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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

We provide a number of technical resources for our students and staff. If you have comments or questions we would be glad to hear from you.

  • Cowles Hall Health Center
  • Nathenson Computer Center
  • Electronic Classrooms
  • Multimedia Resource Lab

Cowles Hall Health Sciences Center

Technology Enhanced Active Learning Classrooms

Information Technology staff met with Nurse Education faculty and audio visual specialists to plan, design, and implement technology enhanced active learning classrooms in the new Cowles Health Sciences Center.

Image of Cowles Hall
The group's goal was to design multi-purpose classrooms that would meet the needs of rigorous in-class assessment, collaborative learning, and independent study. The solution was to implement a modified version of classrooms designed for student centered activities used at institutions such as Yale University and North Carolina State.

In the two classrooms, Cowles 202 and 206, 8-foot-diameter round tables were installed, each equipped with six small-form factor PC's and compact monitors. All cables were routed through an interior conduit in the middle of the table, thus avoiding clutter and providing clear vision across the table.

Keyboards and monitors can be easily be pushed back for note taking and active participation in discussions. Or they can be pulled to each chair providing students an computerized environment for learning online individually or in groups. In addition, instructors can have students take secure online exams to assess their progress in the course and prepare for standardized testing.
Close up of 8 foot diameter table with six PCs in Cowles Hall
Whiteboard surfaces are designed for writing with marker pens and for projection. Instructors use the interactive writing and drawing tools to annotate projected slides, which can be saved and shared with students.
An interactive whiteboard inside Cowles Hall

The fully equipped Cowles 202 classroom shown below is spacious: effectively designed to accommodate large groups of students working in a collaborative environment that promotes active learning.

Computer lab within Cowles Hall

A smaller classroom, Cowles 206, was similarly designed to facilitate student-centered learning.

Computer lab in Cowles Hall

Nathenson Computer Center

Information Technology Help Desk
 The Nathenson Computer Center, located on the terrace level of the Gannett-Tripp Library, is an open, spacious facility that is beautifully designed with Statesman oak and carpeting throughout. An octagon Information Technology Help Desk greets people as they walk down the winding stairs and through a lobby showcased with paintings and sculptures.

Open Lab for students
 The uniquely designed Open Lab to the left of the Information Technology Help Desk provides students an area where they can quickly check e-mail, browse the Web, chat online, work in small groups, and plug in personal laptops. All furniture in the Open Lab is made of oak covered with violine laminate.

Entrance to the Labs
 A corridor to the right of the Information Technology Help Desk provides entrance to three large computer labs designed to accommodate different styles of learning. There are two Windows labs and one Macintosh lab, which are regularly updated with new computers as part of the College's technology plan.

Plenty of workspace
 Nearly all tables in the labs are five feet long, providing plenty of workspace for students working individually or in groups of two or three.

Electronic Classrooms
 In addition to the Nathenson Computer Center labs, there are two classrooms and a lecture hall on the terrace level. Custom-designed lecterns equipped with multimedia computers connected to high-resolution projectors are installed in each of the labs and classrooms, providing students and faculty an easy-to-use computer resource for instruction and presentations.

Multimedia Resource Lab
 Across the corridor and behind the Information Technology Help Desk is the Multimedia Resource Lab, which is equipped with special hardware and software. Students, faculty, and staff have resources at their fingertips to convert and manipulate media such as photographs, slides, music, and video for use with PowerPoint presentations and Web pages.

Apps and Web Resources

Google Apps at Elmira College
 All students receive a Google Apps at Elmira College (GAEC) account that includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive (storage), Docs (Web-based word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs), and Sites. Gmail is ad-free, provides virtually unlimited storage for archiving messages, attachments, and Drive documents.Google's powerful spam filters significantly reduces spam and junk messages to allow you to more efficiently manage your mail. Your GAEC e-mail address (e.g. mtwain19@elmira.edu) belongs to you through and after graduation. Information Technology offers tutorials, workshops, and training sessions to help students maximize their use of Google Apps.

Log on to gmail.com with your @elmira.edu address to access your email and other Google Apps!