Technology & Software
The Language Center offers a variety of technology and software options that are available to instructors and students. The Language Center maintains four computer classrooms, three small rooms, our new VoxBox Podcasting Studio, and the SpeakEasy Lounge & Event Space, which can be reserved in advance by instructors in order to gain access to specialized software and technologies to facilitate language teaching and learning. In addition, the Language Center offers several types of checkout equipment available to students, faculty, and staff. Read below to learn more about the many resources we have to offer.
Offerings at the Language Center
DiLL is a digital language lab software for Mac computers. Without all of the additional hardware of traditional language labs, it provides an intuitive interface that allows instructors to easily pair or group students for conversations, talk to the class or play recorded prompts for them to respond to. Student recordings are saved automatically to a remote server. Recordings can be used for in-class activities or later evaluation by instructors.
The Language Center offers a variety of software to assist students and instructors with language learning. This Software List contains the type of software, its function (audio editing, video chatting, presenting, etc.), what platform it can be used on, and which spaces it can be accessed from.
All four classrooms and two small rooms are equipped with conferencing equipment. The two small rooms are Zoom Rooms, which are equipped with a large screen monitor, a tablet to join and control Zoom meetings, and a Polycom Studio video conferencing camera with speaker tracking. Users can share content from their laptop wirelessly by logging in to the Zoom application. Checkout conferencing equipment is also available.
All Jones classrooms offer for setup a Polycom Studio USB camera mounted on a tripod and two mics. Jones classrooms 30 and 35 also allow for classroom video recording via Kaltura, where instructors can set up and make video recordings from the instructor's computer using a pan-tilt-zoom camera and the room's two wireless microphones. Recordings can be saved to the instructor's Kaltura MediaSpace account for later playback and retrieval (Jones 30 Kaltura Instructions and Jones 35 Kaltura Instructions). If you are planning to video record your class, please indicate this when making your reservation for the room. Instructors are responsible for getting consent from students for video recordings.
The Language Center has a variety of checkout equipment and media available for instructors and students. Instructors and students may reserve equipment through the Patron Portal. Instructors may take equipment offsite. Students may use it within Jones Hall, but may not remove it from the building.
Located in Jones 37, the VoxBox Podcasting Studio is an audio recording studio reserved for the University of Minnesota community in fostering the creation of educational and research-oriented audio. The studio prioritizes advancements in language education, focusing on second language teaching and Linguistics.
The SpeakEasy Lounge & Event Space offers Zoom Room technology with a Polycom X70 video bar and monitor on a mobile cart, as well as a podium-mounted Logitech Brio Presenter Camera for presenter view. Connected to the Zoom Room cart are two QSC CP8 1000W PA speakers for effective and comprehensive sound distribution.
If you're not sure what space and technology will work best for you, please email [email protected] to discuss your needs. Click here for our hours, location, and contact information.