Monash Memo - articles - 17 October 2001

[contents] [next article]

AV upgrade for lecture theatres

Lecture theatres maintained by the Information Technology Services (ITS) division will undergo upgrades in a refurbishment and maintenance program worth $750,000 this year.

Advanced audio-visual systems in the theatres are provided by the division's Teaching Facilities Support Unit.

Teaching space design consultant with the unit Mr Graeme Ivey (pictured below) is overseeing the refurbishment program, which will see 23 of the 70 plus hi-tech lecture theatres upgraded by the end of the year.

To date, 16 have been completed and are back in use. Further work is planned in 2002, subject to funding.

Emphasising the complex work involved, Mr Ivey said the unit was working to schedule the upgrades amid busy teaching calendars.

"All work is done in close cooperation with the Lecture Theatre Advisory Group, which comprises teaching staff from each faculty and representatives from the Facilities and Services Division," Mr Ivey said.

The current refurbishments, he said, feature new touchscreen teaching lecterns that provide a greater level of control over equipment and the teaching environment.

They also provided standardisation of hardware and software, a common network that facilitated the use of laptop computers by lecturers throughout the university, and Weblinx software for centralised monitoring and remote control of lecture theatre equipment.

"Specific requirements are supported through liaison with the advisory group," Mr Ivey said. "For example, a special projector has been installed in a large-seating capacity theatre at Clayton to cater for a Visual Culture requirement to show movie-style images to their students.

"New data projectors have also been installed at Berwick and Gippsland campuses to enhance the tele-teaching environment."

Details of the refurbishment plan, including a list of the theatres and their current maintenance status can be found on the ITS website at www.its.monash.edu.au/tfsu/rmplan.html