[iDC] Undermining open source: iTunes U

[John Hopkins]

>>Another
>>development that I noticed is that of labs that are conducive to
>>collaboration. Instead of the factory-like rows of lined-up computers
>>there are several smaller units with three or four workstations.

lab musings:

I could kick myself for not making a regular 
series of images of all the several hundred labs 
that I have either taught in or visited over the 
years -- would be an interesting survey.  I think 
one of the over-riding issues I observed (and 
intervened on) was that of very basic ergonomics. 
Countless places had the monitors either facing 
windows (reflections) or up against 
(south-facing!!) windows, some without any 
shading.  I would walk in during the afternoon, 
and students would be squinting into direct 
sunlight trying to see the monitors -- OUCH! 
(and not know why they had a headache after 
working for a couple hours that way!).  Of 
course, the issue of chairs is a critical one 
which is often overlooked, that and some 
reasonable ventilation solution that can cope 
with 20 G5's each with 11 internal cooling fans...

I think that Jon Nykänen, a staff person at the 
Media Lab at UIAH Helsinki had the best proactive 
policy for lab spaces -- chosing nice paint 
colors, no glaring fluorescent lighting -- 
instead, single working lights for each station. 
Round clusters of three workstations each 
scattered around a space that also had plenty of 
nice plants, ambient lights that approximately 
equaled the illumination of the monitors, a nice 
view out onto the Arabianranta Bay, plenty of 
whiteboard space, a decent sound and projection 
system, and as was the case in all Finnish 
schools (and elsewhere) intensively perfect 
ergonomic chairs and tables... nice!  One school 
in Tampere had specially constructed reclining 
chairs (like a glorified E-Z-Boy) with the 
monitor set in front and above the user, a mouse 
pad built in to the arm of the chair, and 
keyboard on an adjustable tray in the lap.  Also 
nice is a parallel chill-out lounge space for 
computer-free dialogues.  Nothing like having a 
discussion with the rows of faces lit up by 
monitors in front of them.

Air is a consistent problem -- with centralized 
systems usually inadequate to refresh the 
ionization of all the machines, and open windows 
tending to get things wet or dusty or both...

Carpeting?  nice for acoustics bad for attracting 
dirt. high ceiling? good for air and avoiding 
that cubicle-feeling.

Good to be able to black-out the room for 
effective projection use, unless you happen to 
have a 4-meter (12-foot) plasma screen ;-]

The best labs had windows only on one wall, so 
monitors could be perpendicular to the 
window-wall (minimizes reflections).

During working hours, I always did a sonic and 
visual remix from material found across the 
network.  I can recall when the Columbia shuttle 
broke up -- I had been playing NASA live feeds 
immediately previous, along with an ambient sonic 
mix with it...  it hit the students hard when we 
came in one morning, and the news had just 
broken...

hmmm, what else is there.  If I had the time, it 
would be nice to write a best-practices for a lab 
-- including the pros/cons of proprietary/floss, 
self-management vs centrally managed, 
student-owned vs school-owned machines, etc etc...

Cheers
John