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Introduction: As CSUMB is about to construct it's first "Language Lab (LL)," there is general concern that there are only limited resources for the project, and that our efforts should informed by the experiences of others who have recently built or updated their LL facilities.
Among the basic considerations are the following: The CSUMB LL should be state-of-the-art, it must support our outcome based pedagogy, it must be used, it should be a Multi-Media Learning Center (MMLC) that could serve more disciplines than just language. And, we must do our very best to avoid the mistakes of others.
Site Visits: We have visited the following Language Lab / Media Language Centers which have been recognized as being among the best in the Nation:
Action Plan: Click here to go directly to the suggested action plan.
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The language resource center at SDSU is just over two years old and was built with generous funding from a federal grant. In that sense, it is probably the current state-of-the-art in LL design. |
LARC features: large well designed space with several rooms for specific uses; two computer based labs, one Mac based, the other PC based; and two "smart" class rooms. The Mac Based room has a Tanburg console which includes s dedicated server. Work stations are arranged in rows of clusters and wiring is dropped from the ceiling at the back of each row.
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Dedicated room for Teacher Training, also it is a Video Viewing Room (often used as a Conference room) |
Also there are rooms dedicated to: Teacher Training, a Video Viewing Room (often used as a Conference room), a Materials Development room for Faculty and Assistants, a recording studio for faculty to make audio tapes, storage for CD ROMs, laser video discs, cassette tapes, and information sheets.
| Laser Disk Shelves behind the check-out counter (for in lab study) |  |
Both Labs contain two motorized movie screens, a built
in BARCO projector and a portable projector which is used for the second
screen when dual screen presentations are desired. There is also space for
several administrative activities such as, controlling access, keeping track
of materials, video collection shelves, a maintenance room, and a tape duplicators
area.
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The LARC LL is fully equipped with two separate labs, one is Mac based and the other one is PC based. The Mac based lab contains 30 consoles with Video Laser Disc player and separate video monitors.
University of California, Irvine: The LL at UCI is noted for the efforts of it's Director to constantly keep the facility current, both in terms of equipment and pedagogy. There are three different labs; a drop-in facility for materials development has been set-up along two walls of the reception area; a Mac based computer lab with clustered work stations; and an aging Tanburg tape lab with traditional carrels in rows.
| A drop-in facility for materials development has been set-up along two walls of the reception area. |  |
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Chairs: All of the labs have invested in well built ergonomic chairs for all work stations.
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The Mac lab is noteworthy from several perspectives. Work stations are good quality modular tables that fit together in a six-sided cluster design that facilitates work groups. They are far less expensive, but work just as well as custom built units. Also, they are more adaptable to changes in equipment sizes and shapes. Wiring is dropped from the ceiling into the middle of each work group. Flexibility and economy are major accomplishments of this lab design. |
California State Polytechnic University @ Pomona The LL at Cal-Poly is notable from several aspects. It is smaller in that there is just one lab room with four clusters of six stations. All work stations have Macs with a special monitor that can function as a color monitor or an NTSC TV monitor. The Tanburg console can serve video from a single source (VCR, Laser Disc, SCOLA) to all stations. It is also a traditional tape lab controller.
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Furniture is all custom made. The work stations are well conceived, but sit too high off the floor. Also the Stations were specifically designed for particular models of computers, tape decks and monitors. There is little allowance for changes in the CPU form factor (cases), and since the Director has decided to upgrade computers, and popular styles have shifted from horizontal to tower type cases, they will be limited in new equipment choices.
| The Stations were specifically designed for particular models of computers, tape decks and monitors. |  |
Wiring is in the floor which is computer room removable tiles. This is expensive, but very convenient and flexible.
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The building at Cal-Poly is relatively new and all facilities are dedicated to computers, distance learning, and television. We attended workshops in many computer lab rooms and could see several different wiring arrangements and furniture styles and layouts.
University of California, San Diego Unfortunately, the lab was not available to view at UCSD, but we spent about 2 hours with the Director of Foreign Languages who discussed their lab set-up with us. Remarks are included below.
Palo Alto High School: Tom visited Palo Alto High School in May. They have a dedicated Japanese Language lab provided by a federal grant. All of the computers were donated by Hewlett Packard, so of course, they are all Wintel machines. The lab includes it's own server and is set-up around the perimeter of a long, narrow room. Furniture is simple - probably built in the school shop - but sturdy and adequate. The teacher uses the lab for Japanese word processing, e-mail, and WWW exercises.
Stanford University (scheduled on July 2nd)
The visit to Stanford's Language Center was not very useful as far as LL design goes. At this point, they are redesigning their LL and revisiting the LL concept. We were shown 2 'smart' classrooms that showcased some interesting concepts. The rooms had large motorized projection screens and powerful LCD projectors suspended from the cealings. All of the computer and A/V hardware, however had been built into a single rolling cabinet that could be moved from class to class or locked securely away when not in use.
Layout: All the sites choose not to use classroom style setting, typically they choose to cluster 4 to 6 computers to encourage group activities. The UC Irvine layout is notable for it's flexibility.
LL Usage: Students tend to use the labs for support of classroom assignments and will drop LL usages if it is not required with specific assignments. Language faculty members seem to be encouraging students to use the lab for Internet, Web based activities, word processing, viewing videos, and listening to audio tapes.
Flooring considerations: One tip from Dr. Stromberg is to use 'anti-static' tile in any area where electronic equipment is kept or repaired. Especially, do not use carpet.
Wiring: Wiring is a major opportunity to make expensive mistakes that are very hard to repair later. At SDSU, for example, a 'consulting engineer' was called in to review the plans. He specified smaller conduit and lower amperage circuit breakers for each cluster. When several users attempted to work at the same time all the circuit breakers activated, shutting the lab down. Subsequent re wiring was several times the original cost.
Dropping wires from the ceiling in conduit or duct channels seems to be the most flexible arrangement. Sub-floor wiring is great, but has to be designed in at the outset. SDSU/LARC and Irvine have overhead wiring with dropped cables. Pomona has under floor wiring with removable access tile
Furniture: Furniture was purchased separately from the Lab systems. Each lab has different designs of counsel/workstations but all chose a clustered design. Also all chairs were ergonomic. All lab directors specifically warned against buying furniture as part of a package deal from vendors of tape based LL hardware.
The Future: At this very point in time there seems to be a great debate being conducted on-line by the IALL community (LL Directors' Association) about the future of tape based language labs. According to Lee Ann Stone of UCI, the overwhelming consensus is in favor of developing 'virtual labs.' While we concur, and will probably put a lot of effort in that direction, we note that they all already have tape labs in place and we have the unique mission to conduct language proficiency assessment for 100% of our students. Thus, we must recommend some form of tape based (preferably digital tape) assessment lab at this point.
Spaces Allocated for Specific Functions
Generally, only about 50 percent of the total media center is used for the "language Lab" floor space. The rest is needed for administrative and support functions. Such as:
Light: Front and back lighting needs to be controlled by separate variable switches
Temperature & Humidity: Equipment failure and discomfort are significant costs of failure to maintain appropriate levels of temperature and humidity.
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Tape based Equipment Control systems: There are two primary vendors: Sony & Tanburg. Everyone loves Sony equipment, but they unfortunately have earned a reputation for inflexibility and constant turnover in sales and technical support personnel. Their new equipment is supposed to be excellent. All or the LL's we visited have Tanburg controllers. [CSULB has Sony , we'll try to visit there soon.]
Computers:
Types of Usage:
Personnel: Typically, there is a director with 2-5 full-time assistants and 10-20 half-time student assistants to maintain services for the language programs visited.
It should be noted, however, that program sizes varied and not all teachers would use the LL:
1. Most LL's are using a mix of Macs and PCs, but they are all tending away from PCs and planning to buy Macs with their next round of purchases.
2. All LL's are using some type of clustered furniture arrangement.
3. Tandberg media control systems seemed to be preferred.
1. In order to build the best possible LL with our resources, there must be leadership and someone must take responsibility to drive the LL project through to completion. As far as avoiding mistakes based on the building construction plans, it is too late for that, The project is just going ahead on it's own.
2. The potential for expensive missed opportunities is very real at this point. On the other hand, if we try to wait for the technology to stabilize, well, it isn't going to. So, we must move forward now. We have lost too much of our students' valuable learning time.
When we do get someone to take charge, we can order furniture and hardware, but the software we need to tie it all together does not exist. We have to create it. It is not that difficult, it is a variation on present network technology.
This time should have been spent desigining the overall systems and assembling software (including tapes) and materials. A Language Learning specific server will need to be set-up. That work could have begun last spring.
3. A computer based digital learning center will be able to do everything a traditional LL can do plus far more. It can deliver an interactive blend of still and moving images, text and sound that will help students to learn language and learn about the target culture and it's citizens with greater depth than ever before.
4. We must move forward with diliberate haste to build the "State-of-the-art" language learning facility we have been promising to our students, their parents, the public, and ourselves. As fast as possible, but with enough patience to get it as right as possible the first time.
5. We are at a point in time when the very nature of "Language Labs" is about to under go a sweeping transformation from everything else to "Digital." LL Directors around the world are engaged in the debate about wether or not to build any more "tape" facilities, or go straight to computer based labs.
Of course we will have tape facilities, but we should not spend too much on the old technology. Tape is still useful. For the next 1 to 3 years tape may be the core of our oral / aural assessment capability.
1. Administration: Hire an interim Lab Director or a consultant to be in charge until the permenant director can be hired.
2. Server & related infrastructure: While there will be many pedegogical considerations to be worked out with the faculty, the director can proceed immediately to work with Network & Computing to start developing the server infrastructure that will be needed.
3. Computers: A mix of Macs and PC's will be needed. Probably about 20-25 of each to start with. Again, someone must be empowered to settle the platform tug of war and bring the LL on line as fast as possible. The actual numbers cannot be determined until the director can work with the faculty and the budget and current prices and spec- sheets.
4. Furniture: The furniture must be flexible and comfortable for students and for teachers. Probably some sort of cluster design will work best. It should be possible for the rooms to be re-arranged (within some limits determined by cabling) for optimal teaching effectiveness without too much trouble. There are two concerns:
i. If left alone, the facilities people may order some kind of 'carrell' furniture that would put learners in cubicles in rows . . . very undesirable.
ii. It seems that most computer and language lab furniture is custom made. That takes time.
5. Tape Lab Control System: The newest control systems
are able to work with multimedia content. Tandberg seems to be the vendor
of choice. However we will probably need to open for bids. More time lost.
Once we let the contract it will take 4 to 6 months to actually get the
equipment.
