Inside Iowa State
Nov. 10, 1995


AG EDUCATION GOES HIGH TECH AT BRENTON CENTER

by Steve Jones
A new agricultural high-tech classroom and outreach facility 
that "takes Iowa State University to the people" will be 
dedicated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11.

The Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and 
Technology Transfer is considered the most modern 
agricultural facility of its kind in the nation, said Wade 
Miller, professor-in-charge of the center, located on the 
lower level of Curtiss Hall.

An open house will follow the dedication ceremony, which is 
open to the public.

Opened in August, the center has video equipment and 
computers for multimedia classroom presentations. Faculty and 
staff also can present live, two-way interactive courses, 
workshops and extension programs to more than 100 sites 
throughout Iowa using the Iowa Communications Network (ICN).

Miller said the center allows faculty to teach in a more 
modern and interesting way. For example, large computer 
spreadsheets can be viewed easily on TV monitors in the 
center's two classrooms. Information from videotapes, compact 
disks and even the Internet's World Wide Web also can be 
presented easily.

"Instructional technology is easy to use because the 
equipment already is on hand in the classrooms," said Miller, 
who added the center will be connected to uplink facilities 
to send programs via satellite.

The Brenton Center also has offices, a video control room, a 
studio and workstations for faculty to develop multimedia 
course materials. A conference room with video capabilities 
permits its occupants and people at other locations to see 
and hear one another through the ICN.

Miller said the center's distance education capabilities 
ensure that ISU is not bound to Ames.

"It allows us to serve the people, perhaps not in their homes 
yet, but at sites near where they live," Miller said. "We're 
taking the university to the people of Iowa."

The $1.5 million facility is named in memory of W. Harold and 
Etta Brenton by family members who made the lead donation for 
the project. The Brentons were 1920 graduates of Iowa State. 
The Brenton Center was built with private funds.

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University Relations
Iowa State University