Pilot Projects & New Technologies
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Advanced Technologies Initiatives Center
The end of June marked the completion of the new Advanced Technologies Initiatives Center (ATI Center) on Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell Campus. The ATI Center includes a graphics lab for engineering, drafting, and computer graphics; an engineering thinktank complete with concept area, SmartBoard, and other learning resources; and a workforce development training area complete with industry-shared lecture facility and automation training lab with state of the art wireless equipment. Being able to reproduce real-life manufacturing, the wireless equipment offers students hands-on experience with e-manufacturing control. Funded primarily through grants and private monies, the lab will triple the College’s course offerings in manufacturing-related Workforce Development in an effort to empower community members to advance within their careers, change careers, as well as provide greater potential for career opportunity.
Classroom Videoconferencing
Any properly equipped Smart classroom can now be used for videoconferencing. Two of the College's new videoconferencing systems allow for mobile videoconferencing. The College can now move the videoconferencing systems instead of moving classes and teachers.
Email Stations
There are a total of 34 email stations on the Blue Bell campus. There are 9 stations in ParkHouse Hall, 15 stations in College Hall, 8 stations in Science Center, and 2 stations in the bookstore. These computer stations have access to a web browser so that students can check their e-mail, use MCCC's online services, such as registration, and access other information and resources available on the Internet.
Nanofabrication Instruction
The new facilities are actually a three-part center for Advanced Technology Design Studies. The area contains an Advanced Graphics lab that will be shared by the Art and Engineering Departments for Advanced Graphics Studies, a design center for Engineering Students (a kind of student think-tank with research, study, and design technology resources), and an automation training lab for Industry and college instruction in Automation Control Technology. We believe the center represents the finest in instructional delivery and equipment resources and intend to recruit the best talent to instruct the credit and noncredit courses we intend to offer there. The automation training facility will be completely wireless including the server system that controls the IT needs of the lab.
PDAs for Nursing and Dental Hygiene
The College is currently in the beginning stages of a pilot program that would give Palm based PDAs to a Nursing and a Dental Hygiene class. These PDAs would then be used to introduce the students to Palm based computing. These devices are already being used by many hospitals to keep patient records, as well as act as a reference for such things as drug interactions and clinical consultations.
Smart Classrooms and Class Captures
Using a Smart classroom equpped with ScreenWatch, instructors are now recording their live class content for later viewing. The recordings are available to the students after class over the internet as streaming video. Students who missed a class or who would like to review concepts covered in class can watch the class at any time and from any location convenient for them.
Wireless in the Library
The MCCC Library supplies 24 wireless laptops that can be used within the library to access the Microsoft Office applications and both on-campus databases, as well as information available on the Internet. The students can take notes or type class assignments without having to be separated from the research material.
Wireless Labs
MCCC currently has 2 wireless labs, one on each campus, containing 16 laptops. These laptops are used for specific class studies, and allow the students to work in an Ad Hoc method, without the need for specific computer tables or setups.
Wireless Videoconferencing
MCCC has recently implemented a wireless extension to the college’s network. This extension connects the college’s west campus to a local high school via wireless network antennas and videoconferencing equipment. This allows high school students to take college level classes without leaving their school. MCCC plans to extend this technology to other area schools.
