For my tip this month, I have chosen to address two questions regarding ICN session recording. The first question is, “When my room is configured as a remote site, why I am unable to record all of the audio when I record a session?” The second question is, “Why do some ICN Classrooms have two recorders/players in them?” Answers to both of these frequently asked questions can be found below.
For the first question, some appropriate background information is necessary to fully provide the answer. When the ICN was first developed, some of the high school and university instructors did not want students to have the ability to record a class at the remote site. Some instructors were concerned that their material could be recorded and distributed outside of the classroom. Other instructors were concerned that students might choose to watch recordings of the classes rather than come to the actual classes. For these reasons, only origination sites, and not remote sites, were initially set up with the capability to record.
As the ICN grew, however, requests to record sessions from remote sites became more numerous. Schools and teachers wanted students to have a way to access prior sessions due to illness or other legitimate reasons for missing a class. During this time, several schools also inquired about ways to view classroom programming in an auditorium to accommodate overflow crowds. In response to these requests, the ICN technical staff designed an electronic circuit that could be added to the ICN equipment and allow recording of a session at a remote site. This classroom option is called the “Overflow Option.” It allows recording at a remote site and also provides a means for accommodating larger crowds.
By adding the “Overflow Option” to their ICN equipment, schools can connect their auditoriums to the ICN Classroom and allow the extra people to watch the session. This “Overflow Option” is for viewing sessions only. The people in the overflow area will not have the ability to talk back to the origination site. Only participants in the classroom can talk back to the origination site. If a school would like to record sessions in the ICN classroom when it is configured as a remote site or would like the ability to view the classroom in an overflow location, the “Overflow Option” must be installed. This “Overflow Option” only concerns recording sessions in another location, not classes that occur in the ICN classroom. Teachers can always walk into an ICN room, use the recorder provided to record their class and then play back the information for students at a later time. If your school does not have the “Overflow Option” and would like to have it installed, please contact me, Dick Stufflebeem at (515) 964-6831 (office) or (515) 210-8043 (cell). My cell number is the best way to find me right away. You can also reach me via e-mail at rlstufflebeem@dmacc.edu.
The second question is, “Why are there two recorder/player machines in some of the classrooms?” To explain the answer to this question, I must also provide some background information. While at IPTV several years ago, I assisted a group in an ICN Session. The presenter asked me if we could record the session to be reviewed at a later date. As the site was an origination site, I said, “yes.” The session started and I began recording the session. About ten minutes into the session the presenter asked me if we could also play a VHS videotape during the session. I initially said, “No, we are using the machine to record,” but after a few minutes, I thought about the predicament and searched the studio for a second recorder/player.
I connected the second machine to the outgoing video/audio circuit and told the presenter that he could now record and playback at the same time. Following this experience, the ICN technology department and I concluded that a second machine would benefit many schools. Thus, we sent out a notice to the schools and encouraged them to add the second machine. As technology has changed over the past few years, we have encouraged schools to change out the machine that is being used as the playback to new VHS/DVD combination units. With the increasing use of DVD’s, the combination unit will accommodate both formats. If you are interested in more information concerning the VHS/DVD players or have any questions, please contact me at the numbers listed above.
