The focus on assessment is increasing, as well as how the students learn, and how teachers teach. M ost e-classrooms have a simple layout. Computers are usually placed on long tables with monitors resting on top of them. The teacher station is a crowded desktop with wires everywhere. Most universities pay little attention to proper design, research and implementation planning.
Many technological tools are available to aid teachers in delivery.
This article discusses the issues and efforts of a mid-size comprehensive private university in developing and refining electronic classrooms since 1993. Modern language faculty were already using laser disc technology in their curriculum. They were excited to have a classroom that could not only broadcast video and audio to each student computer, but allowed the instructor to discretely monitor student progress. The process of designing the first interactive classroom meant many meetings over several months. An early step in the process was walkthroughs of the various possible locations.