A Display Screen to Support Student Presentations

Project Title: A Display Screen to Support Student Presentations

Project Lead’s Name: Heidi McKee

Email: mckeeha@miamioh.edu

Phone: (513) 529-2635

Please Choose the Primary Affiliation: FSB

Are There Other Project Team Members?: No

Brief description of project: The HWI (the writing center in FSB) staff consult frequently with students who are working on oral presentations. We have one screen in a consulting room and are now redesigning a faculty office to become another student-centered learning space. We need a screen in that room so students may practice presentations and receive feedback on presentation visuals. A screen also enables students to practice their presentations in the HWI as they would in larger presentation room with wall-displayed visuals

Does this project focus on graduate student education or graduate student life?: No

Describe the problem you are attempting to solve and your approach for solving that problem.: The problem is that when students come to the HWI to practice presentations and to get feedback on presentation visuals (about 20% of our sessions), we do not have enough display screens for them to use. Sometimes individuals and teams of individuals have to try to practice their presentation using a laptop. Using a small laptop to try to show visuals to an audience and to practice a presentation in a real-world way is not practical; the screen is too small and you're not able to integrate body gestures of pointing, moving, etc.

The criteria state that technology fee projects should benefit students in innovative and/or significant ways. How would you describe the innovation and/or significance of your project?: A new trend in writing centers is to expand services to include support for oral presentations. For the past 3 years, the HWI has been offering support for presentations. Given how many students in both academic and professional settings need to give presentations, it is significant for them to have a center where they can go and practice their presentations with appropriate technological support.

How will you assess the project?: We already survey every undergraduate after their consultation session using an anonymous Qualtric survey. We will add a questions, asking students if they consulted on a presentation. If yes, then they will see another question asking them to report on whether they feel the availability of the display screen improved the quality of their consultation and the feedback they received.

Have you applied for and/or received Tech Fee awards in past years?: Yes

If funded, what results did you achieve?: Yes. The HWI has applied twice before. Once in 2014 for student laptops-- TF14-024 ~6,000 Once in 2015 for a display screen (a similar request to this one, but for a different room) TF15-032 ~3,000 The results were very beneficial-students had laptops to use in consultations, including online consultations, and they have a display screen to use. In fact, the display screen was so helpful, that is why we are requesting another as we transform a faculty office into a student-centered space. Yes, final reports were submitted.

Did you submit a final report?: Yes

What happens to the project in year two and beyond? Will there be any ongoing costs such as software or hardware maintenance, supplies, staffing, etc.? How will these be funded?: Display screens seldom need any maintenance, but if something goes wrong with it the HWI would work with FSB IT to handle repair costs and use the HWI budget. We do not have the funds to easily purchase a screen outright, but we can handle repairing one.

Budget: Hardware, Contractual Services/Installation/Shipping/Maintenance

What is the total budget amount requested?: $3,141.00

Comments: Thank you for your consideration of this request. The HWI works with approximately 3,000 students per year and having the technology equipment to meet students' learning needs will be beneficial.