Media Classroom Considerations

OID Media Systems Design receives many requests from campus departments for information regarding converting an existing space into a media-equipped classroom. This document presents a basic list of considerations that should be taken into account when evaluating a space for conversion. The following is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of all issues related to the construction of a media-equipped classroom, but rather a look at the basic requirements which should be met by any space under consideration.

Although most rooms are designed for teaching it is wise to assess the functional needs: how will the room be used now and in the future? Have provisions for future upgrades been incorporated into the design? Will the planned changes inhibit traditional (non media) teaching in the space?

In addition, attention must be paid to ADA and Fire Code issues when any major changes in existing classrooms are planned. ADA questions can be directed to Karen Henderson-Winge, Assistant Coordinator of ADA and 504 Compliance at khwinge@saonet.ucla.edu. Fire Code questions can be directed to Gary Dunger, Campus Fire Marshall at dunger@facnet.ucla.edu.

If more detailed or site-specific information is required, please contact Media Systems Design at (310) 825-2610.

Physical Space

A rectangular (2:1 or 3:1) room with the teaching area on the short side generally provides the best sight lines from the seating area to the writing surface and projection screen.

The entrances to the room should be at the rear of the room or at the sides to minimize disruption in the teaching area from students arriving after the class has begun.

A room using video projection should have no windows or, if windows are present they should be equipped with blackout shades. Venetian blinds do not provide enough external light attenuation in most cases.

The space should be air conditioned.

A minimum ceiling height of 10 feet is required if a video projector is to be hung from the ceiling. A minimum of 13 feet to the structure above the ceiling is required if a lift is to be used to support the projector.

The installation of a suspended ceiling system is strongly recommended to contain lighting, speakers (for media audio and voice reinforcement, if required), projector lift and screen, and to conceal the conduits required for the media equipment.

Lighting

General room illumination should be provided by fluorescent fixtures. The light level at the desktop should be between 40 and 60 footcandles.

Dimmable, directional note-taking lighting, illuminating just the student desktops with no spill on the walls or projection screen, should be provided. The lighting level of the note-taking system need not exceed 15-20 footcandles. The Lutron High-Lume 1% fluorescent dimming system combined with their Radiotouch simplified wall controller is our current choice. The use of deep large-cell paracube diffusers on the fixtures provides adequate directional control of the light. Two zones, one for the teaching area and another for the balance of the room are required in all but the smallest spaces.

Fixtures which illuminate the board surface evenly are required.

Controls for the general lighting system must be located at all entrance doors. Controls for both the general and note-taking lighting systems should be located at the front of the room accessible to the instructor.

Equipment

To keep the floor area clear, the video projector should be hung from the ceiling. The use of a lift to enable the projector to recess into the ceiling when not in use may be required for maintenance access in rooms with high ceilings or to meet architectural requirements. Projectors must be secured against theft.

An electrically operated screen is recommended as the controlled unwrap/wrap contributes to long screen life. Control for the screen should be located in the teaching area adjacent to the lighting controls. The screen surface should be of the lenticular type to maximize the useful brightness of the video projector, although matte screens can be employed in smaller venues. In installations where slides will be shown, a second larger screen to accommodate dual side-by-side slides is preferable to a single large screen for all projection. This permits the writing surface on either side of a small screen to be used concurrent with video and single slide projection.

If significant use of slides is anticipated, two slide projectors should be permanently mounted at the rear of the room and their remote controls wired to connectors at the front of the room. Alternately, wireless remote controls can be used. It is best to install the projectors in a cabinet with a glass port on the front to control noise and enable the projectors to be prealigned on the screen. These projectors need to be handicapped accessible.

A cabinet containing the video projector source switcher and media sources (VCR, DVD player, etc.) should be located in the teaching area adjacent to the lighting and screen switches. This cabinet can also contain the audio amplifier, Infrared hearing assist transmitter, and connection points for a computer and other video/audio equipment not part of the permanent installation. A computer may be located in this cabinet or post mounted at another location in the teaching area with conduit connection to the media cabinet.

Data ports should be located under the writing surface and at the media cabinet for connection to the installed computer and laptop interface.

Loudspeakers for the media audio should flank the video screen, either wall or ceiling mounted. Ceiling-mounted speakers used for voice reinforcement allow the acoustical level in the room to be kept lower, a desirable feature if acoustical isolation between adjacent classrooms is poor.

Acoustics

Ideally, for the best acoustics the room chosen should have no parallel walls or ceiling/floor to minimize reverberation but this requirement is difficult to achieve in all but a few purpose-built venues. The use of acoustic wall panels on the long parallel walls to break-up the side-to-side "slap" echo is usually beneficial as is the choice of acoustically absorbtive ceiling and floor treatment. If a large space with a history of acoustic problems (echo, poor intelligibility) is being considered, a certified acoustical consultant should be employed to analyze the space and make recommendations.

Noise sources affecting the space should be investigated. These include air conditioning (both air noise and equipment noise), elevators adjacent to the room, vending areas and restrooms adjacent to the room, noise from the corridor and/or from areas outside the room. The cost to mitigate some of these noise sources may be reasonable (e.g. double glazing on outside windows) or significant-thus this analysis should be done early in the room selection process. Room to room isolation also needs to be addressed by extending walls above the ceiling up to the structure deck or using sound isolation blankets.

Further Information

Estimating media and construction costs is a site-specific activity and cannot follow any simple rule. For more information on any of these design elements or for assistance in cost estimation, please contact Rick Holmes, Chief Engineer of OID Media Systems Design at rholmes@ucla.edu.