Computer Classroom Report - Winter 1997

By Tim Leamy, Lab Management (tcleamy@ucdavis.edu)

Mission

To provide and manage quality computer environments to support the campus community in its instructional needs.

Goals

Provide fully functional computer environments.
Support computer environments with quality client service.
Design and execute a management vision in alignment with university priorities.

Lab Management's goals for 96-97 include:

Overhaul management model/practice.

Align with University mission, Chancellor's vision, and IT program priorities.
Redesign scopes of responsibility.
Create tracking mechanism so as to provide timely and useful information regarding the use of facilities and services by the campus community.
Determine trends in campus community needs.
Define baseline equipment/service requirements.
Determine cost-effective means to deliver equipment/service requirements.
Work more closely with clients to better serve their computer classroom needs. For example Lab Management has worked closely with the English Department as shown in the Composition Program's Concerns Regarding Computer Classrooms.

Develop a training program to improve the quality of service provided by student assistants in computer classrooms.

Improve site attendant customer service training.
Revise and convert Site Attendant documentation and training material to WWW.

Support faculty advocacy for increased microcomputer access for campus community by creating new, high-quality computer classroom space.

Support Registrar's effort to create a new computer classroom in 1/5 Olson scheduled for opening Winter 1998.
Advocate for large, general use only computer lab in order to meet students' academic computer access needs.

Test pilot project to provide network access ports across campus.

Network Access Ports are being installed in the lounge in the Basement of Olson.
Instructions are at http://lm.ucdavis.edu/pubs/netlab/.
Work with other IT units to support a campus-wide DHCP solution.
Work with Shields Library to ensure a consistent approach.

Support for Effective Teaching

In order to provide a higher quality instructional environment, Lab Management began a systematic review of its practices and services.

A client satisfaction survey was conducted after Winter 1996. Three areas were identified as needing immediate attention:
1. Physical layout (e.g., too crowded, poor quality HVAC, seat arrangement, etc.)
  "The rooms in Hutchison are too small, poorly arranged for teaching, and have poor HVAC."
  "The AC in 301A SurgeIV is too noisy."
2. Outdated machines (e.g., machines up to 5+ years old)
3. Inadequate projection setup (e.g., outdated equipment, poor screens, ambient light, etc.)
  - "Rooms need projection screens."
As a result, Lab Management implemented a plan to address faculty and student computer classroom needs. Specifically, Lab Management:
1. Upgraded the quality of the microcomputer classroom environment.
  - Involved faculty in design of new Olson classrooms.
  - Moved computer classrooms from Hutchison to Olson. The Olson rooms were designed for teaching. Faculty response regarding the new teaching spaces has been very positive.
  - Based on faculty input improved the layout of the computer classroom in 307 SurgeIV.
2. Formulated and implemented a program to upgrade computers in a timely manner.
  - Ensured all machines be less than three years old and adequately run current software.
  - Worked to reduce average age of machines. In order to reach the goal of all machines less than threee years old the average age should be half of that, that is 1.5 years.
3. Created and started implementation of a plan to improve the projection setup in all classrooms. This plan included:
  - Assessment and replacement of equipment, as needed, to provide good quality projection.
  - Installation of projection screens, where needed, in all classrooms.
  - Resolution of other issues related to poor projection setup (e.g. viewing angle, ambient light).
Continue to perform client surveys. The survey for Fall 1996 is currently being processed.
Form an advisory group composed of faculty and students to help address client needs in a more timely manner.

Status and Usage

The amount of time reserved for classes in the computer classrooms steadily increased.

Computer classroom usage for classes rose from 13.6% in Fall 1992 to 51.6% in Winter 1997. This had the effect of reducing the amount of time available for class assignment work and open use.

The following three graphs show usage by total and by computer type for reserved classes and class assignment time. Data is based on the period of Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm.

The Winter and Spring 97 data is based on the scheduled classes as of 1/8/97 and will most likely change.
The level of users remained relatively constant.
Lab Management continued to provide support for general academic use, with the total number of users reaching 11,574 during Fall 1996. Total users is greater than the sum of faculty, students, and staff due to the new style login ids which do not show category of user.
The total number of available computer seats dropped from 318 as of Fall 1992 to 273 as of Fall 1996.
Over the year the number of PC seats decreased slightly from 118 to 112 while the number of Mac seats decreased from 153 to 130. Part of the loss is a result of the closing of the computer classroom in Room 233 in Social Sciences and Humanities.
The number of computer labs dropped from 17 in Fall 1992 to 12 in Fall 1996.

Saturation peaked out in the "quality" computer classrooms.

Computer classrooms were open 55 days in Spring Quarter 1996 (including holidays and finals).
Computer classrooms were open 57 days in Fall Quarter 1996 (including holidays and finals).
For computer classrooms hours check http://lm.ucdavis.edu/rooms/.

High use computer classrooms (such as 21 Olson, 27 Olson, 163 Shields, and 1102 Hart) with good campus locations reached maximum capacity.

The chart below shows the number of days per quarter each computer classroom exceeded 80% and 90% usage for an hour.

	Spring 1996		Fall 1996
	> 90%	> 80%	> 90%	> 80%
1102 Hart	47	53	54	54
1131 Meyer	39	49	29	39
8 Hutch	30	45	Closed
14/86 Hutch	1	18	Closed
163 Shields	53	54	49	52
21 Olson	Not open		41	55
27 Olson	Not open		50	51
241/247 Olson	7	8	8	14
233 SSH	17	32	Closed
301A Surge IV	29	44	35	42
307 SurgeIV	5	10	9	24

Volume Usage Statistics for Fall 1996
- 2,100+ unique logins per day
- 10,000+ pages printed per day
- 45-50% of logins last less than 15 minutes

Cost Effective Computer Access

Lab Management provided access to 302 computers over the 1995-96 school year. The average cost of maintaining each station was $3,642. As comparison, Gartner Group (an IT consulting firm) reports "A typical PC/LAN environment can cost more than $10,000 per user per year to operate." The average cost per user per quarter (with roughly 11,000 users per quarter) was $33.00. In 1995-96, the average cost per hour of open use in a computer classroom was roughly $1.71. As comparison, local copy shops charge as much as $12.00 per hour for computer access.

Terms used in this document:

Computer Classroom: Computer lab which is used primarly for academic instruction.
Computer Lab: Any room managed by Lab Management, including Computer Classrooms, the New Media Lab, the Media Distribution Lab, and Terminal Labs.
Class Use: Time scheduled for classes.
Open Use: Time not scheduled for classes which is available for open, drop-in use. This time is used mainly by students for completing class assignments and general computer/Internet access.

Related Information:

Previous Quarter's Lab Reports

Comments: tcleamy@ucdavis.edu
URL: http://lm.ucdavis.edu/pubs/labrep/winter97/
Last updated: January 24, 1997