconnect the device from meeting audio entirely using the small arrow in the corner of the microphone icon in Zoom. Keep your camera turned off so that your sharing content is the only thing coming from that device.
One important limitation to note is that Zoom only allows a user to be signed in to one device type (such as a computer), at a time. So if you're logged in to the classroom computer, you cannot also be signed in to your own laptop with your Laurier Zoom account. However, a standard free Zoom account not tied to your Laurier login, would allow you to join the same session from another computer while you were hosting the main Zoom session from the classroom PC.
To do this, make sure to change your meeting authentication settings to allow external users by editing your meeting, clicking on "Laurier Users Only" and changing it to "Sign in with Zoom" so that external accounts are permitted to join the meeting. They you could present your screen from another device or draw with a tablet visible to both the remote and in-person students.
SHARING CONTENT BEST PRACTICES
When sharing content, ensure that it’s high contrast and large enough to be clearly read on even small devices. It is important to use high resolution images that can be magnified clearly with up to 5x magnification. When graphics are used to illustrate a critical concept or idea, describe them verbally for the class. Consider providing content, where possible, on MyLS so that students can review parts they may have missed, or use assistive reading devices.
When sharing videos, turn on closed captioning, and share a link, if possible, so that students can re-watch in case of glitches during synchronous sessions.
Faculty Resources from Laurier's Accessible Learning Centre
Accessibility Tools in Microsoft Office
Specific Office and Microsoft365 applications offer accessibility and transcription functionality:
- Microsoft PowerPoint automated captions: PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 can transcribe your words as you present and display them on-screen as captions in the same language you are speaking, or as subtitles translated to another language.
- Microsoft Word transcription: Word for the web offers a transcribe feature that converts speech to a text transcript with each speaker individually separated. Please note that the dictate/transcription feature is currently capped by Microsoft at a five hour limit per month for uploaded recordings and each uploaded recording is limited to 200mb.
While whiteboards in classrooms are often adequate for students in the room to see, but are not visible in a remote session, and so whiteboarding solutions that can be shared in Zoom are preferred. Using clear, high-contrast digital drawing tools helps all students clearly see the information being communicated.
There are a range of options for instructors to consider:
Document Camera
The document cameras in classrooms can be turned on and selected as a new camera input during a Zoom session. With the document camera turned on, click on the arrow in the corner of the camera button in Zoom, and you should see the document camera appear as a source.
Use the buttons on the document camera to change brightness, focus, and zoom.
Digital Whiteboards
Leverage the digital whiteboard in Zoom or another digital drawing tool rather than holding paper up to the camera or hoping it will pick-up a whiteboard drawing. Using clear, high-contrast digital drawing tools helps all students clearly see the information being communicated, and you can choose to save whiteboard drawings automatically or allow/block students from saving them in your configuration settings in Zoom on the web.
Microsoft Whiteboard is available as an Office365 web app which allows instructors and students to create together on an infinite canvass and share links to collaborative whiteboards that are editable and persist outside of individual classes or breakout rooms. Instructors and students just need to log-in using Laurier Single-Sign-on credentials on the web or through the desktop or mobile app.
Digital Writing with a Tablet or Phone
For a more fluid writing and drawing experience, many instructors prefer to join the Zoom session from a tablet in addition to hosting the meeting's audio and video through the classroom PC. Any tablet or phone that can download the Zoom app can join the meeting using the same link or meeting ID as everyone else.
No matter how you join from the device you're sharing from, it's important not to connect to audio when you join the meeting from that device, or choose to disconnect the device from meeting audio entirely using the small arrow in the corner of the microphone icon in Zoom. Keep your camera turned off so that your sharing content is the only thing coming from that device
Use the touchscreen control panel on the teaching console to control all of the displays in the room simultaneously. Turning the system on will automatically turn on all of the room’s projectors.
You will select where you would like to display content, from the graphical layout of the room, and then select which content to send to those displays.
- To send what appears on the instructor’s computer to all pods, press “Send to 6 pods” on the touchscreen display on the instructor console. On the next screen, under Instructor's Console inputs, select the input you’re using (Classroom PC, Document Camera, Laptop) to display that image on all screens. Using “Send to 5 pods” will send that content to all of the student pods and leave the main display unchanged.
- To send what appears on a student table to all pods, press “Send to all 5 (or 6) pods” on the mains screen on the instructor console. On the next screen, just tap any student pod to send it’s connected content to all screens. Content will only show up if there is a device connected to the student table.
- Controlling Individual Screens can be accomplished by selecting the display you’d like to send content to from the graphical layout of the room, and then from the second screen, choosing the content from any student pod or the instructor’s console. Each screen can be controlled independently by repeating this process.
- To return the image to devices connected to each individual student pod, select “return to local control” from the main display screen.
Connect your device to one of the laptop connections on the teaching console and select the Laptop input as the source from the instructor’s console menu.
Use the touchscreen display on the teaching console to control all of the displays in the room simultaneously.
You will select where you would like to display content, from the two options at the top of the touchscreen control panel and then select which content to send to those displays by choosing it from the graphical layout of the room.
- To send content from the instructor’s computer to all pods, press “Send to All Pods” along the top of the touchscreen control panel on the instructor console. Select “Podium” and then which input you are using (PC or HDMI). The image will now send to all pods.
- To send content from the instructor’s computer to the main projector, press “Main Projector” along the top of the touchscreen control panel. Then select “Podium” input and “PC” by default.
Student Content
Students can plug in their devices at their tables using HDMI connections and then select the corresponding connection (HDMI 1, HDMI 2) from the button panel on the control box on each table. that box allows students to turn their local projector on or off, as well as share content by connecting to an HDMI input at the pod.
When the instructor sends content to all pods, it takes over all the displays in the room. Pressing the green "Clear Input" button at the bottom of the touchscreen control panel sends the room into breakout mode and will return each screen to showing it's locally connected content so that each pod can work on its own content.
To send what appears on a student table to all pods, press “Send to All Pods” along the top of the black control display on the instructor console. Select the student table you want to project. Student tables are numbered and colour-coded to help instructors identify them. Pressing “Clear All” will stop pushing content to all screens simultaneously.
To send what appears on a student table to the main projector, select “Main Projector” along the input selectors along the top of the console control box. Select the student table you would like to project from the on-screen graphic.
The pod in the centre of the room (blue) does not have a display connected by default. Students can still plug their devices into the HDMI cables at that pod and share their screen to the rest of the classroom's screens. Blue pod can easily show its local content by using the use the Main Projector as its local projector to share student content that is plugged in at the pod. When other pods are in breakout mode, choose "Main Projector" from the top of the touchscreen and then choose the centre pod to display that pods' connected content.
- Connect your device to either an HDMI or VGA connection on the teaching console.
- Select either “PC” or “Laptop” from the input selectors
- HDMI cables carry both video and audio signals. VGA cables only carry video and require the connected audio connection to the headphone (line out) jack.
Use the black touch panel on the teaching console to control all of the displays in the room simultaneously.
- To project content that appears on the instructor’s computer to the main projector, press “PC to Front” or “Laptop to front” from the control panel depending on if you are using the classroom PC or have brought your own device. This will turn on only the projector at the front of the room.
- To project content from the instructor’s computer to all pods, press “PC to All” or “Laptop to All” depending on if you are using the classroom PC or have brought your own device. This will turn on all of the room projectors as well.
- To project content from a student table to all pods, select “Individual Selections” to move to the next menu screen. You will be presented with a graphical layout of the room. First, you’ll select which source you would like to show, either by selecting an instructor input source or a student table as a source. After your source is selected, you’ll be presented with a second graphical layout of the room where you can choose to either send the previously selected source to all pods, or to individual tables by selecting as many tables as you would like.
- Connect your device to either an HDMI or VGA connection on the teaching console.
- Select either “Send Laptop to All Pods” or “Send Laptop to Front”
- HDMI cables carry both video and audio signals. VGA cables only carry video and require the connected audio connection to the headphone (line out) jack.
- Student pods will automatically display whichever connection is actively plugged into a computer.
Use the black control panel on the teaching console to control all of the displays in the room simultaneously.
- By default, all projectors automatically show instructors’ content when they are turned on.
- The projector for the main roll down screen in the room is turned on and off at the instrutor console and each projector around the room is turned on and off using the white box mounted beside it.
- Choose what input to display using the black control panel buttons on the instructor console (Classroom computer or HDMI or USB-C for laptops and other personal devices). Each projector around the room automatically displays instrutor content when turned on.
- To display local content from displays around the room, connect the device using the connectors under each whiteboard and press "Source Search" on the white control box beside the whiteboard. If the computer doesn't recognize the connection immediately, try restarting it with the cable connected.
- To cycle back to instructors’ content at each projector, press Source Search on the white control boxes beside each whiteboard.
- Connect your device to either an HDMI or USB-C connection on the teaching console.
- Select either “PC” or “Laptop” from the input selectors on the instructor console.
- To display local content from displays around the room, connect the device using the connectors under each whiteboard and press "Source Search" on the white control box beside the whiteboard. If the computer doesn't recognize the connection immediately, try restarting it with the cable connected.