LRAT shortlisted for prestigious national award

LRAT is the first University AV team ever to have been shortlisted for one of the Annual AV awrds. We are competing in the 'Best In-House AV Team' category. The winner is to be announced on Friday 30th September. More details of the awards here. [20/07/2011]

Base for student loan equipment changed

Student loan equipment is now collected and delivered from LRAT's main base in the basement of the Great Hall on the Edgbaston Campus. Access is from the rear of the Aston Webb bullding - see our contact us page for directions. [20/06/2011]

Delivery Charge scheme modified

If a College reduces deliveries for teaching to non-centrally managed rooms to less than 67% of the 2009/10 total, then no delivery charges will be made. A charge of £15 per delivery will apply on all deliveries beyond that. More details here. [06/08/2010]

Laptop Connection Policy changes

For many years centrally managed rooms have featured flying RJ45 leads for connecting laptops to the University wired network. In practice these have seldom been used as registration of the particular computer to that network point was necessary. Starting with the Strathcona seminar rooms - which have recently been refurbished, these leads will be removed. Users with an ADF account will find that connection to the University's wireless network should be straightforward. [30/07/2010]

Strathcona Seminar Rooms upgraded

LRAT has finished a major upgrade to the 13 Seminar Rooms in the Strathcona Building. All rooms feature new Epson interactive projectors giving clearer images and interactivity. The new PCs to be fitted soon feature Windows 7. Whiteboards have been replaced by easier-to-clean glassboards..[30/07/2010]

New permanent Video-Conferencing venue opens

LRAT has opened a new 6-seater dedicated venue for video-conferences in our new Great Hall block home. [28/05/10]

European satellite recording service closes

The equipment for this service is is need of replacement but as recording volumes averaged less than two recordings per year, it is not viable to replace the equipment and satellite dish. The service will cease with immediate effect. UK broadcasts through FreeView will continue to be recordable. [28/04/10]

LRAT move Main Base

LRAT's home on the Edgbaston Campus has moved today from the Main Library to B3 Stores, Great Hall Block, Aston Webb. Our phone numbers are unaffected. [23/04/10]

Skype policy clarified

LRAT is unable to fulfil booking requests for temporarily installing Skype in any centrally room. For a higher quality result we recommend our portable video-conferencing service. [22/03/10]

Change to Chargeable Bookings procedure

In addition to requiring a Proactis order , bookings must be accompanied by a charging account code - eg LLLL GBM8888. This will only be used in case of non-payment through Proactis.  [22/03/10]

Digital Signage service launch

As part of LRAT's expanding Digital Signage network. the large screens in the Muirhead Foyer display room booking information and other Learning Spaces news and data. These screens have maximum impact given their position, and 20% of the content is now open to others in the University. Pricing starts at £30/week. More details are available here .[05/03/10]

20 rooms now equipped with Panopto

20 rooms are now equipped with fixed Panopto kit. Details are available here [25/02/2010].

Portable Panopto Service launched

Panopto can be loaded onto a laptop with an attached camera and microphone, to allow recordings to be made anywhere - even in locations off the network. Please phone our bookings line on x58041 for more details [25/02/2010]

Virus Precautions

A significant number of lectern PCs have been infected by viruses introduced from USB flash drives recently. We always act quickly on any virus report and reimage the affected PC to ensure that it is clean. As a further block to virus transmission we will be implementing a computer policy that stops any data being written to a USB device. If you want to save work on a lectern PC after this policy has been implemented, you must save the work on the desktop and email it to yourself.

All LRAT PCs have daily updated virus definition files - we urge all users to ensure that their own PCs at work and home are similarly protected. [25/02/2010]

New Pilot of Lecture Capture Service to be launched

LRAT and our colleagues in the rest of the Learning Spaces division are working on the launch of a large pilot of lecture capture using Echo360 and Panopto technologies. More details and room allocation are available here. [04/02/2010]

Rooms upgraded on the Selly Oak campus

Over the Christmas vacation three rooms have been upgraded with fixed installations of AV and IT equipment. These are all in the OLRC -  Rooms 102, 106 and 108. [09/01/2010]

Switchoff date for Pilot MediaSite Streaming Service announced

LRAT's six-month trial of the Mediasite lecture and event capture service will cease on 21st December 2009, it has been confirmed. After that date content will only be available on CD or DVD.

[03/12/09]

Clarification of Loan Period Policy

LRAT's loan equipment for University colleges and corporate services is designed for short periods such as a meeting or a day-long conference. We do not have the resources to satisfy requests for long-term loans of equipment. We would advise users with needs for long-term use of a laptop or projector to purchase the equipment instead. We can advise on what to purchase and from where. Only direct teaching of undergraduate and postgraduates is exempt from charging.

[07/07/09]

Summer Installations

Learning Spaces is upgrading totally centrally managed rooms in Mechanical & Civil Engineering, and in Chemical Engineering. Seven new rooms are being equipped in the reopened Muirhead Tower. New facilities include an innovative teaching area in Mechanical & Civil Engineering, and high-definition projection in two larger rooms.

LRAT will be completing the program of installinf fixed IT/AV kit in all centrally managed rooms on the Edgbaston campus with installations and upgrades in:

• European Research Institute : Rooms G52, G53 and G54

• Watson : Rooms R17/R18 and 310

• Aston Webb: Rooms G33 ,WG5 and WG12

[01/07/09]

LRAT launch presentation capture service

Available anywhere on campus - MediaSite allows capture of event and lecture content and presentation - with content delivered to DVD or to our trial web-streaming server. View a sample here.

[03/06/09]

New all-in-one interactive displayboard

European Research Institute Seminar Room G52 how boasts a VTron displayboard giving full lecture-theatre functionality in one room.

[11/05/09]

New rules for Student Society bookings

Societies recognised by the Guild are permitted to use equipment fitted in rooms for free. LRAT will not provide any other equipment - eg portable PA kits, links between rooms.

[29/04/09]

New home for LRAT

LRAT is now part of the Learning Spaces division of Academic Services, along with TAMU and Learning Space Development. The new division is headed up by Julie Scaratt.

[04/03/09]