Overview

This page addresses common questions regarding audio, video, and microphones in the classroom.

Microphones and Echo360 Classrooms

• For rooms equipped with Echo360, the boundary (wired) mic in those rooms are positioned at the podium and intended for capturing the instructor teaching at the podium. Audio will become increasingly faint the farther away the instructor is from the microphone, and it’s recommended instructors stay within several feet of the microphone.

• These mics microphones aren’t designed to pick up activity in the classroom, and if students ask questions the instructor will need to repeat these questions so they’re captured in the recording.

• If a classroom has both the boundary (wired) microphone for Echo360 AND and a lavalier (wireless) microphone, the lavalier microphone does not pass through directly to Echo360.

  • In most cases, if the lavalier microphone is loud enough to be heard at the front of the room, the boundary microphone for Echo360 can pick up the audio.

Lavalier (Wireless) Microphones

• A number of rooms on campus have lavalier (wireless) microphones installed. Lavalier microphones are for broadcasting the instructor’s audio through the speakers in the classroom.

• See “Microphones and Echo360 Classrooms” for information on microphones in rooms equipped with Echo360.

Microphones and Teams/Zoom

• The lavalier (wireless) and boundary (wired) microphones that are installed in most classrooms are connected to the room’s AV system and NOT connected to a computer.

• If you need to use Teams or Zoom in the classroom, you will need to have an audio and optional video input that connects to the podium computer or your laptop for meeting participants to hear and see you. Several rooms are equipped with a USB microphone for this purpose, and units can purchase these and other devices through the college IT group.

Group Discussions

• If students need to break out into smaller groups for discussion that include remote students, this can be accomplished using Teams.

  • Each remote student that is remote would need a computer or mobile device, and at least one computer or mobile device would be needed for the group’s each group of participants in the classroom.

  • Group participants would start a chat in Teams and add each of the participants to the chat. The “meet now” video or audio call option would then be used to start a meeting. If multiple participants in the classroom are joined to the same meeting using a device, they’ll want to be sure only one person has their microphone on at a time to avoid audio issues.

PPE Items for COVID-19

• Several microphone accessories are available to order from the university’s PPE supply. Before ordering any accessories, please be sure the classroom the accessories will be used in is equipped with the required technology. In the case of the lavalier cardioid microphones, the units require an existing wireless microphone system.