Classroom Technology

Know what to expect, how to get assistance if you need it, and how to find resources to help you reimagine your classroom experience.

The Classroom Experience Starts with AET


Academic & Emerging Technology (AET) staff are here to provide you with technology in classrooms and learning spaces on campus that are flexible, easy to use, and reliable.

No matter if you're brand new to campus or if you've been here for years, AET is here to help you troubleshoot problems, learn more about our core technologies, and explore new avenues to bring engaging, cutting-edge classroom experiences to life.

BYOD+A Bring your Own device + Adapter



UC Merced employs a 'bring your own device + adapter' (BYOD+A) model in all its instructional spaces, which allows the greatest flexibility for instructors and for sustainable space support as our campus continues to grow.

Please plan to bring your own laptop or tablet plus all appropriate adapters with you when you teach. Be sure to contact us if you need additional help connecting to room devices.

In Our AnaLOG Classrooms

  • Projector/LCD screen that supports standard definition 1024 x 768
  • Document camera
  • BluRay/DVD player (by request only)
  • TurningTechnologies (Clicker) Receiver
  • Assistive Listening System (by request through Disability Services)
  • VGA Connection for a laptop
  • USB-C to VGA adapter

The following buildings/rooms are ANALOG:

  • COB* (Classroom & Office Building) excluding COB 110 & COB 114
  • SSM* (Social Sciences & Management) excluding SSM 104

In Our Digital Classrooms

  • HD Projector/LCD screen that supports 1080p
  • Document camera
  • BluRay/DVD player (by request only)
  • TurningTechnologies (Clicker) receiver
  • Assistive Listening System (by request through Disability Services)
  • HDMI connection to your laptop
  • USB-C to HDMI adapter
  • DisplayPort to HDMI adapter

The following buildings/rooms are DIGITAL:

  • ACS (Arts & Computatioonal Sciences)
  • ADMIN (Administration Building)
  • COB 110 & 114 ONLY
  • COB2 (Classroom & Office Building 2)
  • GLCR (Glacier Point)
  • GRAN (Granite Point)
  • SE2 (Science & Engineering 2)
  • SRE (Sustainability Research & Engineering)
  • SSB (Student Services Building)
  • SSM 104 ONLY

A Note About Analog Classrooms

UC Merced is a young campus by any standard, but technology progresses quickly and the intense demands on our classroom equipment do eventually take their toll.

As classroom equipment ages and new technologies emerge, AET is constantly reviewing, evaluating, and testing equipment and applications to serve the teaching and learning community and provide scalable campus technology solutions. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us!


FOR HELP, PRESS 1

If room technology in your classroom is not performing as expected, call the OIT Service Desk at 209-228-HELP (4357) and press 1 to be connected to AET.

We will dispatch an AET support technician as soon as possible. During scheduled instructional time, our goal is to minimize the disruption to your class. Whenever possible, we strive to fix the problem or identify an acceptable workaround quickly, then address underlying issues when class is not in session.

CONNECT WITH US

During the first week of classes, AET staff make every effort to 'drop in' to classes being held in large spaces (90+ seats), new instructional spaces, spaces with known issues, and classes taught by new instructors. This way, we can answer ay questions you may have about room technology right then and there.

If your classes don't meet these criteria or if you need additional help, we also provide consultations for on-on-one support, workshops to learn more about specific technologies and services, and we have partnered with the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning (CETL) to offer the newly-launched Teaching Commons.

CatCourses is UC Merced’s Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). It provides a central repository for all academic course sites in which instructors can interact with and provide educational materials to their students.

Key Information:

  • CatCourses automatically generates course sites for all UC Merced courses
  • Instructors gain access to their course sites as soon as they are assigned as the Instructor of Record (IOR)
  • Student rosters are automatically updated as they change with the Registrar
  • Students gain access to course sites one week prior to the start of instruction each semester

CATCOURSES SUPPORT


UC Merced has contracted with the CatCourses vendor (Instructure) to provide 24/7 support to faculty, instructors, and TAs, including live chat and phone support. To get help, log in to CatCourses and click the “Help” link on the left-hand side of any page.

AET is available to provide convenient 1:1 training and consultation for CatCourses upon request. We can help with topics such as:

  • Course site setup and management
  • Clicker (audience response system) integration
  • TurnItIn integration
  • Using Kaltura (video streaming service) through CatCourses AET also provides access to vendor guides, FAQs, integrations, and upates to CatCourses on the OIT website.

Explore More Academic Technologies


Instructional Design

learning Glass

(Instructional Video)

Computer Labs

kaltura

TEAL

Technology Enhanced Active Learning

Technology-enabled active learning (TEAL) is a teaching format that merges facilitated discussions, simulations, and hands-on desktop experiments to create a rich collaborative learning experience.

UC Merced has four TEAL Labs for faculty use: two with 45 seats and two with 90 seats.

TEAL rooms offer a fundamentally different learning environment from other instructional spaces on campus because of the design, layout, technology, and potential pedagogical choices available to the instructor.

Click below to learn more about how to design a course utilizing TEAL technologies for spring 2022 and beyond.