Making Outdoor Learning Possible
Tech in tents and other adaptations to keep in-person learning going.
By Douglas Bonilla, Communication Specialist
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on large gatherings indoors, the learning at UC San Diego would continue, but where if not in established university classrooms? Campus leadership looked to move things outside and communicated the need to create fully functioning outdoor learning spaces.
Overseen by Carlos Jensen, Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Innovation, many different campus organizations would be involved: Campus Planning, Facilities Management Project Management, Facilities Management Electrical Shop, Facilities Management Landscape Services, Facilities Management Sign Shop, Office of the Registrar, University Centers Technical Services, UC San Diego Police Department, plus various outside contractors.
For IT Services, getting these spaces operational would be no easy feat requiring the help of several department teams: Enterprise Network Project Management, Installation & Repair, Network Operations, Customer Services, AV Design & Installation, AV Event Services, Classroom Technology Support, and Multimedia Services.
With over 20 proposed sites across campus being evaluated, eventually Warren Mall and Revelle Plaza were selected. The first phase of the project, completed in November 2020, included four 60’ x 80’ classroom tents and five 40’ x 60’ support tents, split among these two locations. The second phase of the project, recently completed last month, added two additional classroom tents and one study tent at the Lot P416 site, former home of the International Building. Each classroom tent held a maximum seating capacity of 75 students at the recommended six-feet social distancing space.
"To service each classroom tent meant IT Services had to essentially furnish each tent with all the technological needs of an indoor classroom and then some... all in a new environment with its own sets of challenges," said Senior Electronics Technician Jeff Roeser.
The classroom is outfitted with wireless access points, and wired network connection for the instructor. As far as audiovisual technology, the system mimics our existing lecture halls, with the major difference being instead of a projector and projection screen, we have multiple outdoor 85” LCD monitors placed around the front and sides of the classroom. Integration with Zoom and also the campus podcast system means these classrooms are suited to support a variety of instructional models to best accommodate the individual needs of each instructor.
When San Diego county went into Purple tier restrictions after the holiday break, the outdoor classrooms allowed the campus to still hold in-person classes, while all indoor classes were moved back to a remote model. The smaller support tents are also being used as first come, first serve outdoor spaces for studying and small group activities with possibly some also seeing use for non-instructional student activities.
"Seeing classes held in person on the campus truly is a positive sign for the campus community at large," said Jeff. "We needed this to set our course for bigger and better things in the age of COVID. It also shows us just how resilient and resourceful we really are whether we come together as various teams within a department or as a campus with many departments. We really are better together."
What's next? As demand for in-person instruction grows with indoor gathering restrictions firmly in place, there very well could be the need to implement additional outdoor classroom sites. Senior Education Technology Specialist Treb Padula commented, "We continue to evaluate the tools used in our outdoor and indoor classrooms to accommodate the altogether new and emerging needs that have occurred since moving into a remote/hybrid model."
Check out more photos of the classroom tents in use!