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Teaching spaces at Birkbeck FAQs

UCL staff and students can now make use of Birkbeck’s learning and teaching spaces. ISD is working to provide IT facilities in Birkbeck but there are some limitations you should be aware of.

This video guide (10 minutes, captions available) will give you an overview of teaching in Birkbeck rooms. More details are given in the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Watch the video (UCL staff login required)

Where are these teaching spaces located?

Fig 1. Locations map of teaching spaces at Birkbeck…

Three venues are being used:

  • The Birkbeck Main Building on Malet Street (building number 1 on the map)
  • 43 Gordon Square (building number 13 on the map) 
  • The Clore Management Centre, Torrington Square (building number 2 on the map)

These sites are all close to UCL’s Malet Place entrance.

Fig 1. Locations map of Birkbeck teaching spaces
View a larger version

Which teaching spaces are available to UCL staff/students at Birkbeck?

The following teaching spaces are available for UCL staff/students.

These rooms are a mix of lecture theatres, classrooms and computer workrooms.

RoomAddressCapacityRoom type
Mal 109 (ITS)                          Malet Street92Computer room
Mal 251Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 255Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 351Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 352Malet Street20Classroom
Mal 353Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 354Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 355Malet Street25Classroom
Mal 402Malet Street35Classroom
Mal 414/415 (ITS)Malet Street64Public Cluster
Mal 416/17 (ITS) Malet Street64Public Cluster
Mal 421                     Malet Street130Lecture Theatre
Mal 532Malet Street76Lecture Theatre
Mal B18Malet Street60Theatre
Mal B20Malet Street99Lecture Theatre
Mal B29Malet Street30Classroom
Mal B30Malet Street40Classroom
Mal B34Malet Street216Lecture Theatre
Mal G15Malet Street48Classroom
Mal G16Malet Street60Classroom
Mal G23Malet Street30Classroom
CLO B01Clore Manageent Centre250Theatre
GOR 10443 Gordon Square24Classroom
GOR 12243 Gordon Square27Classroom
GOR 12443 Gordon Square30Classroom
GOR 21843 Gordon Square16Classroom
GOR 22443 Gordon Square16Classroom
GOR 22743 Gordon Square16Classroom
GOR 31743 Gordon Square16Theatre
GOR B0143 Gordon Square24Theatre
GOR B0443 Gordon Square127Lecture Theatre
GOR B0643 Gordon Square24Theatre
GOR B0743 Gordon Square24Theatre
GOR B1343 Gordon Square30Classroom
GOR Birkbeck CinemaCinema65Theatre
How do I book a teaching space at Birkbeck?

Teaching events have been allocated to the Birkbeck space as part of the annual academic timetabling process. Any available slots will then be offered as alternatives, should requested UCL rooms be unavailable. The Birkbeck rooms will not appear on the Room Bookings website initially.

Which teaching spaces are equipped with Lecturecast facilities?

Lecturecast facilities are installed and tested in the following teaching spaces:

Conference RoomAreaPeopleLayout
CLO B01Clore MC250Theatre

As more rooms are brought online, this page will be updated.

Note that not all input devices are recorded:

  • The fixed PC provided image is always recorded.
  • The visualiser image provided is never recorded.
Who should I contact to schedule Lecturecast within the above teaching spaces?

Once a room booking has been confirmed, recordings can be scheduled directly via the Lecturecast booking page as with any UCL room.

More information and the booking form can be found at on the Lecturecast information page.

How do I access teaching applications on a Birkbeck PC?

There are two methods to use the teaching PC in a Birkbeck teaching space

  1. Log in using the GuestBBK033 account. This will take you to a standard Windows 10 desktop with a limited range of applications including Microsoft Office, Google Chrome web browser and a PDF viewer. This method must only be used by staff on the teaching PC, and this account must never be given to students
  2. Log in using the ucluser account. This will take you to a desktop that has a direct link to log in to UCL’s Desktop@UCL Anywhere service, from where you can access a wide range of applications. This method can be used by both staff and students.

You can find the full details of these accounts on the Birkbeck login details page. A UCL staff username and password is required to access this page.

The video at the top of this page illustrates both methods. Please remember to sign out of any services such as OneDrive or Outlook and sign out of the PC after use.

Common applications found on Desktop @ UCL Anywhere include SPSS, Matlab and Reference Manager. However some others cannot be provided on Desktop @ UCL Anywhere for licensing or technical reasons.

Help and support with PC applications: · Contact details for the ISD IT Services · Desktop @ UCL Anywhere user guides · List of applications that are available via Desktop @ UCL Anywhere

Help and support with PC applications:

Can I print from Birkbeck PCs?

Print jobs can be sent via the Desktop @ UCL Anywhere service but physical printouts can only be collected via a Print @ UCL device located within a UCL building.

There is no facility to print from the Birkbeck-owned printers.

What do I do if the application I require is not available on Desktop @ UCL Anywhere?

In the first instance, please contact Room Bookings to check whether an alternative is available; offering alternative times where possible.

In the longer term, you can request to have the software made available by calling the ISD IT Services or Requesting new software for teaching devices.

How do I access the Solver command in Excel?

In Excel for Windows, if you don't see the Solver command or the Analysis group on the Data tab, you need to load the Solver add-in.

1. Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the Add-ins category.

2. In the Manage box, click Excel Add-ins, and then click Go.

3. In the Add-ins available box, select the Solver Add-in check box.  If you don't see this name in the list, click the Browse... button and navigate to the folder containing Solver.xlam.  Then click OK.

4. Now on the Data tab, in the Analysis group, you should see the Solver command.

What audio visual equipment is provided in these spaces?

The Birkbeck rooms have broadly similar audio-visual equipment as our own, with teaching PCs, data projectors or screens, Blu-Ray or DVD Players, HMDI/VGA laptop connections and microphones where required. However, there is some variation between rooms, so it would be wise to check a room prior to teaching if specific facilities are required.

Birkbeck have information about the facilities available in each room on their web site.

The systems are controlled via a mix of touch screen panels and push button panels, examples of both are given below

Fig 2. An example of a control panel used in Birkbeck's teaching rooms…

Fig 1. An example of a push button control panel used in Birkbeck's teaching rooms

A touch screen control panel at Birkbeck

Fig 2. An example of a touch control panel used in Birkbeck's teaching rooms

Can I project from a laptop?

Yes. Either an HDMI socket, or a VGA socket, or both are provided in each space

Find out more information about the facilities available.

Can I connect to the internet?

eduroam, is a free wireless (Wi-Fi) service which is available throughout the UCL Campus and at participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

All Birkbeck’s teaching spaces use eduroam wireless networking which works in the same way as it does at UCL. If your laptop or device already connects to eduroam at UCL then it should connect straight away. If you have not yet connected your device to eduroam, you should connect it to eduroam at UCL before attempting to use it at Birkbeck. 

User Name and Password: The domain name of your home institution must be specified when authenticating. This is to ensure your credentials are forwarded on to the correct institution e.g.[userid]@[domain] or zcxxano@ucl.ac.uk

eduroam is supported on any Wi-Fi enabled device. View our connection guides for instructions on how to set eduroam up on your device.

You cannot connect to the wired network at Birkbeck.

Who should I contact for technical support whilst using Birkbeck teaching spaces?

Whilst using the teaching spaces within Birkbeck, any technical issues can be reported directly to the Birkbeck ITS Services. Your query may be passed to the relevant UCL ISD technical team for investigation/resolution.

Tel: 020 3926 3456 (or extension 3456 from an internal Birkbeck phone)

If you experience technical difficulties while running an online exam in a Birkbeck space please contact the UCL IT Services:

email  digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk or telephone 020 7679 5000 (internal: 25000).

Who can I talk to regarding the teaching spaces at Birkbeck?

Please contact Room Bookings at roombookings@ucl.ac.uk.

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