Lab Planning Steps
Introduction
Once your curriculum delivery system has been chosen, effective planning and the ability to learn from the mistakes of others are the hallmarks for success in planning a new computerized language media center.
If you already have a computer lab where the language lab software is to be installed, the computers, furniture and teacher desk will already exist. If you have an empty room where the lab is to be installed you will have more choices to make.
Organize a pre-installation conference call
Our experience leads us to believe a pre-installation conference call is the single most important event in the lab installation process. The meeting should occur well before the scheduled installation date of the new lab and allow your personnel time to organize and plan for the new lab's installation. We suggest the following personnel be invited.
- The school principal who has the authority to act and who bears the ultimate responsibility for the success of the project.
- The purchasing director who will order the lab, computers and other equipment.
- The IT representative who will install the Local Area Network, the server and other necessary computer equipment, such as PC's, monitors, etc.
- The Physical Plant representative who will install power drops within the room and the student furniture.
- The head of the Language Department and their technical representative (if applicable).
- The school/college safety officer.
- Technical staff from the lab vendor.
Choose the room
There are several important points to consider when choosing the room for your new installation. If you are replacing an existing lab, you may not have any other choice but to place it in the same room. This can be an advantage if you have an existing platform for the teacher desk.
If you are planning an installation in a new room you should consider the following:
- Room Acoustics - Since students may be talking simultaneously, select a "quiet" room with a minimum of corridor noise and ambient noise transmitted by street vehicles, playgrounds, etc. This will ultimately benefit the students in the areas of comprehension and concentration.
- Noise Reduction - Further noise reduction can be achieved by carpeting the room and adding window drapes. An added benefit of carpeting the lab will be seen in the students' attitude toward the equipment. In rooms that are carpeted a minimum of malicious damage occurs. The students simply respect the learning environment to a higher degree.
Install a teacher desk platform
It is our recommendation that an instructor platform be provided by your maintenance department or purchased from the lab or furniture vendor. The instructor platform allows the instructor to see the students' faces from a raised seated position to more easily govern the operation of the language lab.
The instructor platform also acts as a cable management system, allowing all of the student connection cables, data cables, video feeds and power cables to be easily routed from underneath the console to their destinations. The instructor platform allows an easier and more aesthetically pleasing installation, which will be to your advantage during the life of your lab.
The instructor platform is subject to the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and possibly regulations from other local authorities. Consult your school or college campus safety specialist to be sure your planned platform meets all such requirements.
A common "trap" is the removal of the existing platform when the old lab is removed. If the room you are using is small, you should consider using the existing platform as it can be "grandfathered" into the new lab installation process without the need for a wheelchair ramp. If you do need a wheelchair ramp the platform may need to be lowered or replaced with a new platform with a lower height.
Choose the furniture
In the 70's and 80's, lab furniture designed for the analog cassette lab was generally 30" wide for each individual position. This width is insufficient for labs that use individual student computers. The current standard is that each position be 36" wide. You will also need a certain number of ADA-compliant positions, based on the total number of student positions in the lab.
Depending on your furniture vendor, you may need to make decisions on several options in furniture style. Some possible options are:
- Sidewall or divider height between positions
- Carpeting on sidewalls for deadening inter-booth sound transmission
- Closed (carpted) or open (Plexiglas) front
- Carpet and/or laminate color
- Keyboard drawers
- PC tower housing
Choose the layout
When choosing the arrangement of your lab, there are several items to take into consideration. These include:
- Traffic flow patterns which allow for easy access to seating
- The ability of the teacher to view the faces of the seated students
- Placement of ADA positions and ample access for wheelchair-bound students
- Corridor/Aisle width
- Access to bookshelves, cabinets, printers, etc.
Prepare the room
It is wise to have conduits or cable ducts running from the area of the teacher console to each row of student furniture. With this provision made, power for the PC's and data cables for the local area network can easily be installed.
As the computers and monitors will be generating extra heat, provisions should be made for increased AC capacity.
Allow for sufficient power supply and outlets to supply all the equipment that will be in the room, including computers, monitors, printers, as well as any ancillary equipment such as a television or CD player.
It is best to plan for carpeting at this time. This will improve the aesthetic value of the lab and also reduce ambient noise. Language lab rooms which have been carpeted suffer less malicious damage than their bare counterparts.
Other installation considerations
- Allow sufficient time for the installation to be completed without haste. Remember you will need to allow time to train the teachers prior to the time you expect to start classes in the new lab.
- Be sure to order the computers and ancillary equipment well in advance of the planned installation date. Allow time to resolve problems such as delayed or incomplete shipments.
For more information about the furniture designs and options available through ASC Direct, contact our National Communications Office.