Knowledge, imagination and technology came together late last year and resulted in a high-tech tool for online education at Emporia State University and beyond.
Dr. Anna Catterson, educational technology coordinator for Information Technology, designed and led the project, which included fabricating some parts on a 3D printer. The result was a mobile Lightboard that shows presenters’ faces and their writings simultaneously in video lectures, and gives the feel of an ordinary classroom.
“I wanted the faculty members’ faces to be seen during the presentation,” said Catterson. “It’s really difficult to listen to an online lecture when you can’t see the faculty member or their back is turned” to write on a traditional board.
The Lightboard eliminates the problem and also allows users to show themselves or only their hands, if they prefer.
“The camera translates it,” Catterson said. “We mirror the image so you don’t have to write backwards.”
Students also will be able to record their own group projects and video presentations to use on the Lightoard, which was introduced campus-wide last month by university President Allison Garrett at the Spring General Assembly.
Catterson developed the project, building on research published online by Duke University. Duke based its version of the board on one built by Dr. Michael Peshkin, engineering professor at Northwestern University.
“I basically took that research study and modified it to fit our needs,” Catterson said.
Modifications included using a 3D printer to fabricate the clips that hold the lights, dimmer bracket, glass standoffs, fuse block and cover and the power standoff.
“The only thing we had to do was just wait for the things to print,” she said. “It takes four hours to print one, and you need 48 clips. It’s not something you’re going to build overnight.”
With only one 3D printer on-hand, it took about three weeks for the printer to finish its job.
The board itself is a 6-foot by 4-foot piece of Starphire glass fitted into 80/20 T-slotted aluminum framing.
“There isn’t any iron in (the glass), so if you were to shine a light through the top or the bottom of the glass, it would illuminate any writing on it,” she said. “It’s extra-extra clear.”
She made a template for holes to be drilled precisely by AAA Glass Service, an Emporia business, and consulted with an electrician to get a professional opinion that the Lightboard’s 120-volt electrical components were installed correctly.
“It was a fun project, and we’re going to be building some more,” Catterson said. “There’s a lot of options, and we’re very excited about this emerging technology.”
The board will be offered to other departments to be used by educators and students, too, for group projects and presentations. As the Lightboard evolves, it also has potential to be used in corporate training and other professional settings.
“We hope every department will be interested in getting their own,” she said. “We’re kind of seeing how much usage it’s going to get first, and we do have quite a few faculty who have used it and are starting to record. It’s our goal to implement one across schools” at Emporia State.
She also has posted step-by-step instructions, with photos or drawings and a complete list of parts, sources, and costs to build the complete Lightboard — $1,806.42. Details may be seen at http://emporiastate.blogspot.com/search/label/LightBoard
“I did that for other schools, so if they wanted to build one, they’d have an exact link to what it is,” Catterson said.
Users have the option to edit their videos, or to add PowerPoint or other media, if they choose.
“Or they can take the raw video and take it straight to their classes and do whatever they want with it,” she said.
Catterson is designing another model for people to work sitting down at a Lightboard. She expects it to have a hydraulic desk and to be ADA compliant.
She cautioned potential builders to plan ahead if they intend to build a mobile Lightboard.
“In hindsight, you have to remember to measure your doorway and your elevator,” Catterson said. “It’ll go through our doors OK but the typical classroom it will not.”
Several other faculty members worked with Catterson on the project.
Dr. Rob Gibson, director of Learning Technologies, Information Technology, supported the project and helped steer it forward to completion, according to Cory Falldine, associate vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer.
Dr. Clint Stephens, assistant professor at The Teachers College and director of the Leadership Studies Center, helped test the Lightboard and participated in the demonstration video that can be seen at http://bit.ly/1VrPxs6
Stephens is a partner in utilizing new technologies intended for course development to further student engagement, Falldine said.
“I was more of a sponsor, than anything, to support and encourage them trying new things,” Falldine said. “They really deserve all of the credit.”
The Lightboard technology will be presented by Catterson at a conference this spring in Manhattan and by Gibson in Wichita.
“We’re hoping that instructors will embrace it and start using it for their classes,” Catterson said.