TelePresence Teaching and Troubleshooting Guide

TelePresence

Teaching and Troubleshooting Guide Updated Fall 2019

What is TelePresence?

Television is one way video. No matter how badly you want to reach across the screen and yell at the coach or tell The Bachelor he is choosing the wrong girl, you can’t do it.

TelePresence, however, is live, interactive video. It is two way communication with others in a distant location. You can share knowledge, content, emotion, and all of the other human elements of working with people across a larger than life screen.

We know that we can never replace a teacher in a classroom with a student. We also know that the reality of today’s student and econcomic climate means that we cannot always be in the same location with the student. TelePresence is the next best thing.

Meeting the Needs of the Educational Master Plan The 5 R’s of our Educational Master Plan set the stage for reaching as many students as possible with an education that will take them to new places in life. Whether it is an 18 year old right out of high school or a 40 year old single mom who is working full time to support their family - we want to make sure we do everything we can to give them access to a quality education.

TelePresence is one of the many tools that we have at Mid-State to ensure we can reach as many students as possible.

Introduction to the MX Unit Speaker Track Camera 1

Speaker Track Camera 2

External Microphone Presenter Track Camera

Touch Ten Panel

Confidence Monitor

MX TelePresence Definitions Speaker Track Cameras

The Speaker Track camera will dynamically track the person in the room who is speaking. The default is to show the entire classroom, but if someone is speaking, it will automatically zoom in on the speaker. When the person is done speaking, it will automatically zoom back out to to show the whole room again.

Note: The microphones are very sensitive so if a person is making a lot of noise such as whispering or opening a chip bag, it will pick that up and zoom in on that student.

It is important to let students know that as part of the introduction to the course.

External Microphone The external microphones on the front of the system help guide the voice dynamic zooming of the camera. Their placement is key for making sure the cameras are picking up the right place at the right time.

Presenter Track Camera

Touch Ten Panel

This camera will follow the instructor as The touch ten panel is your control they are teaching. It is voice and move- of the system. You will be using the ment activated. panel to share content and change the configuration setting for how you see your students on the other Confidence Monitor The monitor in the back of the room is campuses. set up to show the students from the other classrooms. As an instructor this Note: The camera controls are also found here, but with the presenter track will help you to look into the back camturned on, you should not have to mess era to talk to the students at the same with the camera controls. time that you are seeing your in person and students on other campuses.

Note: if there is not a student on the campus, the speaker track camera will often zoom onto the confidence monitor as it tracks movements. When your students are live in a classroom, it should not do that.

Touch Screen Monitor

The touch screen monitor on your instructor desk will allow you to control your screen by touch.

Touch the screen, then Click the Yellow + button to access the digital white board, document camera, or computer. If your laptop is plugged into the HDMI cable, you will also have access to your laptop through that button.

Viewing Students on Other Campuses The default view for seeing connected students is a filmstrip at the bottom of the video screen. The cameras are voice dynamic and will focus on the classroom that is currently talking, therefore the large segment of the video screen will show that classroom. There is a way to change the viewing options on the screen.

What are the options?

1. Equal - all connected classrooms are divided equally on the screen.

2. Prominent - the current voice is in the larger window, others are divided equally to the right of the speaker.

3. (Default) Overlay - current voice is full screen, all other classrooms are overlayed as a film strip at the bottom.

4. Single - only the most recent voice will show on the screen, other classes will not show until someone speaks.

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How Do I Change the Options?

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On the touch ten panel, touch click on the layout icon on the top right.

Choose the layout you want to view. Other connected classrooms will still have the traditional filmstrip view.

Note: This option will reset each time the system starts up for a new class.

Tips for Seeing Who You Want to See, When You Want to See Them If you want to see a particular campus, get them talking. The camera is voice activated, so when they talk, the campus/student will show front and center.

• When asking questions, assign it to a particular campus. For example, “Marshfield - what do you think about . . . ?“ As a student/students in Marshfield start to talk, the camera in Marshfield will show full screen.

• Call on specific students. Students at a distance are initially reluctant to talk. However, they will answer a question directed specifically at them rather than to all students in the class. Example, “Monica, can you give me an example of . . . ?“ • Pair and Share works great over the system if you have more than one student on a campus. Let students pair up to discuss, then share out to the large group. Everyone on every campus gets the chance to talk. If you have one student on a campus, let them pair with someone over the system between campuses while others are sharing among themselves.

Sharing Content

Computer, Doc Cam, Digital Whiteboard, or Laptop

Step 1: Use the Instructor Station Touch Screen Monitor

Log in to the computer. There are two computer monitors on the desktop. One monitor is touch screen, one is your primary computer monitor. Touch the screen to bring up the Yellow + button and choose Whiteboard, Computer, or Doc Cam. If you have a laptop plugged in, you will also see that as an option for sharing. The touch montior will be the monitor shared on the big screen. The other will be your staging monitor.

Using Your Laptop If you hook your laptop up to the Display port cable it will automatically open as an option when you touch the Yellow + button.

Troubleshooting Notes:

Q: My content is showing up on my computer, but not on the TelePresence screen A: Try dragging the window to the other screen. (Click and hold the mouse on the top of the window to drag the window to the other monitor.)

Q: I was sharing my screen, then the system came up and my screen is no longer sharing A: Reshare your screen. When the system comes up it resets the screen sharing.

Step 2: Sharing on the TelePresence Screen

Once you have logged into the computer -or- you have plugged in your laptop and picked the content you want to share using the Yellow + button 1. Touch the Share button on the Touch Ten panel.

2. When the Share Screen option pops up, click Share Cynap 3. Your content will share on the right monitor TelePresence Unit

Volume Control

Volume Control - controls the volume heard on your campus only. It does not control the volume on other campuses.

Mute Button - mutes your campus only. You will still hear students from the other campuses.

Volume Tips

Group Work Ideas

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The default volume is typically set to a good level. It will only need to be adjusted for specific activites such as group work or extraneous noise.

The other campuses have the same controls on their systems. If you need a campus to mute or change volume, send them to the Touch Ten panel and walk threm through the instructions. The volume will reset itself when the next class starts so you cannot mess it up.

You cannot control the volume or muting on another campus.

If you have just a few students on two of your campuses, you can have them work as a group on projects or discussions. Someone in the classroom with the bigger groups can do the following: • Mute your class the others can’t hear you.

• Turn down the volume so you can’t won’t hear the other class.

• Work out a signal for questions.

• Set a time limit and unmute the system when the time is reached.

Camera Control

The camera is automatically turned on to the student view. To move the camera to the instructor view, click the camera icon in the top right corner and click on Instructor or Presenter view. You can toggle the camera angle as needed with the arrows. The camera will follow the instructor in the room if they are moving and/or speaking.

In Speaker Track mode (view of the students) the camera will zoom to that student, then zoom out to either the entire class or the instructor. The camera is designed to be intuitive to a classroom setting. *It is important for students to know that when they make excessive noise or whisper, the camera will zoom to them. This can be brought up as a classroom management tip for students. Self-view can be distracting for students because they see themselves on camera. It is a good idea to leave it off.

Camera Icon Click to bring up the camera controls

Presenter/Instructor Will shift to the presenter camera.

Speaker Tracking Turns on and off the tracking to the person who is speaking. If left off, it will show the larger class view the whole time, but will not give you the face to face connection with the individual student.

Camera Tips

Teaching to a Camera

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The other campuses have the same controls on their systems. If a setting needs changed, send them to the Touch Ten panel and walk threm through the instructions. The camera will reset itself when the next class starts so you cannot mess it up.

You cannot control the camera on another campus.

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The students are seeing you through the camera above the confidence monitor. Look into the camera on occassion. You can even interact with the camera with close up looks, the “evil eye”, or a fist bump.

The confidence monitor will help you see the students and interact with the camera at the same time.

Check out the page on changing the configuration of how you see your students to maximize your confidence monitor and the combined visual from your other campuses.

Technology Contact Information Issue

Name

Extension

Classroom Emergency (needs immediate action) Scheduling/Training

Someone should be available at this number from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM Lea Ann Turner Steve Lowery

x5670 x5480 x5309

*For non-crisis technology support, please contact the Help Desk x5555

Campus Contact Information Campus

Contact Name Extension

Email

Emergency Campus Cell (if phones are down)

Adams

x5130 x5129 x5127 x7020

laurie.inda@mstc.edu tamera.beobel@mstc.edu

715-213-6700

Marshfield

Laurie Inda Heather Jones Jamie Seehafer Sara Sikora

sara.sikora@mstc.edu

715-305-0717

Stevens Point

Bonnie Foley

x3128

bonnie.foley@mstc.edu

715-213-2005

Classroom & Conference Room Phone Numbers Campus Adams Adams Adams Adams Marshfield Marshfield Marshfield Marshfield Marshfield Stevens Point Stevens Point Stevens Point Stevens Point Stevens Point Stevens Point Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids Wicsonsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids

Room AD112 AD114 AD116 AD115 MF101 MF122 MF125 MF105 MF109 SP212 SP216 SP218 SP410 SP411 SP417 WRA240 WRA238 WRA166 WRT113 WRE109 WRL118 WRL134 T121 E116

Room Type Computer Classroom Classroom Classroom Nursing Lab/Classroom Conference Room Classroom Classroom Classroom Computer Classroom Classroom Classroom Computer Classroom Conference Room Computer Classroom Classroom Classroom Computer Classroom Classroom Classroom Classroom Auditorium Conference Room Conference Room Workforce Development

Phone Extension x5113 x5107 x5108 x5104 x7090 x7046 x7008 x7072 x7064 x1266 x1250 x1243 x3133 x1268 x1258 x5471 x5472 x5636 x5259 x5604 x5465 x5437 x5590 x5475

Dial Point to Point TelePresence x6402 x6401 x6400 x6403 x6304 x6302 x6302 x6300 x6301 x6203 x6202 x6205 x6204 x6201 x6200 x6102 x6109 x6103 x6100 x6101 x6108 x6106 x6107 x6105

Dialing from a TelePresence Room to a TelePresence Room If you need to have a quick ad hoc meeting between two locations, you may dial directly using the point to point dialing option.

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You can only do this if you are connecting two rooms.

If you try to connect more than two rooms, the third room will become audio only.

Make sure there is nothing already on the schedule. Your meeting will supercede scheduled meetings.

Make sure that you end the meeting on both units so that future scheduled meetings can come up.

To dial the room directly, click the dial option on the Touch Ten panel and dial the number.

Engaing the Students on the Other Campuses

Teaching Tips

It is natural to engage the students in front of you, but it takes a little more of an intentional effort.

• Create a seating chart for the other campuses the way you see it on the screen and put students names in based on where they sit.

• Deliberately call on different students to answer questions (not by a hand raise) or call on a campus to answer a question rather than an individual.

• Learn as much about the students on other campuses as you can during introductions. While teaching, draw on your knowledge of that student to make direct application to them.

• Facilitate the relationships between students on multiple campuses by letting them talk to each other and ask each other questions.

Be a Movie Star - Teach to the Camera

Course Materials

It is easy to pass out materials in a face to face course, TelePresence adds a challenge.

• Put the materials in Blackboard. Ask students to bring a device to class which allows them to open the materials on their device and interact with it. (Do not provide printed copies for one group and ask the others to do it digitally - try to create equity) • If a student does not have a device, make it okay to partner with someone who does.

• If students need to have printed materials, put it on Blackboard prior to class and communicate with students the need to print the materials before they come to class. Make sure it really needs to be printed - if they can use their device, give them the option. You may prefer print, but many students are okay with a digital format and it reduces costs for them.

This is your chance to act like a movie star and prove your “star quality” Hollywood style.

• Occasionally look directly at the camera when speaking, this gives the illusion to the distance students that you are speaking directly to them.

• Dr. Lance Ford, who is on the forefront of teaching via technology, even brings in the fist bump to reinforce formative assessment. Bump your fist toward the camera and let the students bump back.

• Personalize the experience with your own flair. Help the students on the other end of the camera experience the same you that the students in your

Creative Ways to Work in Groups

Don’t forgo group work just because of TelePresence.

There are creative ways to get students working together.

• If there are sufficient numbers, group students with other students on their campus.

• If there is a campus or campuses with low numbers, group them together. You can mute and turn down the volume on the campuses with more students who are working together and let the smaller populations work together via the system.

When it is time, turn the volume back up and unmute. Do keep an eye on the video feed to make sure they aren’t trying to get your attention and/ or do an occasional check in with them.

• Use Blackboard Collaborate or Cisco Spark to let students work together via their laptops/devices. Talk to the Instructional Technology Support.

Create Interaction

Active Learning and engaging students is the most effective way to teach. TelePresence can feel like a barrier to active learning, but with today’s availability of tools, there are lots of options to keep students actively engaged.

Kahoot is a web/app based tool that allows you to ask questions that students answer, competition style, on their devices.

Students can work individually or in teams. It is a fast and fun way to check for understanding and provide formative feedback.

Even older adult learners enjoy Kahoot. https://kahoot.com

Mentimeter is a polling tool that gives many options for engaging students. Students can engage from any location on their own devices. https://www.mentimeter. com

Padlet

Padlet is like virtual post it notes where students can brainstorm and post ideas, websites, and images in real time from any device. https:// padlet.com/

Buzzers

Talk to your instructional technology team about checking out buzzers to have in each of your TelePresence classrooms. Our buzzers have different sounds and you can assign each campus group a sound. You will be amazed at how your students come to life when they have this in their possesion.

Troubleshooting the System Issue

PPossible Solutions

The content on my computer is not showing up on the content screen.

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My Powerpoint is not showing up on the correct screen.

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The sound is not working.

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The system went down -or- I accidentally hit the red END button.

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One room is not showing up.

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The content screen may be acting like a second monitor, try dragging the content to the right edge of your monitor to see if it will go on to the content monitor.

If you had your content showing prior to the system coming up, the content goes into privacy mode. Go ahead and share the content again.

Right click on the desktop of your computer (anywhere there is no icon). Choose Display Settings. Under the Multiple Screen Display - choose Duplicate Display In PowerPoint, click on the slide show tab, make sure the monitor shows the secondary monitor.

Check the volume Check the mute Each campus controls their own volume. Send students to the Touch Ten panel to adjust volume If you are on your laptop, reboot the laptop to get the sound driver working.

If you were only meeting between 2 classrooms, you can just click reconnect. If the meeting was between multiple classrooms/conference rooms, you will need to use the contact information in this book to have someone reschedule the course.

Our internal windowless rooms are very dark when the lights are off. If the room name is showing up on the screen, but it looks black, it is because no one is in the room. If you share content, you may see the glow from the content screen.

If a room number is not showing up see contacts.

Issue

Possible Solutions

The confidence monitor is not coming on.

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My DVD won’t play on the TelePresence.

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My YouTube sound isn’t working over TelePresence.

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It should turn on automatically. However, if it does not, please use the remote or the power button on the monitor to turn on the confidence monitor. Let one of the staff in the contacts know about the issue when class is over so that we can find a resolution.

Most commercial DVD’s cannot be broadcast over the TelePresence system due to copyright and broadcasting laws.

YouTube sound is sometimes finicky when played through the older technology in the Internet Explorer Browser. Try the same link in Chrome or Firefox and it will most likely work fine.