Due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19, Kent State University has formed the Reopening Committee for Classroom Technology. The overall goal of this committee is to evaluate all university instructional spaces, in order to provide a safe environment for students and faculty while preserving the delivery of quality education.

Fall Semester 2020

Fall Semester courses will be delivered in a variety of ways:

• Completely online
• Partially online
• A combination where students are in a physical Kent State classroom while other students are attending the same class remotely (either in real-time or recorded) 

The following is designed to help you understand changes that are being made to instructional spaces on Kent State campuses for Fall Semester 2020. 

Classroom Technology

Each traditional / lecture-oriented instructional space will be equipped with the following: 

Instructor Station Computer

While there will not be a standard model computer in all instructional spaces throughout the university, all instructor station computers will be less than four years old. 

Lumens DC-125 High-Definition Portable Camera

This camera is on a flexible stand so it can act as a document camera or a webcam, allowing instructors the flexibility of showing documents, objects or themselves to their remote students. 

• Camera Capabilities Demo (X:XX min)

Audio Technica ATR4650-USB Computer Microphone

Clearly picks up audio for up to 25 feet, allowing instructors ample room to move without losing their remote students. 

• Microphones Capabilities Demo (1:57 min)

Request Technology

If you need equipment or internet access to continue your coursework remotely, please submit the request form. 

After you have completed the form, your request will be reviewed for feasibility and will be provided for you upon approval. Purchases are made on a first-come, first-served basis, so please try to make your requests as early as possible. Once we receive the equipment we will ship it out to your local support person as expeditiously as we can.

Using This Equipment

Used in combination with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra*, this equipment will allow in-person instructors to do the following:

• Broadcast their class in real time to students who cannot be physically present
• Record their class for later viewing by those who are not able to view it in real time

Using the Camera and Microphone with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (PDF)

*Please be sure that you are using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and not Blackboard Collaborate. Blackboard Collaborate will be decommissioning later this year.

Equipment Resources

• Recording a Session Using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (8:51 min)
• Live Stream Your Lecture (2:36 min)
• Share a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Recording (10:58 min)