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Engaging Technology Lab

The Engaging Technology Lab (ETL), McGuffey 214, is a state-of-the-art space used by students and faculty, both independently and collaboratively, to explore how technology can transform teaching and learning. The lab is open to everyone who wants to learn more about technology or work on tech-related projects. Both technological novices and experts are invited to visit. The lounge is staffed by experts available to assist you.

360 Welcome to ETL

A brief welcome to the Engaging Technology Lab in the College of Education, Health, and Society at Miami University. The 360-degree video was recorded with a Bubl camera.

Lab Resources

The Engaging Technology Lab has many resources to assist you in your work.

Space

The Create Space (room 214) offers a great space for small or large group meetings. A majority of the lab’s resources are located in this area, including five desktop computing stations. The portion of the lab also contains the paper prototyping kit for designing projects, and the configurable tables and wide whiteboards are perfect for working on projects. A teaching station and projector are located in the room for large group presentations.

The Test Lab (room 216) is a separate, reservable space designed for trying out technology. The room has a HDTV, game consoles, the Vive VR system, an interactive whiteboard, two desktop computing stations, and a small table. The space is great for small groups and individuals.

Hardware and Software

Students and faculty have a wide range of resources for research and digital creation.

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Immersive Media

  • Oculus Rift VR system - One of the leading VR systems on the market, this desktop VR experience offers a wide-range of apps and games to see what virtual reality is all about.
  • Vive VR system - This VR system allows for an embodied experience: using controllers, your physical movements are tracked and represented in the virtual environment.
  • Microsoft Hololens - This Augmented Reality system blends real-world environments with projected holograms.
  • Homido VR headset - A simple VR headset, similar to Google Cardboard, which allows users to position their own smartphone for a VR experience.
  • GearVR - Oculus pairs with Samsung to deliver a VR experience using a headset and smartphone that easily brings a virtual environment to a broad set of users.
  • Bubl 360-degree camera - The Bubl camera is a 360-degree photo and video capturing device. This camera allows you to capture files that can be used as “bubls” which are interactive in virtual reality or 2-D screen environments. The camera itself has one button which allows for capture, but a smartphone may be paired with the camera, connected via Wi-Fi, to utilize more features.

Digital Content Creation

  • GameMaker - GameMaker Studio is 2D game development engine for Windows. It is designed to cater to both novice and professional developers equally. GameMaker uses its own scripting language, GML, and also features “Actions”. With Actions, a novice developer can easily add movement, sounds, particles, timing, and events to their games without using scripts.
  • Unity - Unity is a flexible and powerful development platform for creating multi-platform 3D and 2D games and interactive experiences. It's a complete ecosystem for anyone who aims to build a business on creating high-end content and connecting to their most loyal and enthusiastic players and customers.
  • Unreal Engine 4 - Unreal Engine 4 is a complete suite of game development tools made by game developers, for game developers. From 2D mobile games to console blockbusters and VR, Unreal Engine 4 gives you everything you need to start, ship, grow and stand out from the crowd.
  • Wacom Cintiq pen displays + tablets -The lab has two Wacom Cintiq 22HD Touch pen display monitors. You can use a special pen (provided by the reception workers) to make digital drawings with them. The Cintiq comes with multiple programs to draw digitally including Gimp, Krita and Manga Studio. The lab also has two Cintiq tablets for productivity on-the-go.
  • Krita - Krita is a professional, free, and open source painting program useful for concept art, illustrations, comics, and texture and matte paintings.
  • Z-Brush - ZBrush is a digital 3-D sculpting software.
  • MangaStudio EX 5 - Manga Studio is a visual arts package for creating manga and comic art.
  • Camtasia - Camtasia is a screen-capturing and video editing software. So, if you’d like to make a video of action on a computer, including the ability to add interactive features to your video, this is the program for you! It also works as a simple video editor of previously captured and imported video.
  • iMovie - iMovie is Apple’s video editing and creation app. Gather video, images, audio or other media for producing a video or movie trailer.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud - the entire collection of Adobe desktop and mobile apps.
  • Maya - Maya 3D animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering software offers artists a comprehensive creative toolset. These tools provide a starting point to realize your vision in modeling, animation, lighting, and VFX.
  • 3DS Max - Customize, collaborate, and create 3D content quickly with 3ds Max® 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software. It's packed with brand-new, user-requested features and enhancements for entertainment and design professionals.
  • Stencyl - an easy-to-use game-making tool that does not require coding skills. Publish games on numerous platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Flash, or HTML5.
  • Ableton - Ableton Live is a software music sequencer and digital audio workstation for OS X and Windows. Create music from across multiple genres, mix and match your own, or record your own sounds to add to your project.
  • MIDI controller

Research

  • SPSS - IBM’s SPSS Statistics package is an integrated family of products that addresses the entire analytical process, from planning to data collection to analysis, reporting and deployment, great for quantitative research.
  • NVivo - NVivo is software that supports qualitative and mixed methods research. It’s designed to help you organize, analyze and find insights in unstructured, or qualitative data like: interviews, open-ended survey responses, articles, social media and web content.

Additional Resources

  • XBox One
  • PS4
  • 3-D printer (MakerGear M2)

Equipment Rental

The Engaging Technology Lab rents laptops, tablets, and other equipment to faculty and students. Bring your student or faculty ID with you when coming to the lab to check out items. At the end of your rental period, re-rental of an item cannot be guaranteed due to volume of use. Failure to return equipment can result in suspension of rental privileges, possible police involvement, and charges to your Bursar account.

Laptops and Tablets

These items have a 24-hour loan period. If you require special software on these devices, please contact the lab to request this software two weeks prior to your intended use. Requests will be granted at the discretion of the staff and are not guaranteed.

We have the following laptops and tablets:

  • iPads
  • Cintiq Companion 2 tablets
  • Macbook Air and Macbook Pro laptops
  • Dell Inspiron laptop
  • Dell Latitude laptops

Additional Equipment

The remaining equipment in the lab has a seven-day loan period. This includes:

  • FLIP cameras
  • digital cameras
  • GoPro cameras + auxiliary equipment
  • digital voice recorder
  • webcams
  • microphones
  • smartpens
  • tripods
  • lighting kit
  • projectors

ETL Hours and Contact Information

Hours

Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Contact for More Information

Email us at etl@miamioh.edu or call (513) 529-0400.