Instructor's Guide to Neff's Computer Classrooms
The following provides a brief description of the configuration of Neff's computer classrooms: B27, B39, B41, and B88. These computer-equipped classrooms use the Windows XP operating system, which provides access to a wide-range of software programs and Internet resources. In addition to using the generic ID's printed on each classroom workstation (passwords are the ID name), students have the option to log into their personal lab accounts. These instructions also apply, with slight modification, to several departmental classrooms that work in a similar network environment(CASA: KT G19, G21, and 116; Mathematics: KT 216, 218, 220).
All Windows XP labs, whether classroom or Student-Access, share the same menus and software. The Student-Access Computing Labs are located in:Helmke Library 1st Floor; Neff B71, B73; Kettler 204A, 217, Walb 221; and Science G15. The Student-Access lab servers support all of the same Windows XP programs available in the classrooms.
| Classroom Locations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Room | Equipment+ | Platform++ |
| Neff B27 | 21 Dell GX 280 | Windows XP |
| Neff B39 | 21 Dell GX 280 | Windows XP |
| Neff B41 | 29 Dell GX 280 | Windows XP |
| Neff B88 | 27 Dell GX 620 |
Windows XP |
| Neff B73* | 27-OmniTech P4-2.66 | Windows XP |
| * = Part-time student-access lab. + = Plus one instructor's station with projection capabilities. ++ Plus Enhanced adaptive workstations. |
||
Please remember to lock the door to each classroom when leaving. The door should always be locked to prevent theft, damage, and use of the classroom as an open lab. Do not leave the classroom and permit students from the next class to enter the room if the next instructor has not arrived. It is in these unsupervised situations that we have had problems. If you are regularly using these classrooms, you may request a key by 1) scheduling the room through the Registrar's Office and asking them to 2) contact the Secretary of IT Services (481-6838 or 6802) to request a key from Physical Plant.
These classrooms and Neff B73* (see B73 Use Policy Statement) may be used on an ad hoc basis for individual class sessions requiring hands-on demonstrations. For such classes, scheduling is required through the Registrar's Office at least 24 hours prior to use. Access to the locked classrooms can usually be obtained by contacting IT Services' Help Desk (481-6030) at least 24 hours before class. The student consultant in Neff B71 will be notified to unlock the door for you. Without Help Desk authorization, the consultant is not allowed to open the door for you.
Although ITS tries to provide whiteboard pens in the classrooms, they often disappear. It is strongly recommended that each instructor bring at least one dry erase marker pen to each class. DO NOT use permanent markers (for obvious reasons).
If you have problems when you are using the Neff computer classrooms, contact the Help Desk (260-481-6030) or the student consultant in Neff B71 (x5431, if on duty during your class; they may not be on duty much the first week of classes).
| * If you do not have an instructor's lab/classroom account, classroom use of NF B73 requires a special instructor's username and password which is provided by the Registrar's Office when scheduling the room. This account can only be used at B73's instructor's station. Each student must have an activated lab account in order to use the workstations in this lab. Unlike B27/B39/B41/B88, there are no generic ID's in this lab/classroom for faculty and student use. |
Instructor's Station
The instructor's station is equipped with a soundcard, two speakers, a 31/2" floppy drive, a CD-ROM drive, a 250MB Zip Drive (NF B73 only) and a ceiling-mounted projector. NF B27, B39, B41 & B88 have USB ports for flash drives. The station's table may be moved slightly but the connections (power and communication) are on the floor. BE CAREFUL--rolling the unit around could damage or disconnect the cables.
Projection System
To use the overhead projection system, you just need to turn it on. A remote control is available next to the instructor's workstation. Take the remote control and point it up at the front of the projector and press the POWER button (the control uses the same technology as most TV or VCR remotes -- you must have line of sight to the front of the projector for it to detect the transmission).
[PLEASE BE CERTAIN TO TURN OFF THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR BEFORE LEAVING THE ROOM]
Classroom Management Software
Each of the instructor stations is capable of running the computer control software, NetOp School. This software allows the instructor to control, display, and assist students at their workstations from the instructor's. Instruction in its use is available through the ITS Coordinator of Academic Computing.
Logging In and Sharing Files
When the computer is turned on, it will open with a network login box that looks similar to this:
If software problems occur that are specific to one workstation, the hard drive can be refreshed, but only by a consultant or the ITS Help Desk. The process could take 20 or more minutes and is not recommended during a class. Such problems should be reported to the consultant in Neff B71 or the Help Desk (KT206 or x6030). If a student experiences a problem that only occurs on their workstation, hopefully there will be an alternate station for them to move to.
If you are an occasional user of the teaching labs or do not need to share files with your students, there are room specific, generic login IDs with same-as-ID passwords: NFTB27, NFTB39, NFTB41, and NFTB88. Use these instructor-station specific IDs to log into the classroom server. Recall, no such generic IDs are available in NF B73.
All instructors that need to share files with their students (see Shared Class Files below), regardless of whether they teach in one of these classrooms, may contact IT Services prior to using the labs to add access to the student labs to their IPFW ID. Shared files can then be placed in a subdirectory matching your username that will be created on the Student-Access Lab O: drive. There are two ways an instructor can manage this subdirectory:
- From a lab or classroom,
- Log into any Student-Access lab or Neff classroom server using a faculty student lab account,
- Copy, edit, delete, etc. files in the instructor's O:\Labs\instructor's_username\ folder.
- From an office (Windows machines, only),
- Use the workstation's O: drive
- The instructor's shared lab folder is located under O:\Labs\instructor's_username\
- Copy, edit, delete, etc. files in this folder
- All files and folders placed in this folder will be immediately available to students in the labs and classrooms.
Please Note: This added access is not designed to provide software to an office nor does it provide printing capabilities to the labs/classrooms from an office. Office workstations must load applications using the IPFW Icons and not the Student Access Labs application group.
| Running Windows XP After booting, the computer will display a Windows XP network login dialogue box. To log in, follow the steps below: At Username: type either your personal network login ID (if you have a lab/classroom account) or the generic classroom ID labeled on the station, and press the Tab key to move to the Password field. At Password: type in your personal network password (if you have a lab/classroom account), or for the generic ID, the generic ID again, and press the Enter key or click OK. Once logged on, you will be presented with the Windows XP desktop. To run programs, double click on the Applications folder, double click on the IPFW Tree, and select programs from the application-type folders. |
[PLEASE BE SURE TO REBOOT OR RESET THE INSTRUCTOR'S STATION BEFORE LEAVING THE ROOM]
[PLEASE ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO REBOOT THEIR STATIONS BEFORE LEAVING THE ROOM]
[PLEASE BE SURE THE CLASSROOM DOOR IS LOCKED AS YOU LEAVE THE ROOM]
Reporting Problems
In the front of each room there is a tray containing blank "trouble forms." If you discover hardware or software problems during class, please fill in a form for each problem. If it is a software problem explicitly describe the software application, the function being performed and the specific error message(s) received. For hardware problems, print the workstation ID name and the room number along with a brief description of the problem. Place the completed forms adjacent to the blank ones in the same tray. Student consultants retrieve these forms each day and turn them in to the Help Desk staff. Serious problems (e.g., the machines won't boot) should be immediately reported to the Help Desk (260-481-6030) using the room phone. Before completing a form, check the tray for another instructor's form describing the same problem.
Student Stations
When the computer is turned on, it will open with the network login window. The student logon procedure is exactly the same as described above -- students may use their activated lab accounts or the generic ID printed on the workstation. These stations support 3 ½" diskettes, CDROM, and Iomega 250MB Zip disks.
Be aware that:
- In order to preserve and protect their work, students MUST save to a floppy disk or a Zip disk before leaving the classroom.
- The C: drive is common to all users of that specific workstation, so files placed there could be read, modified, and deleted by the next person to use that station.
- Any files saved to the C: drive will be deleted when the computer is refreshed, nightly.
Shared Class Files
Each instructor and student has access to a shared O: drive that points to a collection of instructors' folders under the O:\Labs folder. The folder names match instructor usernames. If you would like a folder created for you, please contact the Help Desk. Files that are copied (directly or indirectly) into O:\Labs\instructor's_username will be visible for read-only access by ALL users in all student labs and the four Neff classrooms.
If the files you are sharing with students require write access, you can request an OPEN subdirectory be created for you. Note: Be aware that any student can modify or delete any of the files in the OPEN subdirectory and you must be prepared to copy a new set of files into that directory at any time. IT Services will not be able to restore files from backups to this subdirectory - you are responsible for its contents!
Printing
Laser printing is available to all stations. At this time the default printer will be the one designated "A" (usually to the left as you face them). In B39, where there are 4 printers, two will be designated default depending on which row the student is in (1-2 vs 3-4). A banner page is printed in front of each job so the students can "find" their output. The title of each banner page matches the student's workstation or personal ID.
260-481-IPFW
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