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6th Feb 2009 - MMC Report

Usage:

  • ALL departments had at least one course running in the first semester with some interesting new initiatives from German and Italian
  • Only Spanish has presently reserved classes for semester II which may cause difficulties with present first come-first-served policy
  • Excellent growing self-access usage by students
    • and this appears to be 'intuitively' user-friendly
    • there have been requests for out-of-hours access, but this is not financially possible.

Television:

Television access is now available from all PCs in the MMC. Further details of available channels and of how to get access are available from: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/itsold/classrooms/

Printing

The new Printer is now working. It uses the same print-quota system that is already in place in PC classrooms across the University. For further details of printing, please see: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/itsupport/Overview/Printing/

Old VHS and audio tapes:

All old materials from VHS and audio tape days have been sorted. It is assumed that materials still in the back of the self-study lab can be disposed of. While some of the material identified for re-use has already been digitised, a few still to be digitised.

Procedures:

  • bpeb is the link between SoML and IT Services.
  • Requests for digitisation:
    • For further details for digitisation requests, please see 'How to make a digitisation request' from: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/itsold/classrooms/
    • Completed digitisation requests, with the cataloguing form, need to reach mjm at least two weeks in advance of the use of the material. Where possible exceptions will be made for use of current television material that only becomes available within that time frame. If such an exception is required, mjm needs to be notified as soon as this need becomes apparent.
  • Requests for demonstration / training:
    • 'Demonstration' means that a member of staff is generally familiar with the Televic software and would like to find out / be reminded how an individual feature of the software works. Staff requesting a demonstration need to do so by prior appointment with mjm, who will try to accommodate such requests when possible.
    • 'Training' involves a more in-depth demonstration of MMC functionality with practice exercises for staff. Sessions are for a group of staff and are arranged preferably during non-teaching periods. If you identify a technical training requirement, please address this to bp10. During training sessions colleagues are invited to show case their innovations as example of best practice, to be scheduled in second half of Candlemas reading week.
    • We are owed one Televic advanced seminar, to be taken up once confidence and competence has been built up!!
  • Software:
    • Any new software requested for use in the MMC needs to be tested by IT Services and approved for purchase by bpeb.
    • Consistent with other CAL software already in use within the SoML and other Schools across the University, new software that has been tested and approved will be made available at the beginning of an Academic Year. This is to ensure - as far as is possible - reliable functionality of the MMC for academic use throughout the AY.
    • As with CAL software, requests for new software to be tested by ITS should be addressed to bp10. Only after successful ITS testing should requests for approval of the purchase of software be passed on to bpeb.
  • Technical problems:
    • Technical problems are issues where one or more pieces of hardware in the MMC (PC, keyboard, mouse, computer screen, printer) malfunction or where the software no longer provides its usual functionality.
    • These issues will need to be notified to the IT Helpdesk (email: helpdesk). The following details will be required:
      • Number of the PC(s) affected by the problem. This is either ML1PC-<number> or ML2PC-<number>. Each PC monitor has a sticker on it, indicating the number of the PC.
      • A description of the problem, including error messages (if any).
    • Please contact bpeb if issues remain unresolved.

Any other problems or difficulties not here covered should be addressed to bpeb.