The Michigan Engineering information technology environment is continually evolving. In order to keep the College community informed about what’s happening, CAEN regularly posts news articles on this site. Important notices about current and upcoming service outages can also be found on the CAEN Service Status page.
Movable furniture and other equipment can be configured for multiple uses in CAEN’s flexible learning spaces and classrooms. An advantage is having a room that is able to be used for lecture-style teaching, student group collaborative work, or a course discussion. Wall-mounted monitors and movable whiteboards in the rooms can also aid the student learning experience.
The recommendations below are based on interviews with College of Engineering instructors, and observations of courses utilizing flexible learning spaces.
Instructors have the opportunity to use several different layouts in flexible classrooms, and depending on their teaching needs, they are encouraged to think about the different ways the furniture can be used. For example, small group layouts allow instructors to interact directly with students, particularly during collaborative group work, as may be done in design courses. It is also important to set classroom norms at the beginning of each term, and explain the room layout(s) you will use, so students know how to arrange the furniture. Creating an image or slide, and displaying it at the beginning of the class, will aid the students in arranging the furniture to conserve class time (see our example PowerPoint template).
Chrysler 133:
GFL 224:
Monitors around the periphery of a classroom can be connected-to in a few ways. For example, they can be used by instructors to project slides and other class content to all displays in the room, allowing students to see the material even if their back is to the instructor or the main projection screen. Students may also connect a laptop to individual monitors for collaborative work, allowing instructors to easily view and evaluate a group’s progress. Refer to our main Flexible Learning Spaces page for instructions on connecting to the monitors and changing the display settings.
Each flexible classroom also contains movable whiteboards for students to use during collaborative group work. Similar to the monitors, these can allow faculty to see student work, and offer hands-on instruction as needed.
Starting Monday, January 21, an equipment checkout service will be available to College of Engineering students, faculty, and staff. The program is administered by CAEN, and checkout will be performed at the Library Reserves Desk on the second floor of the Duderstadt Center. Chromebooks will be available for checkout by requesting a “CAEN Chromebook.” Possible future equipment includes presentation remotes, portable document cameras, microphones, assisted listening devices, USB web cameras, and VR headsets. The type and quantities of equipment may vary over time.
Refer to our Equipment Checkout Service web page for updates on the types of equipment that may be checked out, and maximum checkout duration.
Now available in CAEN computer labs for the start of the Winter 2019 term is a new release of MATLAB that includes access to all available MathWorks toolkits. This new release of MATLAB can be accessed by selecting the version that starts with “MATLAB 64-bit R2018b” (note the “R2018b” in the name).
Later this term, ITS will make this version of software available for download and installation on student-owned computers. See the ITS MATLAB License for Students website (requires login) for details.
Fifty-six (56) HP Z38c 38” LED monitors, the largest individual displays installed to date, have been deployed in the Duderstadt Center (third floor South West and East Alcove) and the CAEN computer lab in FXB B085. The monitor’s native resolution is 3840×1600.
The CAEN Lab in Shapiro B000 will undergo renovations, and be closed from February 25 until March 11, 2019. Most of the renovations are being scheduled during Spring Break to minimize disruption. After the renovations, the number of computers will increase to 50. The renovations will include an expanded space with new modern furniture and chairs, as well as new carpet and paint. The new furniture will feature both conventional and sit-stand workspaces, and will have a mix of collaborative and individual workspaces with some acoustic and visual privacy.