TLT Studio

About the Studio

Innovating the craft of teaching and learning

The Teaching and Learning Technology Studio, room 05-A400 in the A-level of Innovative Learning Institute (ILI), supports collaborative learning and the effective use of current technology in the classroom. With a wide array of technical equipment, multi-image projection capability and flexible room furniture, faculty can enjoy an enhanced, modern teaching environment.

Requesting TLT Studio

TLT Studio is operated and maintained by staff in the ILI specializing in classroom support, instructional design, and academic technology. There are two project types that are supported in the TLT Studio, Research Projects and Teaching Projects. Faculty may submit Teaching Project Requests on a quarterly basis. A call for Research Project proposals is sent out by TLS on a yearly basis. Each of these project types are carried out under the following guidelines:

All faculty requests to use the TLT Studio are subject to approval by TLS.
Faculty must complete at least one instructional design consultation and one Studio-based technology training before classes will be scheduled in the TLT Studio.
Faculty are responsible for unlocking and locking the room before and after classes.
Projects are selected based on the following considerations:
- Creative ideas for using the room and its existing equipment
- Ideas for integrating and experimenting with emerging technologies and tools
- Knowledge of learning-centered pedagogies and technologies
- Potential contributions to research and innovation in technology-enhanced learning spaces.
- Partial or full funding opportunities for technology purchase, installation, and support (Research Projects Only).

Research Project Requests

TLT Studio Research Projects are defined as opportunities for faculty to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning facilitated through academic technology. Research Project Requests allow faculty members and their respective departments or colleges to propose ideas for new classroom tools and pilot them in TLT Studio before deciding whether or not to implement them in their own classroom spaces on campus.

Those eligible to submit a Research Project Request are 1) RIT faculty teaching credit-bearing courses, or 2) ILI staff who have identified a specific use for a technology that warrants further investigation in the Studio space. In each of these instances, the project is typically handled as a collaborative endeavor between the participating faculty and TLS staff. In order to clearly define the project's scope, technology and support needs, a service and usage agreement is established between TLS and the participating faculty, departments, or colleges.

Since research projects require a high level of commitment, a very limited number of Research Project are accepted for TLT Studio. ILI sends out a call for Research Project Requests to the RIT faculty community on a yearly basis. Proposals are then vetted through a review process coordinated by a select team within the ILI. The number of selected projects and their timeline for initiation and completion is based on previous commitments in TLT Studio and funding.

Submit Request: Not currently seeking Research Projects at this time. However, If you would like to discuss your areas of interest with an Instructional Design Research & Consultant, please contact us at online@rit.edu or by phone at 585-475-2551

Teaching Project Requests

TLT Studio Teaching Projects are defined as opportunities for faculty to utilize the technology currently installed in the Studio. These projects allow faculty, teaching credit-bearing courses, to experiment with an aspect of teaching and learning that can be accommodated, given the technology in TLT Studio. Teaching Project Requests are reviewed on a quarter-to-quarter basis and after all courses affiliated with a Research Project have been scheduled.

Submit Request

Current TLT Studio Tools and Technology

Multi-image projection

TLT Studio uses three short-throw rear-screen digital projectors with high-resolution optics that offer more than three times the resolution of a typical classroom projector. The three state-of the-art, custom-fabricated, 5x6-foot acrylic screens create an astonishing 18-foot display with a sharpness of 786,432 pixels per panel.

Integrated Connect Web-Conferencing

Adobe Connect is a web-based communication tool that allows faculty and students to quickly and easily share presentations, desktop materials and other information over the Internet through a web conferencing interface. Adobe Connect has robust collaboration tools for discussion, whiteboard and text chat, and supports the use of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) audio. The TLT Studio’s podium desktop computer utilizes built-in room microphones and speakers for easy-setup. RIT Faculty have used Adobe Connect web conferencing for classroom learning:

In classroom settings where real-time interaction with experts in the field are needed, and it is not feasible to have them visit campus
In situations where you would like to record brief pieces of content for students to refer back to at a later date
To create a shared class experience for two geographically-distant groups

Clickers (Audience response devices)

Clickers are wireless keypads that enable the instructor to survey the class quickly. The instructor can ask a question—out loud, through a PowerPoint Presentation, on a Web page or with myCourses—students answer with the keypad and the results appear on screen in a bar graph. With Clickers, instructors can:

Actively engage students throughout the entire class period
Gauge the level of student understanding of the material presented
Shift the discussion according to students' responses
Track responses to an individual student for grading, attendance and immediate assessment
Promote collaboration with group exercises that require students to discuss and come to a consensus, or with quiz questions that create a healthy competition