Durham has more than 15,000 students along with 3,000 staff. The Computer Science department leads England’s only Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for computer subjects. The centre provides novel facilities and encourages new ways of working. It aims for far higher levels of “active student engagement”, where knowledge is obtained by sharing, problem-solving and creating, rather than by passive listening.
Techno-Cafe has been designed to provide an innovative approach to practical and lab work in Computer Science. It improves significantly over the traditional design of IT teaching labs.
It has ten pods each seating six to eight students and each providing tablet PCs, laptops and communication tools such as Skype and video conferencing plus an interactive whiteboard.
Communication equipment for the Techno-Cafe was originally limited to audio, allowing the lecturer to communicate with the individual booths and vice versa. The university decided to install CCTV to allow for visual feedback at any time.
“It was a matter of adding more value to the space, allowing it to be used for instruction as well as a group interaction environment,” said Dr Hatch, of the Technology Enhanced Learning research group.
Axis 216 cameras have been installed in each of the booths. The cameras are vandal resistant, secure and discreet, so they don’t distract the students during classes.
Said Robin Price, MD of installer KBR: “We’ve used these cameras a number of the times in the past so know we can rely on them both in terms of picture quality and reliability.”
Each camera is linked via cat5 cabling to a screen on the lectern. Power over Ethernet (PoE) has been used to provide power to the network via the same cable as used for the network connection. “Because we’ve managed to keep cabling to a minimum, we’ve kept the clean, minimal feel of the space,” says Dr Hatch.
From the lectern, the instructor simply needs to click on the web browser to see visuals of an individual or a group of pods. The system also allows instructors to check on students’ progress and determine if questions need answering.
“Using Norbain as the supplier in this and other projects we’ve worked on has given us a real advantage,” said Price. “Because of their depth of knowledge and the breadth of the product range they offer, we know we can get the best equipment for the job along with any advice we may need.”
Durham University has a long-standing relationship with KBR “who are flexible in their approach and have a very good understanding of the way the University operates,” says Dr Hatch. “Because of this, they can handle all aspects of each project, without us needing to bring in additional contractors.”
A possibility for the future is that the cameras could help the University analyse how students use the space. “This wouldn’t be monitoring them for any security reasons, but rather to see how they are studying,” says Dr Hatch. “We’re looking at using time lapse software to determine if they’re using the monitors, pens and paper or other means to study. This will allow us to provide the most effective resources for them and help us meet their study needs more effectively.”
The Techno-Cafe is such a success that it was shortlisted for the prestigious “Outstanding ICT (Information and Communications Technology) initiative of the year award” as part of The Times Higher’s 2007 Awards.