CENTER FOR TEACHING & LEARNING

Teaching By Compressed Video

The key advantage to teaching by compressed video (CV) is that it allows students in remote areas who cannot attend traditional classes to continue their education.

The challenge for the instructor is inventing creative techniques to teach a traditional class in a non-traditional way. The first step in doing this is to learn how to effectively use the audio/video equipment in the CV classroom. The Center for Teaching and Learning is committed to helping make the CV experience for you and your students more meaningful by providing the tools, training and suggested techniques.

What makes up a compressed video classroom?

Each room is equipped with:

• Television monitors
• Cameras
• Microphone system
• Computer
• Document camera
• Switching device that allows you to move between computer applications or websites, slides or documents on the document camera and student/teacher cameras.
• VCR (classes are not videotaped and not all locations are capable of videotaping. 
• Projector and 9x12 ft. screen (Claremore campus only)

What you should expect?

• One-on-one training on how to use the equipment.
• Instructional strategy assistance.
• Onsite CV facilitation at each campus. Student workers are employed each semester as compressed video facilitators. They are responsible for:
  • Opening the classroom at least 15 minutes prior to class time
  • Turning on the equipment and adjusting video and audio as needed
  • Logging into the computer network
  • Connecting to the participating classrooms
  • Troubleshooting equipment or connections issues
  • Distributing class materials (at your request) 
• Note: CV facilitators are not teacher’s assistants. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the room/equipment is set up and troubleshoot minor equipment or connection issues. Only in emergency situations are CV facilitators allowed to leave the classroom area to fax or copy materials.

What’s expected of you?

Plan ahead to make sure that students in your remote classrooms have the materials they need for the class in which they will need them.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Use an online supplement (e.g., WebCT to post documents and exams)
• Make and send the appropriate number of copies for each student to the appropriate campus
• Allow 2- 3 business days for the materials to reach the campus CV area
• Use the “CV Only” red envelopes to help expedite the delivery of CV related mail (available in the departments, mail center or main offices on each campus)
• Do not e-mail documents to facilitators or other campus personnel for them to make copies as we cannot guarantee that they will have staff on hand to complete the task
• Sensitive materials should be put in a white envelope first, sealed with tamper tape (available in your department or mail center) and then put in the red envelope.

Exam proctoring. Facilitators are allowed to pass out and collect exams (at your instruction) and assist you in making sure students understand your instructions, but they are not allowed to proctor the exam.  If you need someone to monitor your students in remote campus CV classrooms during testing, please make arrangements with your department or the appropriate person at the campus in which you need the proctor. 

Start and stop class on time.  Be mindful of instructors coming in after you—allow time for questions prior to class end.  Also, facilitators need a minimum of 10 minutes to get the classroom set up for the next class.

Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning if you plan to teach from another campus or you will not be holding class.  Instructors are encouraged to teach from the other locations.  Please contact (or have your department contact) the Center for Teaching and Learning if you need to cancel class or you will be teaching from another campus.

Maintain behavior in the classroom.  Keep in mind that CV facilitators are also students.  Facilitators are not allowed to confront students who might be disrupting class in remote classrooms.  They do have a responsibility to report any misbehavior to you or to follow the appropriate protocol for reporting problems at their campus. 

Ensure students have turned off their cell phones during class.  Cell phones, especially the newer technology, interfere with the CV audio system. Please mandate students to turn off their cell phone.  Silencing does not constitute “off”.  If cell phones are causing a significant amount of static at the other locations the facilitator will bring it to your attention.

Other important information you should know

Mail delivery schedule: Lone Star Delivery service is used for pickup and delivery of mail between campuses.  Pick-up and delivery are not done at the same time—there is a pick up time and there is a delivery time at each campus.  The schedule is as follows:

• Incoming mail (delivery):
  • Mail coming into the Claremore campus is received by the mail room each day at approx. 10:30 a.m.
  • Mail coming into the Bartlesville and Pryor campuses is received by the respective campus main office at approx. noon each day.
• Outgoing mail (pick up):
  • Mail going out from the Claremore campus is picked up picked up at approx. 3:45 p.m. each day
  • Mail going out from the Bartlesville and Pryor campuses is picked up at approx. 3:00 p.m.  
  • NOTE:  If outgoing mail does not get to its respective pickup location before Lone Star picks up for that day it will not go out until the next business day.  Additionally, the actual delivery to an instructor is subject to the mail rooms or department’s pickup/delivery routine.

• Videoconferencing Instructional Strategies

Contact Information

*The CV phones are not manned between classes. Please call 918-343-7703 if you need assistance during normal business hours.

Problem reporting. Speak to the CV facilitator about:

• camera adjustments
• audio issues
• connections
• other immediate technical issues affecting class
• instructional materials distribution

Speak with the technical coordinator or director of the Center for Teaching and Learning about:

• Recurring technical issues
• Technology issues such as suggested improvements, upgrades, future needs, training in how to best use the equipment. Learning more about how the technology works or taking a mini tour of our facilities.
• Suggestions for improvement or praise of a facilitator’s performance
• Instructional issues – what strategies work, how to assess, how to connect with distance learners, implications for the role of the faculty, etc.