Northern State University is well known for its state-of-the-art facilities. NET Services strives to provide students and faculty technologically advanced equipment for use both in and out of the class room.
OPEN ACCESS COMPUTER LABS
There are three general-use computer labs located in the Technology Center that are used both for instruction and for student use. In addition, NSU provides two general use computer labs specifically for student use located in the Student Center and the Beulah-Williams Library. NSU also provides students with computer lab space in all residence halls.
DICIPLINE COMPUTER LABS
There are fourteen discipline-specific computer labs on campus that have between 12 and 30 computers for student use. These include labs for biology, business (2), chemistry, E-learning (2), fitness, foreign language, graphic design, language and literature (2), music keyboard, and physics. These computer labs are used exclusively for students taking classes in those academic disciplines. Outside of class sessions, the discipline-specific labs are locked and not available for open access unless supervised by faculty from the departments.
SMART CLASSROOMS
There are fifty-one smart classrooms across campus. These classrooms have an LCD projector, a screen or large-screen television and a multimedia teaching podium equipped with a variety of tools including a desktop computer, laptop/tablet connection, document camera and DVD/VHS player. NSU has recently upgraded forty-seven of these rooms with a wireless projection system.
VIDEOCONFERENCE-ENABLED CLASSROOMS
Videoconference technologies (Digital Dakota Network and Internet Protocol) are used to deliver high school through graduate-level instruction to students nationally and internationally. The DDN links students throughout South Dakota. IP videoconferencing technology allows national and international interaction. NSU's dual-purpose classrooms have both DDN and IP capabilities. NSU also provides access to online virtual classroom software, allowing students and instructors to interact via the Internet. In addition, these technologies link NSU classrooms to experts and resources around the world.
WEB CONFERENCING
Elluminate is the system standard for delivering courses via the Web. This software is intended as an alternate delivery to IP and DDN videoconferencing. Elluminate is used in the NSU Reading Clinic and the Rural Student Teaching Program in addition to various university courses. Through the Reading Clinic, students in the education program tutor elementary and secondary age students in reading and reading comprehension at a distance. The Rural Student Teaching program allows education students to conduct their student teaching experience in rural school districts. Advisors are able to evaluate students through Web conferencing software.