Smart classroom computers removed from CAS
By Zoe Strozewski | Published by Oct. 2, 2018
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The Center for Academic Success (CAS) was subject to multiple changes for the 2018-2019 school year, including a renovated first floor, the transfer of One-Stop and financial aid to the first floor and the removal of computers from Smart classrooms.
The CAS is the headquarters for Kean’s College of Liberal Arts, containing a variety of computer labs, department offices, and Smart classrooms. Smart classrooms have been accessorized with projectors, projector screens, and, until recently, Dell desktop computers.
This development has become a significant transition and source of confusion among students and teachers alike.
According to Jonathan Mercantini, the acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the removal of the computers from the classrooms was due to their age. “The computers in CAS were old and were not capable in many instances of operating the increasingly sophisticated software being used in classes,” Mercantini said.
Teachers still have access to the projectors in the classrooms, however in order to utilize them, they must bring their own laptops to class. The set-up between the laptops and projectors has been streamlined, so theoretically teachers can easily project what is on their computers.
If a professor doesn’t own a laptop that can be used in conjunction with teaching, the school has made arrangements to accommodate them. “We do have laptops available for faculty to borrow for us if they need them and I expect to be purchasing more of those,” Mercantini said.
One professor, who chose to remain anonymous in order to avoid conflict with the university, teaches in the CAS and has found that the change has caused difficulty in class, rather than the ease administrators had hoped for. Some of the problems cited by this professor include the need to transport a laptop to class on top of other materials, an inability to screen videos, the time-consuming computer set-up process, and the elimination of technology-based methods of teaching in the interest of time.
The professor also noted that more paper is being wasted this year from having to print more handouts.
On the other hand, Sophia Barilla, a freshman environmental science major, automatically has no previous experience to compare the situation with, as her first time in a Kean classroom came after this adjustment was made. She said that computers and technology are used in every one of her classes, but the process hasn’t been smooth-sailing.
“In every class, there was at least one problem with getting the computers to work,” Barilla said.
However, she believes that despite the difficulties and delays, having the ability to use computers in conjunction with teaching has more perks than drawbacks. “I feel it’s beneficial timewise,” Barilla said. “With computers, the professors don’t have to write everything on the board and teaching goes much faster.”
Like any major change in an academic building, the removal of computers from the CAS classrooms has caused some primary ripples. Only time will tell whether this decision will promote technological and academic progress of difficulty.
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