Technical Information & Tips
An orientation to the ITV rooms and equipment is available by contacting Marc Smyth, Manager of Classroom Services at 483-1674. Contact Marc Smyth to arrange a time to explore the operation of the ITV classrooms.
There is a video engineer that is assigned to support your ITV class. The engineer's mission is to provide as much support as you need in order to make your class session as successful as possible. We have installed systems in the classroom that will provide the instructor with as much control of the technology as they prefer. The instructor may also wish to have the technician control the majority of the technology. This can be adjusted throughout the semester in accordance with the instructor's comfort level.
Classroom Equipment
-
Microphones
- One table mounted microphone per two students
- These microphones should be considered "turned on" whenever anyone enters the room. Conversations that one would not desire to be broadcast to other sites, or recorded on tape should be left outside the classroom. (With the instructor's mic turned off, a whispered conversation between an instructor and a student at the instructor's console should be reasonably secure.)
- One wireless microphone for instructor
-
Cameras and Projectors
- Main on the Instructor
- Secondary on the Instructor
- Camera on the Students
- Visualizer for computer and other image projections
- Overhead projector
-
Computer
- Networked
- CD-ROM
- Sound Card w/ speakers
- Microsoft Office is installed
- Web Browsers
- Other college software could be installed with advanced notice
-
Visualizer and Overhead size issues
The aspect ratio of a television screen is four units wide and three units high. This is an important fact to keep in mind when developing presentation visuals for ITV.
All visuals need to have a "bleed area" because of the way television scans an image. The "bleed area" is a 10% frame around your information that can be sacrificed. DO NOT place pertinent information in this frame.
Documents that are landscape format (11 x 8 ½) work better than those that are portrait format (8 ½ x 11). See above image. -
Font & Type size
- Sans Serif fonts, such as Arial work best
- Larger font sizes make the text much more readable
- Use previously prepared overheads with paper backing if possible
- If you are going to write, use felt tip pens instead of ball point pens and write LARGE
-
Additional Classroom Sources
- VHS videocassette player
- 3/4" U-matic Deck
- Laser Disc player
- Other sources (satellite feed) can be accommodated with advance notice
Copyright Issues
Lansing Community College endorses the Educational Fair Use Guidelines For Distance Learning. A full text version of the document is available at the following website: http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/distguid.htm
Because of the nature of LCC's interactive television network and the provisions provided via the exception for face-to-face instruction, the use of legally obtained audiovisual material in support of classroom instruction is allowed. However, there are some limitations regarding the recording of copyrighted material presented during the class. Please reference the website above for more detail or contact Marc Smyth at 517-483-1674.
Copyright Law
The copyright law gives the author or owner of an original work the exclusive right to perform or display the copyrighted work publicly, as in literary, musical, dramatic, or choreographic works, pantomimes, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, or works of art. To perform or display a work "publicly" means to perform or display it at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered. Public performance rights purchased from the distributor of the work are required for all public showings.
Face-To-Face Instruction (exemption to copyright)
17 U.S.C. 110 (1) of the copyright law creates an exception to the copyright holder's exclusive right of performance. The "face-to-face" exemption allows an educator to perform a work (including home use video) in class, as long as the following criteria are met:
- applies only to non-profit educational institutions;
- applies only to instructional activities in the classroom where the teacher and students are in the same location;
- covers performances of copyrighted works by teachers, students, and guest lecturers;
- the audience must be composed of members of one class only;
- the performance must be part of "systematic instruction," which does not include recreational or cultural programs;
- the performance must take place in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction (i.e., not a gymnasium, auditorium, class play, graduation, athletic event, etc.);
- must use a lawfully made copy of actual content.
Guidelines for Off-Air Recordings
In March 1979, Congressman Robert Kastenmeier, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and Administration of Justice, appointed a Negotiating Committee consisting of representatives of education organizations, copyright proprietors, and creative guilds and unions. The following guidelines reflect the Negotiating Committee's consensus as to the application of "fair use" to the recording, retention, and use of television broadcast programs for educational purposes. They specify periods of retention and use of such off-air recordings in classrooms and similar places devoted to instruction and for homebound instruction. The purpose of establishing these guidelines is to provide standards for both owners and users of copyrighted television programs.
The guidelines were developed to apply only to off-air recording by nonprofit educational institutions.
A broadcast program may be recorded off-air simultaneously with broadcast transmission (including simultaneous cable retransmission) and retained by a nonprofit educational institution for a period not to exceed the first forty-five (45) consecutive calendar days after date of recording. Upon conclusion of such retention period, all off-air recordings must be erased or destroyed immediately. "Broadcast programs" are television programs transmitted by television stations for reception by the general public without charge.
Off-air recordings may be used once by individual teachers in the course of relevant teaching activities, and repeated once only when instructional reinforcement is necessary, in classrooms and similar places devoted to instruction within a single building, cluster or campus, as well as in the homes of students receiving formalized home instruction, during the first ten (10) consecutive school days in the forty-five (45) calendar day retention period. "School days" are school session days – not counting weekends, holidays, vacations, examination periods, and other scheduled interruptions -- within the forty-five (45) calendar day retention period. Off-air recordings may be made only at the request of and used by individual teachers, and may not be regularly recorded in anticipation of requests. No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same teacher, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcasted.
A limited number of copies may be reproduced from each off-air recording to meet the legitimate needs of teachers under these guidelines. Each such additional copy shall be subject to all provisions governing the original recording.
Tips for Using PowerPoint for ITV Classes
- Use no font smaller than 36 points.
- Use a dark background, with light colored text.
- Do not use extremely decorative and loud background patterns.
- Do not use red as a background color; nor should you use a lot of red on your slides. Red tends to bleed, making your slides difficult to read.
- Keep a 1/2 inch border around the edges of your slides; often times the outer edge of your slides are cut off.
- Sans Serif fonts, such as Arial, are best for your slides. They are much easier to read, and if you intend to videotape your session, this is the recommended font style. PowerPoint is set to use Times, which is a Serif font, as the default, so be sure to change the font to Arial.
Center for Teaching Excellence
Technology and Learning Center, Room 324
Phone: (517) 483-1680
Email: cte@lcc.edu
Mailcode: 8111
Additional contact information »
Open Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 6pm
Friday: 8am - 5pm
To send an APPLEGRAM online, fill-out the
Applegram form.