Planning the Analog Sunset at UC Berkeley -- Meeting the Challenges of a Digital Transition

Introduction - Staffing 224 General Assignment Classrooms 211 with technology Frontline Support 3 CTS FTE Staff 2 student shifts 7:30am - 8pm* 25 student available Design & Engineering 6.5 FTE 2 shifts of Room Check students 7:30am - 10am, 5pm - 8pm (same pool of frontline support) Auditorium Camera Operator 4 locations with student staff (same CTS staff as point contact) *Fall 2014 new hours of operation

Classroom Technology Specifications & Design Basic Projector (Panasonic) with VGA input AMX control system with touch panel, phasing out last of hard-button systems DVD/VHS player Auxiliary connection for region free DVD players or other devices Wall mounted speaker system for program sound Enhanced (Basic installation plus...) Wireless and wired microphones for voice lift Assistive listening system *Screencast recording devices in some locations (program and audio) Larger Classrooms and Auditoria Multiple wireless and wired microphones for voice lift Multiple projectors and additional inputs in some locations *Webcast recording devices with student camera operator in some locations Active Learning (Collaboration) Classroom Technology varies depending on the focus of the space Additional Equipment stored in Equipment Closets located around campus Document camera cart Simple projection cart Portable screen

Technology Use Culture at UC Berkeley “Bring your Own Device” CTS provides A/V equipment checkout program (but no laptop checkout) Adapters installed in classrooms (MDP-to-VGA or MDP-to-HDMI) Systems must be device and operating system agnostic Users curate their content on their own devices A good instruction set and consistency in the user experience are key Decentralized A/V-IT Support on Campus ETS, IST, SAIT, CSS, Departments support different populations, services and levels of support/access to resources ETS support scope: Assist faculty with technology when they are teaching in the general assignment classrooms. Troubleshooting basic computer problems in the classroom (vs A/V problems) Coordinate with IST for network issues and PP-CS for facilities issues Refer to other campus services, as needed

The Beginning of the HD Transition Catalysts Trends in AV industry and higher education Difficult to replace VCR with similar model to maintain continuity in AMX code Supporting pedagogy needs for HD and legacy content Future-proofing ongoing classroom investments Discussions with key faculty and the Office of the Registrar Design engineer researched HD equipment and considerations for functionality Equipment availability (new in the product lifecycle) Standardizing in all classrooms - supporting legacy inputs and HDMI

Building the Rack - The HD Test Unit Considerations Sources Display devices Legacy equipment support Inputs in use Reusing existing hardware Established HD-capable technology with reputable vendors AMX control system and touch panel Extron DTP transceiver Previous standardization allowed for minimal compromise in new design Set up a test rack in the engineering shop - June 2013 Testing the plug and play experience

Moffitt 145(new classroom) Beta Installation Moffitt 145(new classroom) North Gate 105 (summer refresh) Test rack confirmed implementation and functionality Identified rooms with upcoming needs in August 2013, ‘refresh’ existing classroom and brand new installation (and beyond) Purchased HD equipment in batches Unique funding sources, but same core design Refreshing existing technology in the classroom Incentive classroom Active Learning Classroom

HDCP Meets Webcast in Northgate 105 What is HDCP? High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection What does HDCP affect? Encrypted HD content played through the HDMI port HDCP “ON” was tested by the engineers to allow HD content from capable devices Unfortunately Webcast capture cards are not HDCP compliant = green screen recorded Testing in the field VGA adapters EDID emulator, requires downgrade to SD content over HD connection DVI-to-HDMI converter that strips HDCP from the digital signal ERROR! V.S.

Pilot Phase This pilot was completed during the Spring 2014 semester ETS staff received ITIL training during January 2014 Partners brought into the discussion Office of the Registrar Library ETS Classroom Services Help Desk, Webcast, Operations Physically close to help desk to ensure comprehensive support Change Management for pilot refresh during spring 2014 instruction Smaller classroom (<25 seats) to reduce overall impact Working with 10 or so instructors with various academic emphasis Document processes and timelines Plan communications

Pilot Phase - Communication Plan … We want to inform as many faculty as possible, and try to reduce the impact for both other partner departments and ourselves. Send out E-Mail Post flyers in classroom Create online presence

Pilot Phase - Execution Spring instruction, 2014, two months after the semester began Communication Email was sent out 2 weeks prior to equipment refresh to all faculty teaching in the space (again on the week of the installation) Notices is posted in classroom with survey link Equipment upgrade Installation completed in one evening Tested by installation technician Help Desk Technician verified the room is in working condition before first class started Help Desk technician visits the instructor at the beginning of every class to help instructor adapt to the change and provide immediate assistance Added benefit of increasing writing surface area!

Looking into the Future Big conduit to pull new cables What comes after CAT6? Researching New Technology Wireless Projection Expansion or replacement of remote management system VoIP using AMX Touchpanel Following changes in pedagogy

Educational Technology Services Presenter Nicole Sattler (nsattler@berkeley.edu) ILung Annie Hsu (ilhsu@berkeley.edu) ETS Website Educational Technology Services http://ets.berkeley.edu Classroom Info Database http://ets.berkeley.edu/classrooms-buildings Contact Information: 510-643-8637 Classroom Technology Support Front Desk

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The “Black Box” Standard Definition AV Rack High Definition AV Rack AMX 7-inch touch panel for control Extron analog video switcher VGA and composite video inputs Toshiba DVD/VHS player with IR control Volume control knobs for microphones Rane audio DSP AMX 7-inch touch panel for control Extron HD video switcher with analog inputs VGA, HDMI and composite video inputs Pioneer blu-ray player with IR control Volume control knobs for microphones Extron audio DSP (Rane model was discontinued in 2014)

Basic Classroom Installation Equipment List