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Cindy Davis wants to go back to college full-time and on-campus. But she’s almost as happy being able to live vicariously through the many AV/IT teams she has met and been able to feature in AV Technology
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Celebrating 13 AV/IT teams and universities from around the globe: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine; University of Southern California, Digital Creative Lab; University of Québec in Montreal, School of Management; North Carolina State University, James B. Hunt Jr. Library; Husson University, School of Technology and Innovation; Stevens Institute of Technology; NC State, Classroom Lecture Capture; Sonic College; Virginia Tech, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; Hinds Community College, Workforce Division; Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l’Appareil Digestif; City University of Hong Kong; Bridgewater State University, Cyber Range and Security Operations Center
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We reached out to 43 industry experts on the cutting edge of higher education AV solutions to share their insight into designing the classroom for now and future.
Thirty-eight AV/IT campus-worthy products.
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CONTENT
VP/Content Creation, Anthony Savona
Brand and Content Director, Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com
Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn
Managing Design Director, Nicole Cobban
Design Director, Sam Richwood
Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling
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Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465
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Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, 212-378-0473
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I HAVE BEEN COVERING THE AV INDUSTRY for more than 20 years, and I can categorically state that I’ve never met a community of peers more willing to share ideas than those in higher education. There’s always a bit of friendly coorpertition, but everyone quickly supports their counterpart and celebrates their accomplishments.
It’s with great pleasure that AV Technology contributing writer Macy O’Hearn, and I can help the AV/IT teams from 13 colleges and universities from around the globe celebrate the completion of AV/IT projects at their respective institutions.
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While at InfoComm 2022, James King, assistant director of AV Services at UNLV’s Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, was excited to share with me that he was part of the AV Services team, which was formed to support the AV needs of the school of medicine. As if supply chain issues hadn’t been enough of a challenge during the past few years, the team was formed just six months before the opening of the Medical Education Building. Check out the AV/IT Teams opening feature. I think you’ll be as impressed as I was.
You’ll also want to see the fine work from the AV/IT teams from the University of Southern California, Digital Creative Lab; University of Québec in Montreal, School of Management; North Carolina State University, James B. Hunt Jr. Library; Husson University, School of Technology and Innovation; Stevens Institute of Technology; NC State, Classroom Lecture Capture; Sonic College; Virginia Tech, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; Hinds Community College, Workforce Division; Institut de Recherche contre
les Cancers de l’Appareil Digestif; City University of Hong Kong; Bridgewater State University, Cyber Range and Security Operations Center. Madhav Jain, insights manager, Education at Sennheiser, reminds us that pedagogy always comes first. “The Pedagogy-Space-Technology (PST) framework methodology is a useful guide for the creation of new and modern teaching spaces. PST encourages looking at the pedagogy of the classroom (active learning, lecture hall, et cetera), and pragmatically seeking technology and a physical layout that will enhance and inspire the learning activities. The result would be a classroom where the teaching methodology is enabled by the physical space and empowered by technology.
A key part of the PST strategy is flexibility, and for AV and IT, that translates to having interoperability across all the layers of the tech stack so that educators and students have full functionality for content sharing, audio and video streaming, student participation, proctoring, and more.”
By illuminating the stories of AV/IT managers and technology stakeholders, as well as exploring the innovations of our industry’s manufacturers and solution providers, we hope the AV Technology Manager’s Guides become your go-to resource throughout the year. AV Technology is your forum. Please drop me a line at cindy.davis@futurenet.com and tell me about your latest AV/IT project. Nominate a tech manager for a profile. Let’s share best practices and keep the momentum going.
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GOALS: The ultimate goal of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine is to provide students with the highestquality medical education, leveraging state-of-theart technology, low- and high-fidelity simulation, live standardized patient actors, and both virtual and cadaveric anatomy and dissection. The Medical Education Building supports the ability to grow the School of Medicine from 60 students per class up to 120 students per class.
CHALLENGES: Not only did supply chain issues arise during the upgrade, but the AV/IT team itself underwent a transformation. Six months before the opening of the Medical Education Building, the AV Services team was formed to support the AV needs of the school of medicine. The team had to quickly get up to speed on the AV technology being used in the build.
The Medical Education Building at UNLV allows the school of medicine to provide top-tier medical education by providing the latest in technology.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: The Medical Education Building allows the school of medicine to provide top-tier medical education by providing the latest in technology. The Medical Education Building includes two large learning studios that can support class sizes up to 120 students. The learning studios provide flexibility in room configuration and allow the instructor to choose between teaching in the round, or from a more traditional lectern at the front of the room. Beside the two large spaces, there are 23 small group rooms and six medium classrooms that allow students to work in groups as they solve problems. There are also many one- to fourperson study/huddle spaces spread out between the floors. The first floor of the Medical Education Building also houses spaces for anatomy, clinical skills, and a simulation center. There are standardized patient exam rooms that allow students to interact with patients, played by live actors. These rooms are recorded and monitored from a central control room. There is also a simulation surgery room and three mock exam rooms.
AV/IT TEAM: James King, assistant director of AV Services; Paul Hairston, IT tech 4; Christopher Kauppi, IT tech 4; 10 student workers
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Crestron NVX360, Crestron NVX350C, BIAMP Devo, BIAMP Tesira; Sennheiser TCC2, Sennheiser microphones, Vaddio RoboFLIP, Vaddio RoboShot 30E, Crestron ceiling speakers, Sharp NEC displays ranging from 32 to 75 inches, Sharp NEC NP-PA703, Sharp NEC NP-PX1004, Visix DMP, Visix E74, YahamLED video wall, Logitech Meetup
GOALS: The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles wanted to create an accessible space to provide students and staff with commercial-grade, interactive multimedia technology that would unleash creative energy and enable them to evolve artistically.
This first-of-a-kind space would include an esports arena, computers for 3D modeling and digital creation, a professional broadcasting studio, media production suite, video studio, podcast studios, VR/AR/XR spaces, NFT art gallery, blockchain integration, hologram production, 3D printing, large-format printing, collaboration tables, a livestreaming classroom, a 24/7 helpdesk, laptop reservations, IT assistance, tech training resources, and group study rooms.
CHALLENGES: This project had two main challenges: (1) the physical space; and (2) ensuring all students were served equally. The USC Digital Creative Lab was created in the basement of the main 24/7 library. We sought to place the space in an environment where all students could take advantage when and how it was convenient for them. The space required a network upgrade to have fiber run from every device encoder and ensure the power and HVAC could handle the large amount of technology, while simultaneously ensuring the space was aesthetically pleasing, open, and effective for collaborative work. Because the Digital Create
Lab leverages the latest emerging technologies, the spaces needed to be built so that it could continually adapt to whatever mediums would be next. “Scope creep” was a challenge, because of how many different mediums each area touched; as we integrated one technology, there were two to three others that were related and needed to be integrated as well.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: The USC Digital Creative Lab is unlike anything seen on any campus in the world. This technology hub was initially conceived as an esports arena where the esports teams could practice and host tournaments, but it soon became the signature space for all things digital. At its heart is a 165-inch-diagonal direct-view LED video wall from Sharp NEC positioned at the front of the main room, serving as a focal point for the entire space. During tournaments, vivid, crystal-clear game play and highlights are displayed larger than life on the video wall. During school hours, the hybrid space is used as a classroom. It has 26 stations for students and professors with the luxury of using the video wall with their lectures.
Ancillary to the main space are several additional rooms, including a state-of-the-art video
production room populated with technology that would be at home in any of the nearby Hollywood studios, including green screens, camera and sound equipment, and several 49- and 55-inch Ultra High Definition Professional NEC displays.
The special NFT Lounge is the first permanently installed NFT art gallery on a college campus. It features 11 displays from Sharp NEC including four 75-inch and seven 65-inch Ultra High Definition Professional Displays. These displays are used to present NFTs in perfect clarity. USC encourages students to go after their dreams, and the world-class technology the team has implemented allows them to make that a reality like nothing else.
This Digital Creative Lab also benefits users because it recognizes that the world has changed, students are now their own personal brand, and need a space to be able to develop their professional profile by collaborating with others and develop their craft. This space offers an opportunity for all students to leverage creative mediums for their major study, inviting them to collaborate across majors to build their portfolios. Likewise, because the space is in a 24/7 library, it is available for use by every student—not just specialized groups who study those majors. The
Digital Creative Lab also doubles as a working livestreaming classroom and event space for individualized instruction, guest lectures, and group study.
Another benefit to the campus community has been increased accessibility to cuttingedge technology. Joe Way, director of Learning Environments, said, “Accessibility is one of our core beliefs. We recognize, especially for our department, that we must serve the entire student body. One of the things that the pandemic exposed was that not every student gets served equally. What we recognized was that those who needed accommodations were often underserved. So, when planning the Digital Creative Lab space, we knew we wanted to ensure everyone had the same opportunity to experience and use it like any other student. Thus, we made accessibility and choosing Listen Technologies solutions a high priority.”
Way continued, “Everyone can use the Listen EVERYWHERE system—whether they need assistive listening or not. Seeing how many students and others take advantage of the streaming capabilities has been amazing. ADAcompliant assistive listening signage is installed at the entrances to promote the system. We’ve also partnered with the Office of Student Accessibility Services to ensure students know about the available technology.”
AV/IT TEAM: Joe Way, director, Learning Environments; Raj Singh, manager, AV Design and Engineering; Will DeWitt, manager, Learning Environments; Chi Hang Lo, AV/IT solutions architect; Hunter Stacey, project manager; Anton Zeiher, operations manager; Lex Evans, CX/UX designer; Marco Winfrey, End Points; Anthony Watson, senior AV engineer; \John Donohue, programmer/AV engineer; Lorenzo Bernardi, senior support analyst; Adaline Tatum, faculty support analyst; Fernando Jauregui, support analyst
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Technology for the Digital Creative Lab was sourced from ARHT, Audinate, Biamp, BrightSign, Canon, Crestron, Dell, DTEN, Epiphan Video, ggCircuit, Huddly, Korbyt, Legrand, Listen Technologies, Makerbot, Microsoft, Nintendo, Panasonic, QSC, Peerless-AV, Riedel, Rode, Sharp NEC, Shure, Sony, and Yamaha.
GOALS: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, JeanFrançois Duguay, AV and Multimedia technical specialist of the University of Québec in Montreal School of Management (ESG UQAM) began implementing a transition to an AV-over-IP system that included over two hundred Sennheiser Team Connect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) ceiling microphones. The overall goal of the AV system was to maintain the integrity and dependability of every device on the network. Hybrid and remote learning were major components in the design program, and ensuring high-quality audio was an essential outcome for both teacher and students.
CHALLENGES: The integration itself was particularly challenging given the amphitheater’s 25-foot-high ceiling, as well as the frequent rumble from the subway stop that ran directly beneath the building. The TCC2’s also had to circumvent pre-existing elements in the facility, including a projector, roll down screen, camera, sprinklers, and air patterns within the building.
François Wermenlinger, Eastern Canada Sales manager of Sennheiser was an active participant in exploring design options—including strategic placement of each TCC2. “At first, I was not sure it was going to work, but we looked at the design drawings and placed five TCC2’s around the amphitheater,” stated Wermenlinger. "We climbed up on ladders and taped the ceiling in mock positions.” Since the facility was undergoing
simultaneous renovations, Dugay and his team were able to look at the wiring and infrastructure usually concealed by the ceiling further assisting with the install. Montréal-based AV-supplier, SoloTech, provided the TCC2 ceiling mics, and since the installation, each unit has been functioning perfectly.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Each TCC2 device delivers a strong signal over the network. The patented beamforming technology is able to capture the voices of both students and faculty with superior intelligibility—without the noise. “The clarity is perfect, especially with a lot of reverberation in the big amphitheater,” Duguay concluded. “The recordings are clean, and the
students sound as if they are speaking into a close mic. It is an avant-garde system that is futureproofed with flexibility to be improved upon over time.” The new TCC2 system in the amphitheater in particular is getting heavy use. It hosts roughly 300 students from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., five days a week, as well as additional weekend events. The ability for the AV team to run diagnostics and monitor the devices remotely greatly improves the continuity.
AV/IT TEAM: Jean-François Duguay, AV and Multimedia technical specialist
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Sennheiser Team Connect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) ceiling microphones
GOALS: The James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University (NC State) serves a big purpose for students, but it’s also open to the public. When the library was built more than 10 years ago, multiple video walls were installed simultaneously and they ran virtually nonstop, 24/7. Over time, they ended up requiring repairs and needing to be replaced.
CHALLENGES: The parts and support needed to replace the aging system were no longer available, and the AV team had to start planning to replace these walls within one year.
Ryan Hunter, lead AV professional for Advanced Technology Spaces at North Carolina State University’s libraries saw Sony’s video wall in action at InfoComm and thought it looked incredible, but at the time, the technology was still out of reach. “It was a level beyond what everybody else was able to provide at the time, and as far as I'm concerned, it still is,” he said. “We weren’t able to use the Crystal LED (CLED) at first because it was only a rear-serviceable product, but I always kept it in the back of my mind. Once I found out a front serviceable version was available, I pitched it to our group.”
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Hunter considered various manufacturers and when it came down to image quality, Sony ended up being the general vote. “We were also sold on the CLED because of its 4K resolution and the fact
that it supports current 120 refresh rates and a high dynamic range (HDR),” he said. “Its simplicity is another high point. Being able to expedite that repair time is another huge benefit because in the event of an issue, our video wall will not be down for nearly as long as it used to be.”
The team installed one CLED video wall in the space known as the iPearl Immersion Theater. The iPearl Immersion Theater’s video wall serves students and the public. Its resolution is 4,000 by 1,620, and it measures approximately 20 feet by 8 feet. The video wall is also displayed on a curve, giving viewers an immersive experience from many different angles. Individuals can experience a speech in virtual reality and the image quality, paired with sound effects, can make them feel like they’re attending the speech in person. It also works as a digital exhibit space for student, faculty, and community projects; and special events.
Due to its flexible support of digital content creation frameworks and game engines such as Unity and Unreal, the Crystal LED opens the door for students to come in and build projects, further empowering their creativity.
AV/IT TEAM: Ryan Hunter, lead AV professional for Advanced Technology Spaces; Konteh Farrar, AV Services manager
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Sony Crystal LED (CLED) video wall
GOALS: A major goal of the project was to provide students with a comprehensive, portable kit of extended reality equipment that would allow them to perform all foundational immersive technology projects. In addition, the kit had to be easily mailed out to remote students.
CHALLENGES: The first challenge for building the kit included deciding which specific devices would be included. There are many options and finding the right equipment that was easy to use and complemented the curriculum was critical. Additionally, once equipment was decided, it was a challenge to find and design a case that would adequately house all individual equipment pieces, while adequately protecting them. The size of the case was critical, as some of the cases would be sent to remote students and intelligent decisions needed to be made so as to minimize shipping costs. Additional challenges included setting up the technical infrastructure to simulcast individual XR equipment, like an Oculus VR headset, to digital display boards in the classroom. This simulcast feature is critical for teaching, but it is also a critical infrastructure feature that allows students to present their projects to fellow students.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Students benefit from the kits because learning how to use the equipment is their onramp to the Extended Reality degree and exploring the true core of
immersive technologies. The kits are portable and can be signed out for the semester. This allows students to take the kits home to use for the entire duration of the course. Remote learners can engage because the kits are easily mailed out, and students then ship the kits back when the course is completed. Additionally, individuals outside of the Extended Reality program can sign out the kits to develop projects not specifically associated with XR 177.
AV/IT TEAM: Brave Williams, director iEX Center and program manager for the Extended Reality degree; Tony Gerow, iEX Center Multimedia/ Extended Reality technologist
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: XR 177 Extended Reality Kits (iPad,
GOALS: Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier private research university focused on preparing its 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students for an increasingly complex and technology-centric world. Ever at the forefront of technology, Stevens was already an established leader in online education prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the pandemic’s onset, the school’s teachers and students were therefore able to quickly pivot to remote learning by leveraging existing video conferencing tools and digital whiteboards. However, over time, these tools proved limited in their capabilities, leading the IT team to seek out new solutions to reimagine the online and hybrid learning experience.
CHALLENGES: Stevens’ initial setup required professors to come to class with multiple devices, including their laptops and tablets, as well as a camera that would be pointed to a traditional dry-erase board. For educators with digital whiteboards, they were leveraging digital whiteboards from various vendors. In addition to presenting challenges with standardization, these devices featured a frustrating lag between when users wrote on the board and when the digital text would appear, which interfered with the flow of instruction.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: When the IT team started looking for options to improve online and hybrid learning, they realized that
Samsung’s interactive technology could connect professors and remote learners and enable them to collaborate just as if they were in the same classroom.
Offering Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI connections, and screen mirroring, Samsung’s interactive display integrated seamlessly with Stevens’ video conferencing software and tools. The intuitive display was immediately attractive for professors and faculty as it greatly reduced the learning curve for adoption. They could begin teaching and presenting course materials and videos with the display right out of the box. Today, professors enjoy the ability to record entire presentations, take screenshots, save files, and send them to students—all directly on the screen.
The real-time collaboration through Samsung interactive displays has become instrumental to bridging remote and in-person learning and made hybrid learning effortless. In some classrooms, professors use two interactive whiteboards—one in the back of the room with a gallery view of the remote students, and one in front of the room as a projection screen for annotations. During lectures, professors can annotate on the board
with content mirrored directly on the students’ connected devices in real time. Students can simultaneously take notes and interact with content live on their own screen. Notably, students have reported feeling more engaged than ever in these connected classrooms.
After seeing the positive impact of the interactive displays in the classroom, Stevens is fully embracing digital displays across its campus, including by designing new classrooms and buildings centered around interactive technology. New 55-inch Samsung digital signage has been installed in conference rooms, outside department buildings and other high-traffic areas. These displays allow Stevens to promote events, share news, raise school spirit, and connect its campus like never before.
AV/IT TEAM: Jesus Candiotti, Academic Multimedia engineer; Harry Ortiz, associate director of Academic Multimedia Services
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Samsung 65-inch 4K UHD Interactive Display (WM65R), Samsung 55-inch Direct-Lit 4K Crystal UHD LED Display (QB55B)
GOALS: The existing lecture capture technology at North Carolina State University (NC State) was primarily geared towards accommodating any student unable to attend classes physically. Therefore, the scope of the university’s lecture capture initiative was relatively small, with only 50 classrooms capable of streaming and recording. And it was at the professor’s discretion whether or not to opt-in to have their classrooms recorded.
Year after year, however, when students submitted feedback and completed surveys, the demand for more recorded courses was consistently growing. Both in-person and online students saw it as a valuable addition to their learning experience. Even faculty members who participated in year-end surveys expressed an overwhelming desire to increase classroom capture, believing it could have a positive impact on student performance.
CHALLENGES: With a growing demand to provide more class recordings from in-class students, online students, and faculty members, NC State’s Digital Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA) team went through an exhaustive evaluation period to find the solution that made the most sense. Whatever they chose as their classroom capture solution, it had to:
integrate with their existing AV infrastructure and content management system (CMS), Panopto; have the option to be operated remotely; be easy to maintain without adding additional headcount; and had to make sense from a budgetary perspective. The only product that checked all boxes? Epiphan Pearl systems.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: NC State chose Pearl Mini hardware encoders as the primary workhorse for all lecture capture setups. With its two HDMI, one SDI, and dual professional XLR audio inputs, it was the perfect choice for in-room audio and video capture. Each room included a camera source, a computer source, and audio from a ceiling-mounted microphone. Right off the bat, NC State’s DELTA staff were intrigued by Pearl’s ability to integrate with all the existing and new equipment seamlessly.
“You can plug a Pearl Mini into your AV infrastructure and expect it to work. It just works. Once you’ve configured it and had a setup on the network, it just works flawlessly,” said Ron Bradley, Classroom Technology manager. Upon realizing that Pearl Mini would interact with the other components, DELTA had to evaluate it from the end-user experience. The team’s idea of an ideal end-user experience was for it to be totally seamless. They didn’t want the faculty to feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the technology; they didn’t even want faculty members to notice it was there.
The integration with Panopto CMS delivered
that seamless experience. It eliminated the need to show professors how to activate the Pearl Mini in their lecture halls. The faculty, already familiar with Panopto, pressed record just like they always did. And to accommodate any professors not yet familiar with Panopto, the DELTA team developed automated control functions through Pearl’s compatibility with the Crestron Control Module. Professors could now walk into the lecture hall and begin teaching. The recording starts automatically, and the file is uploaded to NC State’s LMS minutes after the lecture concludes. With two key criteria met, the question of maintenance and monitoring still loomed large—after all, the DELTA team couldn’t be in 300 different places at once. Fortunately, those apprehensions about being spread too thin were relieved by the inclusion of Epiphan Cloud, included with all Epiphan Pearl products. They could configure and monitor over 300 Pearl devices on campus from a centralized admin panel on their web browser. Epiphan Cloud eliminated any need for legwork, making the scaled-up classroom capture more efficient to maintain than the previous iteration.
AV/IT TEAM: Tony Pearson, senior associate director of Digital Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA); Leisa Bolles, director of Media Production Services (DELTA); Ron Bradley, classroom technology manager
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Epiphan Video Pearl Mini
GOALS: The town of Kolding, Denmark, is home to the unique and cutting-edge Sonic College. Known for its innovative approaches to audio design and instruction, students graduating from the school will shape audio production for films, gaming, music, podcasting, and more in the years to come. When the college built a new facility, the staff implemented Audinate’s industry-standard Dante transport protocol for routing audio throughout the building.
Lars Tirsbæk, a lecturer at Sonic College, was instrumental in setting up the new facility and deciding what spaces would be most beneficial to students and essential to delivering a good grounding in sound design. “[Building the new facility] was an opportunity to start from scratch,” he said.
CHALLENGES: No small undertaking, staff had to interconnect multiple stereo studios and their companion mastering suites, a foley stage, immersive recording studio, Dolby Atmos mastering suite and theatrical mix stage—even a colossal 187-channel, AVB-based Meyer Sound Spacemap Go spatial sound system located in the five-story atrium, all via Dante (with a little help from AVB-to-Dante conversion cards).
Tirsbæk said, “Our infrastructure needed to not only fit the demands of the space(s), but also provide learning opportunities for our students and give them practical experience working with real-world technologies like Dante.”
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: “We didn’t have the Dante network in our old facility,” said Tirsbæk as he counted off a long list of benefits. “Now you can do a mix then easily route it through to the cinema to listen. You can take a stage box
anywhere in the building and still communicate back to the control room.”
Dante Domain Manager allows college staff to manage the large Dante network effectively. With its granular user access control levels, administrators can lock down certain network areas and functionality while still allowing students room to experiment within boundaries chosen by teaching staff and network managers. In this type of educational environment, segmenting domains was critical.
“Students definitely need to know how audio-over-IP works. That’s the way all audio infrastructure will be implemented in the coming years,” Tirsbæk commented. “When our students learn to use Dante, they recognize the inherent flexibility of being able to just move AV hardware around without affecting the network.”
A range of spaces and studios offer students the perfect sonic playground, complete with
cutting-edge products that deliver hands-on experience with the very best AV, broadcast, and studio tools and technologies in commercial use.
“This was a complex project,” said Tirsbæk. “With so many adjacent studios and performance spaces, we had to consider how to isolate parts of the network to prevent unexpected issues from occurring during live performances. Dante Domain Manager’s user authentication and role definition in combination with its ability to create separate Dante Domains was essential to our success in managing such an intricate system. In fact, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for Dante Domain Manager.”
AV/IT TEAM: Lars Tirsbæk, lecturer
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Dante Domain Manager
Known for its innovative approaches to audio design and instruction, students graduating from Sonic College will shape audio production for films, gaming, music, podcasting, and more in the years to come.
GOALS: The iconic “Cube” at Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology was designed as an adaptable performance center and multidisciplinary educational facility for research and experimentation of big data, immersive environments, interactive AV, and experiential investigation. The AV/IT team needed to ensure that the systems driving the Cube kept the learning experience fresh and relevant— seamlessly transitioning from a canvas where art students can explore new digital mediums, to a venue where scientific studies can incorporate virtual reality.
CHALLENGES: On the cutting-edge of educational pursuits, the Cube needed to easily accommodate the vast array of state-of-the-art technologies required for an ever-evolving and progressive curriculum. Teaching methods and technologies that are on-trend one day are passé the next. What resonates with staff and students now is all but a dying trend later.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: One technological facet that’s helping the Cube push the boundaries of traditional classroom instruction—and providing the wider community
with a unique performance venue—is a suite of modularly designed video projectors from Digital Projection International (DPI).
“We chose DP’s new Satellite MLS projectors specifically for their modular form factor,” said Tanner Upthegrove, Immersive Audio specialist at the Cube. “Because the light engine and the projector head are two separate parts, we were able to get really creative with our visual presentations, reconfiguring and orienting the projector head in different ways or squeezing it into areas that would be impossible for a traditional self-contained projector to fit.” This flexibility afforded Upthegrove and his fellow immersive specialists to cast moving and immersive imagery on the floor of the Cube for a special engagement, then quickly switch the presentation onto the walls. “The MLS system also gives us the freedom to experiment with different designs—to try out new approaches and to always deliver the types of experiences our faculty needs to keep their curriculum engaging and relevant,” Upthegrove continued.
In addition to accommodating highly varied instruction and programs, the one Titan S-MLS and three HIGHlite S-MLS DP projectors specified for the Cube’s recent AV update streamline installation dramatically for the facility’s small AV team. “What used to require a team of four to mount a heavy, big projector can now be accomplished by a single person,”
said Cube Multimedia designer David Franusich.
Another perk: By combining multiple MLS light engines, the Titan projector head can output a remarkable 30,000 lumens, which is enough to fill an entire 32-by-40-foot wall at the Cube. All this without a speck of noise from the MLS light engines to distract students, staff, and visitors from the presentation. Upthegrove and Franusich took advantage of the unique twopiece design of the DP MLS system to place the noisy light engines away from the action.
The integration of DP’s Titan and HIGHlite MLS projectors represents the ongoing evolution of projection technologies at the Cube. Prior to their installation, DP’s original HIGHlite projectors were utilized. “They still performed great, but as an educational facility that’s rooted in technology, the Cube needs to be as current as possible, and that meant moving into 4K,” said Franusich. The revolutionary design of the new MLS line let the Cube AV specialists push the capabilities of digital imagery even further.
AV/IT TEAM: Tanner Upthegrove, immersive audio specialist; David Franusich, multimedia designer
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Digital Projection Titan S-MLS projector, Digital Projection HIGHlite S-MLS projectors
GOALS: The Workforce Division of Hinds Community College (HCC) aligns community members with local jobs and fulfills training needs for local industry and business partners. In 2020, HCC joined an expansive development project that would transform a historic building in Vicksburg, Mississippi into a state-of-theart accelerated technology transfer center. The Senator Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology (MCITy) was scheduled to be fully operational in Spring 2023. The HCC Workforce Division agreed to use their space to showcase the rapidly evolving world of extended reality (XR) for education and training, with the goal of opening as soon as possible.
CHALLENGES: “Our vision was to develop a space that would bring awareness to the use of AR/VR for employee training and put it in the hands of local business and industry, as well as to offer classes in XR content development,” said Workforce systems administrator Corey Durham. “Businesses are facing a constant revolving door of employees and they can’t keep up with the training needs. When companies use XR to help prepare workers, they conserve resources and reduce turnover.”
The scope of the plan encompassed four distinct areas: A central demo center would showcase the capabilities of XR for training, and would therefore require a large display to make visible the modules trainees would experience through their headsets; and then three labs would serve as facilities for teaching AR content development, providing specific employee training experiences. These labs needed interactive displays to facilitate engagement and collaborative learning. All of this hardware
needed to be reliable, commercial-grade tech capable of meeting the Center’s anticipated high demand.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Wilkins brought in large screens and interactive displays from several manufacturers for Durham to test out. According to Durham, the ViewSonic products clearly stood out from the rest. “One thing that sold me on the ViewSonic products was the versatility of the equipment—how
“Our vision was to develop a space that would bring awareness to the use of AR/VR for employee training and put it in the hands of local business and industry, as well as to offer classes in XR content development,” said Hinds Community College Workforce systems administrator Corey Durham
much we could do with it and how integrated it could be,” he said. “We wanted modularity and integrated products from a sole provider, and ViewSonic was the only manufacturer we looked at that had everything we needed.”
The demonstration room called for a large and eye-catching display that could draw visitors in and quickly raise awareness on the impact of XR. A 135-inch ViewSonic LD135-151 direct-view LED display provided this critical focal point. Two 86-inch ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP8662 high-
performance 4K touchscreen displays in the back of the room provided additional training and learning stations.
The classroom labs required interactivity and the versatility to use the displays vertically for presentations and training, and horizontally as a tabletop for collaborative design development. These rooms were outfitted with the 86-inch ViewBoard IFP8662 interactive displays mounted on ViewSonic VB-STND-003 motorized trolley carts with 90-degree tilt.
Students learn how to develop augmented reality content in the Center’s lab spaces, using the 86-inch ViewBoard interactive displays to collaborate and create. Integrated conferencing equipment enables companies to virtually teach extended reality courses, while the ability to cast content onto the screens lets students and instructors easily share content. Additionally, students, trainees, and visitors alike are treated to a continuous flow of vibrant, rolling content on the showcase display—from ads and publication outtakes to clips from HCC’s VR training content.
AV/IT TEAM: Corey Durham, workforce systems administrator
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Viewsonic 135inch LD135-151 direct-view LED display, ViewSonic 86-inch ViewBoard IFP8662 highperformance 4K touchscreen displays, ViewSonic VB-STND-003 motorized trolley carts with 90-degree tilt
GOALS: Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif (IRCAD) is a globally recognized surgical research and training institute in Strasbourg, France dedicated to minimally invasive surgery. IRCAD 3 is a new 26,000-squarefoot (2,400-square-meter) building dedicated to robotic surgery, and this latest extension of IRCAD needed to feature an array of high-end AV technology to deliver an immersive learning experience.
CHALLENGES: The team was tasked with creating a center of prestige and excellence equipped with the latest AV technologies. IRCAD required an ultra-connected auditorium, with 4K 3D projection
to support learning. In addition, they were asked to implement a high-definition video conferencing system to further support the training of surgeons, as well as establish an ecosystem of IPconnected technologies throughout the building. IRCAD and AV integrator DEYA worked together closely to research the available technologies that could deliver on the ambitious brief.
“The 3D element in surgery is very important, since it allows you to have the depth ratio to understand the various elements,” said Carlos Alves, head of the IRCAD AV Department. “Colors are also very important, and obviously everything must be very defined to see all the small vessels and so on.”
Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif (IRCAD) is a globally recognized surgical research and training institute in Strasbourg, France dedicated to minimally invasive surgery. The IRCAD required an ultra-connected auditorium, with 4K 3D projection to support learning.
GOALS: Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif (IRCAD) is a globally recognized surgical research and training institute in Strasbourg, France dedicated to minimally invasive surgery. IRCAD 3 is a new 26,000-squarefoot (2,400-square-meter) building dedicated to robotic surgery, and this latest extension of IRCAD needed to feature an array of high-end AV technology to deliver an immersive learning experience.
CHALLENGES: The team was tasked with creating a center of prestige and excellence equipped with the latest AV technologies. IRCAD required an ultra-connected auditorium, with 4K 3D projection to support learning. In addition, they were asked to implement a high-definition video conferencing system to further support the training of surgeons, as well as establish an ecosystem of IPconnected technologies throughout the building. IRCAD and AV integrator DEYA worked together closely to research the available technologies that could deliver on the ambitious brief.
“The 3D element in surgery is very important, since it allows you to have the depth ratio to understand the various elements,” said Carlos Alves, head of the IRCAD AV Department. “Colors are also very important, and obviously everything must be very defined to see all the small vessels and so on.”
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: The 237-seat auditorium features a fully modular stage space, with a 38-foot (11.6m) display powered by two Christie Mirage 4K40-RGB pure laser projectors. DEYA also established an AV control room and implemented an ecosystem of equipment throughout the building—all connected over IP with a Christie Terra AV-over-IP solution. The auditorium, which also features six 4K cameras, can live stream operations in 3D with 4K resolution, with no compression or latency.
“The aims of the auditorium were, above all, to deliver both 4K and 3D—but also to ensure a
very immersive experience. We wanted, unlike our other auditoriums, to have a large, wide projection area so we could display at least five or six images to provide versatility,” said David Hiltenbrand, AV technician at IRCAD. “We were looking for a laser projector with beautiful colorimetry and strong 3D capabilities. The choice naturally turned to Christie, who was the only manufacturer at the time to offer this type of product. We also switched to video over IP throughout the building, and that’s a complete paradigm shift. It’s based on various aspects that were new to us, so we had to train and surround ourselves with the right people to learn. It was a big IT investment in switches to have a good, sustainable base on which we will be able to use different video over IP technologies. We chose SDVoE technology, which we felt was most mature in terms of integration and in terms of HDCP management.”
Additional meeting rooms feature systems for video conferencing and wireless content sharing, designed to allow users to easily plug in their devices and enable a fluid user experience. Further AV is installed throughout the building, with the AV-over-IP solution managing the broadcast of live content throughout. IRCAD 3 also houses two labs featuring robotic systems for highly specialized surgery.
The outcome is a highly specified center of prestige and excellence, equipped with powerful AV technology, which has blended the required high levels of performance while maintaining the ultra-modern aesthetics of the building. “It is a long-term project, and we are happy with the result, because we worked hand in hand,” adds Alves. “Otherwise, it was not possible to achieve the result we did.”
AV/IT TEAM: Carlos Alves, head of the IRCAD AV department; David Hiltenbrand, AV technician
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Christie Mirage 4K40RGB projectors, Christie Terra Controller, Christie Terra Receiver
GOALS: City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is an English-language public research university in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The university has nine main schools offering courses in business, science, engineering, liberal arts and social sciences, law, and veterinary medicine. For a recent AV upgrade, CityU needed a networked audio solution that would be easy to monitor and manage—a design that would provide a theater-quality audio experience; was scalable; and was powered by a high-performance, cost-effective digital signal processor.
CHALLENGES: Designing high-quality lecture halls that deliver intelligible audio is an ongoing challenge, whether for universities or other public venues. To ensure that every seat is the best seat, auditoriums must provide an optimal audio experience for all.
For Deep Batra, CityU’s IT manager and section head of Computing Services Centre, three key principles ensure a quality experience: Audio is more important than video in an educational setting; reducing ambient noise while providing clear, intelligible audio is critical in larger teaching spaces; and practical understanding of how sound behaves is critical to the principles of sound design.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Together, the Bose Professional Hong Kong and CityU AV teams designed a solution that not only meets their needs now, but also in the future because of the system’s high quality, flexibility, and scalability.
After reviewing multiple manufacturer offerings, the team created a holistic solution that met all the university’s requirements.
The Bose Panaray MSA12X steerable array column loudspeakers, DesignMax DM5C inceiling loudspeakers, and DM8-C Sub subwoofers worked together to provide outstanding vocal intelligibility and tonal consistency—while complementing the existing building’s aesthetics.
The MSA12X's proprietary Articulated Array transducer configuration allows wide, 160-degree horizontal coverage throughout the room. With its modular design, two of the lecture theaters utilize loudspeaker stacks containing two MSA12X units per side.
Known as a flexible DSP platform, the ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing digital sound processor supports rooms of various sizes. Paired with each MSA12X stack, using Dante protocol to connect to the ControlSpace EX-1280C digital processors over the network greatly simplified device connectivity. The system is powered by reliable and adaptable PowerShare PS404D amplifiers. “This was the first time I’ve set up AV provisions for the lecture halls without any form of analog cables,” said Batra. “This is the future—where all devices will be digital and analog issues will become a thing of the past.”
Bringing more than 50 years of audio experience to the project, the team illustrated their clear understanding of how sound behaves and the mastery of loudspeaker placement. The solution also not only provided an ideal acoustic experience for all attending, but it improved the room aesthetics by blending the audio technology with the architecture.
CityU is now able to use AV over IP to interconnect more than six large, separate spaces into one cohesive virtual space that can seat more than 1,000 students. This efficient, cost-effective solution would not have been possible using traditional analog cables. All devices now reside on the university’s IoT network and are managed by their network engineers—who provide an IP address to each device and set its firewall rules specific to their security needs.
AV/IT TEAM: Deep Batra, IT manager and section head of Computing Services Centre
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing signal processor, Bose DesignMax DM5C loudspeaker, Bose DesignMax DM8C-Sub subwoofer, Bose Panaray MSA12X steerable array loudspeaker, Bose PowerShare PS404D adaptable power amplifier
(AV Technology acknowledges that this project will not be completed until this summer. It has been in the works for three years, and we felt it worthy of showing the progress.)
GOALS: Bridgewater State University (BSU), a public state university in Massachusetts, recently received funding from a federal grant and partner organizations to develop the Cyber Range. Additionally, the university is developing a Security Operations Center (SOC) and developing undergraduate and graduate programs in cybersecurity.
Similar to a flight simulator, a cyber range provides cyber professionals with an immersive cybersecurity simulation environment, allowing them to experience and respond to real-world cyber attacks, such as malware or ransomware, in a safe virtual environment.
CHALLENGES: We expect the SOC to be open in Summer 2023, barring any unforeseen delays in construction or equipment approvals and
deliveries. Reaching out to other municipalities beyond those introduced to the Cyber Range, and filling future seats, may be a challenge to generate the projected revenue. Accreditation may pose another challenge.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: BSU is developing affordable, world-class cybersecurity education and training programs that will significantly improve the preparation and diversification of this critically needed skilled workforce.
Those responsible for cybersecurity within their respective organizations must receive regular, updated training to stay ahead of cyber criminals, and this training must include the opportunity to work collaboratively on realworld scenarios. The Cyber Range and SOC enhance the classroom experience by bringing state-of-the-art, hands-on experiences within reach of individuals, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, and corporations.
The main training room is 1,225 square feet and will have the capacity to train up to 24 students during a session. The facility is engineered with a state-of-the-art audio/ visual and lighting control system to deliver an
immersive cybersecurity training experience. The range will be equipped with an 18-by-7-foot video wall at the front of the room, 25-inch dualscreen monitors with high-end workstations, and multiple pan-tilt-zoom cameras, speakers, and microphones to provide the highestquality HyFlex learning experience for remote participants.
Directly attached to the main cyber range will be a welcome center to greet guests, an AV control room, and an executive debriefing room with space for six to eight individuals. The briefing room will be equipped with Zoom Rooms video conferencing capabilities.
AV/IT TEAM: Steven Zuromski, vice president of IT and chief information officer; Kelley Baran, assistant vice president; Julie Cummings, assistant director of IT/Project Management; Lisa Grosshart, IT/director of Integrated Technology Solutions; Jon Lukin, Integrated Technology Solutions designer
EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT: An 18-by-7-foot video wall, 25-inch dual-screen monitors with high-end workstations, multiple pan-tilt-zoom cameras, speakers, microphones, Zoom Rooms
From networked speakers and microphones, AI-enabled cameras and displays, or automated lecture-capture at the end of the day, the classroom of today and tomorrow still needs to be easy to use.
We’ve reached out to 43 industry experts on the cutting edge of higher education AV solutions to share their insight into designing the classroom for now and future.
Hybrid classrooms are here to stay. For AV and IT managers, this means much more than simply getting students online; they must ensure that the classroom fosters engagement and collaboration, and that it simultaneously enables flexibility for all students across the physical hardware setup and the software platforms that support it. It is highly recommended that AV and IT managers familiarize themselves with the Pedagogy-Space-Technology (PST) framework developed at The University of Queensland. This methodology is a useful guide for the creation of new and modern teaching spaces. PST encourages looking at the pedagogy of the classroom (active learning, lecture hall, et cetera), and pragmatically seeking technology and a physical layout that will enhance and inspire the learning activities. The result would be a classroom where the teaching methodology is enabled by the physical space and empowered by technology.
A key part of the PST strategy is flexibility, and for AV and IT, that translates to having interoperability across all the layers of the tech stack so that educators and students have full functionality for content sharing, audio and video streaming, student participation, proctoring, and more. For instance, this can be achieved by deploying ceiling microphones that have integrated features like camera tracking and are certified for various collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. This flexibility will allow the dynamic in-person classroom environment to seamlessly extend to remote participants so that meaningful learning can be achieved for all.
When designing today’s classroom, as well as the classroom of the future, AV/IT managers can no longer expect that all participants of the class are on site; students and/or teachers may very well be remote. Creating a classroom with remote participants in mind not only allows for the pandemic (or snow-day) case, but also for the student that cannot attend class due to illness. This mindset also benefits colleges in rural areas that don’t offer all courses in person at all sites, and opens the option for remote experts to offer classes, such as a researcher at a different organization.
For a class to be successful, audio and video in the classrooms and remote locations need to adequately handle the demand for each application, while also providing equity for all participants. Speakers might be anywhere in the room or off site, and they need to be the focus of transmitted video while speaking. Video images also need to be transmitted to the correct screen. When the teacher’s eyes are facing in-person students, the teacher should see a screen showing remote students; and students facing the front of the class should see a screen showing their remote teacher. Furthermore, remote students should easily see both their teachers and peers, with priorities set for each situation, e.g., zooming in on a teacher during a lecture.
Microphones need to capture everyone in a classroom, as successful remote classes include peer-to-peer communication as well. This will require more microphones in the classroom than just a teacher microphone, while also including technology to enable the teacher to control the audio. Audio reproduction in the room must also support this kind of setup. Lastly, a successful higher education classroom requires an intuitive, easy-to-understand management environment. Remember, (most) teachers are not audio engineers.
Designing for the classrooms of the future requires streamlined connectivity, collaboration, and communication. USB workflows can be a real challenge, but Hall has made great strides in developing solutions that focus on achieving those three pillars of student success. Being able to send communications signals online, while simultaneously connecting the peripherals in the room—cameras, microphones, speakers, and more—we can truly impact the classroom ecosystem in a positive way for maximum engagement and learning. We believe in creating endto-end solutions with a user-centric focus that consider all the typical pain points, and have developed solutions that are easy, fluid, and intuitive. Our research and development team develops products that solve these challenges and address the various ecosystems of learning: in-person, distanced, and hybrid. They considered things like legacy equipment converging with new technologies, and how teachers could truly engage students easily and effectively with a simple user interface that controls their presentations and media. The bottom line is that regardless of the learning environment, faculty should feel like the technology is there to support them.
Whether students are in the classroom or connecting remotely, audio components must be able to adapt to the real-world conditions of hybrid/hyflex learning. Shortfalls in classroom audio can have negative impacts on remote/hybrid learning and lecture capture—for both students and professors.
Distance learning must remain adaptable. For example, a classroom might be used for a fully remote class one day, a training session with an in-room presenter the next day, and a hybrid class with a remote instructor the day after that. Audio/ video needs for distance learning present unique challenges, where the addition of remote participants may be introducing passive listeners or discussion leaders. Ensuring that all participantsregardless of location—can hear and be heard, see and be seen is critical to the success of the system today and in the future.
Choosing microphones, and speakers that offer a wide array of capabilities allow you to easily adapt to limitations posed by the room. The flexibility to adapt to these needs might dictate ceiling microphones, table microphones, a wall microphone—or a combination. What works in a spacious lecture hall with treated acoustics may not be right for a more intimate classroom with a glass wall. Standardizing on an intuitive ecosystem that is flexible enough to meet these various needs ensures that professors and students can forget about technology and focus on learning.
FRED CAIN CTS-D, ISF-C, DSCE, Industry Development Director, Consultant Community Absen
Distance learning has been a phrase in the AV/ IT industry for years. It began in the corporate world where large enterprise companies wanted to keep their teams current without the expense of travel and lodging. In the higher education space, the implementation of lecture capture systems has enabled students to stay current if they missed a class or needed an additional refresher to understand a difficult topic. The advent of simple and affordable streaming has made these lectures available on demand easily and readily, both on campuswide networks and on the public internet.
Capturing the content of a lecture and streaming it to students is just the end result of a complex planning and design process. It must balance the capabilities of the LAN/ WAN infrastructure; the requirements for in-classroom and remote participants and their ability to absorb material; as well as the pedagogy of instructors and their comfort level with the use of these tools.
Technology managers have to design classrooms with all of this in mind. How do we capture the most appropriate video of the instructor, capture the most intelligible audio, share content from presentations, get replies from remote participants, and more? Are these individual classroom systems all standalone, or are they part of a larger networked ecosystem? How do students connect to the network that is sharing these streams, and how many wireless devices do you plan for per student— including phones, laptops, and tablets? We all carry so many of these devices on a daily basis.
These are all questions that need to be considered to guarantee a valuable experience in the classroom for all participants. Higher education technology managers have a difficult job in front of them. My suggestion is to start with all the bandwidth you can afford, because as AV/IT ecosystems continue to merge, they are going to need it.
TERRENCE BOYD Senior Business Manager Sony Electronics
The future is flexible, agile, and accommodating, and modern classroom design and implementation must embrace this same philosophy. Remote and hybrid learning are here to stay and it’s imperative to have accessible solutions in place that afford all students with a similar experience, regardless of where they’re located.
Designing a classroom that offers an inclusive and user-friendly learning environment requires proper planning and analysis on the front end. A focus on return on objective (ROO) can help set the framework for a successful refresh or a greenfield project. This is defined by identifying your goals, use cases, and expected outcomes and determining how you measure those results. Work toward SMART objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. It seems obvious, but speak with key stakeholders who will use the space— IT, professors, students, or staff—who will interact with and benefit from a successfully redesigned classroom. Once the space is in use, check back in with those same critical users to ensure everything is working as expected and nothing can be improved upon. Feedback and analysis are an important part of the learning journey. Data and analytics are often readily available but under-utilized sources for measuring, analyzing, learning, and improving.
Another factor in preparing for the future is choosing technologies that are scalable and can grow with a user as their needs evolve. Consider updatable and upgradable hardware and software. Additionally, cloud-based and remote solutions can afford more flexibility that allows classrooms to prepare for and move into the future more easily.
As a LED manufacturer, we understand the challenges that AV/ IT managers face in designing higher education classrooms for both the present and the future. Remote learning has become an essential part of the education landscape, and it’s essential to design classrooms that can accommodate it.
One of the most important things to consider when designing for the future is the need for discussions inside and outside the classroom while keeping everyone engaged. Classroom content should be fluid, whether it is on a laptop, whiteboard, or other presentation method, and so the canvas that is used needs to be clear with superior color reproduction. Ideally it is also seamless, avoiding multiple tiles and lines that affect how the content is received.
Another key consideration is compatibility with emerging technology. Higher education is
constantly evolving, and new technologies are being developed all the time. It’s essential to choose AV equipment that can keep up with these changes. Display formats need to be optimized to match and enhance different technologies that allow students to collaborate efficiently. LED displays can be integrated with other AV/IT systems, such as video conferencing software and control systems.
Finally, it’s essential to choose AV equipment that is reliable and easy to
maintain. LED displays are built to last, with a long lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements. This means that classrooms can be designed to provide years of reliable service, without the need for frequent upgrades or repairs, providing the learning establishment with a large ROI.
In summary, designing higher education classrooms for the present and the future requires careful consideration of scalability, compatibility with new technology, and reliability.
“Designing higher education classrooms for the present and the future requires careful consideration of scalability, compatibility with new technology, and reliability.”
—Kurt Deyoung, Chief Revenue Officer NanolumensJOHN HENKEL Director of SMB Product
More than two years into learn-fromanywhere, modern learning is no longer limited to simple websites, face-to-face communication, and low-bandwidth content, but involves real-time video chat, HD streaming, and next-generation learning technology (smart whiteboards, interactive digital displays). To level the playing field between remote and oncampus students, there’s a critical need in higher education to embrace AV over IP, providing high-quality, low-latency video and audio distribution with increased scalability.
Some smaller institutions lack a dedicated AV or IT manager, meaning their AV technology must be even more efficient, reliable, and easy to use. With AV over IP, admins can add switches whenever and wherever they need—now or a year from now. As needs change, campuses grow, and more students return onsite, AV-overIP tech ensures end-to-end collaboration and scalability. To make it easy for higher education organizations, companies like Crestron, Q-SYS, and Shure offer a onestop shop for AV, offering the best in AV technology products including NETGEAR AV switches, combined with tailored installation and management solutions. As more and more campuses practice inclusion of local and remote students, the technology has had to change. The great thing is that this same change is occurring across the corporate world, too. Many tools developed for one market are perfectly aligned with the needs of the other. Keeping the AV installation flexible and ready for the future is paramount.
STEVE BOGART Business Development Manager, EDU Atlona
Lecture capture systems and other technologies have long existed for offcampus learning, but the hybrid model largely embraced today was nonexistent pre-pandemic, when students were all but required to be in class. Educators now accept that the student community is somewhat split: Some prefer to learn in class, while others prefer to learn from home.
Campus AV and IT leaders recognize this shift and have adopted more flexible technology models to compensate. That adoption certainly includes UC platforms, including conferencing software systems, that bring physical and remote learners together. However, equipping the classroom itself is vital to the success of the hybrid model, not to mention collaborating with students in adjacent spaces on campus. Networked AV adoption presents universities and colleges with infinite possibilities across both scenarios.
HDBaseT remains a force inside the classroom, offering simple, dedicated connections between source and destination. And though a typical classroom will still feature a fixed number of collaborative stations in each room, we increasingly see collaboration happening across different spaces on campus. That means rerouting cable and reconfiguring patch panels to connect adjacent and distant rooms on the same local area network, among other labor-intensive integration work. AV over IP provides the flexible platform need for in-room students to collaborate across many locations. Networked AV is all about the switch, using IT infrastructure to move lowlatency video and audio over local area networks.
Moving to networked AV doesn’t need to be an all-at-once proposition. The industry continues to make progress in how HDBaseT, AV-over-IP, and wireless technologies come together for universal connectivity inside the classroom. That means simplifying how lecturers and students connect to wireless presentation switchers, USB peripherals, and even Bluetooth technologies for audio. Companies like Atlona are removing the technology barriers inside classrooms that hinder learning and automating systems and functions through sensors and control platforms. These steps will accelerate the speed of transitioning the matrix to the network
One of the easiest to overlook, yet most important aspects in any install is connectivity. When planning for solutions for the higher education classroom, the big equipment is obvious: a camera or two, a projector or monitor, and maybe a control system. Painstaking time goes into researching, testing, and ultimately selecting this equipment. Unfortunately, how all these devices are connected is often an afterthought. When planning for future installs, the AV/IT manager must plan now for USB-C replacing other device connection ports. USB-C has been hailed as the “one connection to rule them all.” A full-featured USB-C port allows data, video, and power to pass over one signal cable. It introduces an exciting time for connectivity. However, organizations must be aware of some of the potential challenges this new connectivity type presents. While some laptop and camera manufacturers are fully embracing USB-C, others, such as those that manufacture monitors and projectors, are slower to adopt it. In the short term, adapters that convert USB-C to HDMI or DisplayPort are necessary. An AV/ IT manager also needs to be aware that, as of today, not all USB-C ports are full featured. Careful planning will ensure that the devices and connectivity purchased support the application. A longer-term challenge is USBC’s length limitations. A full-featured USB-C cable is currently limited to around 3 feet. For a desktop application, this isn’t a problem, but when an instructor’s laptop needs to be connected to a projector mounted on the ceiling, tech staff will run into some challenges. Cables and devices that actively extend the signal either over fiber or over category cable overcome this challenge. With a little bit of planning now, AV/IT managers will save themselves from headaches down the road.
Over the years, universities have developed studies that confirm a strong correlation between student engagement and student retention. As universities grow their student bodies, they must focus on designing more immersive lecture environments with AV/IT technology. AV/IT managers must holistically approach this design. Imagine a classroom that’s only designed with video in mind. Sure, remote attendees can see the lecture clearly on their screens, but if they don’t hear what the professor says then they won’t retain the content. This creates a learning gap between remote and in-person students. However, when AV/IT managers prioritize technologies that enhance lighting, video quality, and audio at the same time, this gap closes. That’s why lecture capture solutions, PTZ cameras, wireless microphones, and visual technologies such as projectors and
Panasonic Connect
professional displays are must-haves. Each of these technologies are crucial, so choosing the right device supplier is the make or break to future proofing a classroom design. It’s important to choose a supplier not only based on quality, but adaptability. Higher education and the needs of students are constantly changing. Make sure to work with a technology partner that harnesses a solutions-based approach to solve customer pain points. Another future-proofing recommendation is to embrace educator technology training. Classroom design and the technology within it only provides benefits if instructors feel
comfortable harnessing these technologies, and currently 50 percent feel the lack of training is a huge obstacle. AV/IT training boosts instructors’ confidence and encourages them to use technology to benefit students for years to come.
Ultimately, AV technologies help students form emotional, thought-provoking, and physical connections to coursework and lessons. With the right classroom design, educators can use these technologies to control and enhance the classroom experience and create an environment that best suits different teaching and learning styles—today and in the future.
“AV technologies help students form emotional, thought-provoking, and physical connections to coursework and lessons.”
—Darryl Krall, National Sales ManagerJENNIFER ORZECHOWSKI Director, Marketing, Americas EPOS
The success of online learning has three critical technology elements— video, audio, and content sharing. While video and content have played a pivotal role in ensuring the teacher-student connection, the power of high-quality audio has often been overlooked.
Be it audio delays from bad internet connectivity or multiple participants speaking at the same time or background noises coming from each participant’s location, audio challenges can have a negative impact on health by increasing stress levels. Learning in the classroom, physical or virtual, in the presence of noise is more difficult than ever. Students learning from their homes or dorm rooms with noisy backgrounds or in cafés or classrooms with surrounding chitchat, struggle to concentrate and get tired easily. The result—students lose their focus, motivation, and cognitive processing.
Remote learning requires creating a compelling, engaging, and inclusive environment. The need for better connectivity and robust audio, and video devices to enable seamless teaching and learning has never been greater.
The choice of professional headsets continues to increase, expanding the array of offerings that best fit the changing needs of educators and students. A wide array of solutions, that allow for clear, crisp audio by varying personas, are providing educators and students with more choices. Regardless of where and when learning takes place, today’s Active noise-canceling (ANC) headsets tune out background noise to offer clear audio and a distraction-free experience.
As students and teachers grapple with multiple devices and technologies for remote learning across smartphones, tablets, computers, and software they look for simple, easy-to-deploy and use headsets that intelligently pair with multiple communication solutions.
The pandemic forced a shift to remote learning for most higher education institutions. As a result, higher education facilities have invested significantly in new technology to support hybrid and flexible learning. Technology managers have shifted their thinking away from traditional technology operations to create a more standardized and interoperable learning environment to support faculty, staff, and students. For universities to stay on the cutting edge of technology, they need to integrate adaptable technology to support an agile mindset as needs and use cases are constantly changing.
Higher education facilities demand flexibility in a standardized solution. Over the last year, many educational institutions have been affected by rising technology costs and a lack of availability. As a result, they have been forced to move away from a standardized approach. In many cases, the budget can be a driving factor. Regardless, higher education facilities need an interoperable solution with a standardized interface. A standardized interface increases user satisfaction and reduces training costs. For example, if a higher education facility selects a particular vendor this year, but the cost increases and requires them to choose a different vendor next year, technology needs to accommodate these driving factors. With SDVoE technology, the solutions that are purchased today are going to work with the technology that is purchased tomorrow. Together, the SDVoE Alliance and its members have provided an interoperable approach that promotes standardization among higher education facilities.
Additionally, higher education facilities need available solutions. Traditionally, installations are completed during the summer. As a result, higher education facilities need technology to arrive on time to accommodate strict installation timelines. The SDVoE Alliance is powered by the BlueRiver ASIC from Semtech, a Steering Member of the SDVoE Alliance. Today, more than 85 percent of SDVoE members can ship products within two weeks, enabling SDVoE Alliance member companies to meet customer delivery demands amid ongoing supply chain disruptions.
There’s never been a better time to have your cake and eat it too when it comes to classroom technology. Times were, when you installed a system, that you were stuck with it as it was for its full useful life. Today, with everything USB and plug and play, you can easily swap out system components and get refreshed performance, effectively extending the useful life of some significant portion of the total system. AV/IT managers can now do a few things to ensure that you design for today and yet are prepared for tomorrow as well:
First, keep an open line of communication with users and decision makers to stay on top of what they’re thinking. Share your thoughts and get interactive on where things are going. Deeply understand emerging trends and needs of higher education, getting out of your swim lane that only relates to AV/IT.
Second, regularly check in with suppliers of current system components, asking for them to share roadmaps so that you can fully understand their thinking about what’s coming. Share your thoughts about what’s important so that they can develop the toolsets you will need in the future.
Third, read and attend conferences to see and understand emerging solutions and new configurations/solutions. Reinforce and challenge what you know.
Fourth, relentlessly experiment with and evaluate new tools and products—sometimes well ahead of when you think you might use or need them. Build experimental classrooms for administrators and instructors to experience. Gather their feedback and input.
And finally, connect with colleagues to share with and learn from what they’re doing. Give a little and get a lot back from collaborating with colleagues in other institutions.
These suggestions are simple. Keep engaging, experimenting, learning, and looking for more. If you evolve, you’ll lead the change and be right where you need to be.
Designing classrooms for the future can be difficult because you never know what the future will bring. For example, before 2020, no one could have predicted the seismic shift that would happen when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to transition to remote learning overnight. What the last three years have demonstrated, however, is the need to remain agile and adaptable in face of unpredictable circumstances.
For AV/IT managers thinking about classroom design and their long-term digital strategy, consider if the technologies being introduced and used are conducive to an adaptable classroom. This includes if the solutions support a seamless transition between in-person, fully remote, or blended learning environments. Moreover, they should offer high compatibility with the software and hardware that educators already use, as well as with classroom technologies that may be
incorporated later in the future.
For example, if you are planning to implement interactive displays in classrooms across your campus, you should look for product offerings that are operating system agnostic to ensure educators and students can readily pair them with their own laptops or mobile devices to access and collaborate on course materials. Any new displays should also be highly intuitive and easy to use immediately out of the box to minimize the learning curve needed to start leveraging them in lectures and
discussions. Such ease of use and integration into the classroom promotes quick adoption and long-term utilization of the technology.
It’s important to also continue supporting educators with professional development resources so that they can effectively leverage classroom technologies long into the future. Resources can include online seminars, selfpaced training courses, and forums where they can connect with other professors to exchange ideas on meeting the evolving needs of higher education.
“It’s important to also continue supporting educators with professional development resources so that they can effectively leverage classroom technologies long into the future.”
—Chris Mertens, Vice President of US Sales, B2B Displays Samsung Electronics America
Today’s higher education classrooms present a robust video distribution application that must support a much richer and more sophisticated remote learning and meeting model. With the remote trend, many classrooms are installed with many new devices, high-res video sources, and other endpoints that will be necessary for providing a superb remote experience. The video distribution system will be paramount. AV/IT managers will need a system capable of transmitting 4K60/4:4:4/36-bit color video over a 1GB managed network using existing Cat X cable, or over 10G fiber cable. Another key piece of the video distribution puzzle will be supporting today’s increasing USB-C-based devices, such as web cameras, and providing KVM control for ease of use. We had this application in mind when we engineered the Just Add Power MaxColor Series 2 transmitter and receiver; it features KVM support, a fiber port connection, and audio return channel (ARC) while natively supporting 4K60Hz in and out. Instructors can play HDR video, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats. It also boasts power over USB-C—supporting, for example, a USB web camera signal over IP. With the ARC feature, the audio from a TV connected to a MaxColor 2 receiver can be sent across the network to another MaxColor 2 receiver—connected to an audio-video receiver or other ARC-enabled amplifier— making project design even easier and more flexible.
Obviously, the need for connectivity in every space—from the largest lecture hall to the smallest professor’s office—is paramount. In the case of classes that are regularly hybrid, having remote learners appear on an in-room display that allows them to participate in discussions is vital.
Once that baseline’s been met, the first recommendation I’d make is one that’s been shared by our clients: Ensure you’re providing the faculty, staff, and guest lecturers with an interface that’s completely intuitive. No matter the size of the room, you want as few options as possible on that control device while maintaining the functionality of that space.
Single-touch controls that give the user automated scenes for the room’s systems are beneficial. (One of our clients has created a “help” overlay that appears on the touchscreen with the touch of a button should the user need a little extra assistance.)
After that template’s been created, having a single standardized platform that can repeat that solution is invaluable. Some of our customers have had great success taking a fairly basic programming configuration and expanding or contracting it to fit a particular room.
Understanding the primary purpose of a given room helps a designer outfit the space with the proper tech. For example: Is the space primarily a lecture hall that needs camera tracking for the presenter and lighting that doesn’t interfere with any content that’s being displayed?
I’d also encourage campus decision makers to take a look at their room refresh rates. As technology advances, that cycle may need to be shortened to meet the expectations of the modern student body.
The ultimate goal of all of this is to create tech solutions that let teachers teach—and never have to concern themselves with troubleshooting the devices or the system in a given room.
KRISTIN SPIEWAKAs we enter 2023 and look to the future, budgets are tight, but it still might be time for a refresh, so AV/IT leaders are asking thoughtful questions to ensure they are designing flexible and reliable systems and solutions that can adapt to rapidly changing needs, demands, and expectations.
Question: What technology can help ensure classroom equity? We are finding that some students do not want all things remote. They enjoy in-person learning experiences and parents certainly support that vehicle. There is currently a push to make sure a good percentage of class time takes place in person, but with unforeseen circumstances (like a pandemic), the option for remote learning is a modern necessity. The key is investing in technology that can support engaging highpower educational experiences, both in-person and remotely.
Question: Will the new technology we source align with the current system, strategy, and university goals? This includes classroom projectors, video walls, digital signage, learning platforms, and other technology to interface and align with legacy systems. Classroom tech will also need to align with the BYOD movement to allow students and staff to use their phones, tablets, and laptops if needed.
Question: Will new technology help create more engaging experiences? AV/IT leaders are looking to invest in solutions that create collaborative experiences, team building, and team learning, whether it’s in person or remote. Students need to feel appropriate levels of feedback from both professors and peers. High-quality, reliable visual and audio technology shines here. If students feel connected, they usually do better in school and have higher success rates.
Question: Is it easy to use? There is a lot of pushback from professors about complicated technology. Professors want to be up and running quickly to create a collaborative environment with technology that solves pain points instead of providing more.
Today’s most important trend is accessibility. Modern students need to be able to connect to learning experiences both in the classroom and remotely, during or after class. So, agile campuses must accommodate the streaming, broadcasting, and capturing of teaching sessions for students to autonomously access through multiple platforms.
As a result, the classroom of the future must be an ultra-flexible space that offers both traditional lecture-style experiences and immersive audio-visual sessions that
some campus landscapes and lessons where they fit the curriculum or teaching style. As students will drive the speed of adoption, educators must investigate their values, needs, and expectations. If immersion has become a day-to-day part of their lives, such as via VR gaming headsets, it’s likely they’ll soon demand similar classroom experiences, too.
In the same way that some math exams now allow calculators, these new technologies may even fundamentally transform how students learn and apply their knowledge. Understanding concepts will be necessary—after all, math students
still need to grasp mental arithmetic—but tech may help to streamline learning processes and reduce their mental toll. Instead, the focus may turn to learning how to best collaborate with tools like AI to achieve desired outcomes.
But as technology accelerates, we still need to ensure it’s practical enough for everyday teachers. Like the best inventions, new learning
“As technology accelerates, we still need to ensure it is practical enough for everyday teachers.”
—Kristen Garner, Director of Business Development, North America Education Sales at KramerMATT WARING Education Channel Manager Logitech
When AV and IT managers had to rapidly adapt to using new digital tools to enable remote learning during the pandemic, the priority was to keep students learning by whatever means available. As we look at higher education institutions now and into the future, a hybrid model is here to stay, and technology is needed to make learning as effective and engaging as possible, wherever it is happening. That technology needs to have the flexibility to equally support students outside of the classroom as those in the room so they can clearly see and hear the instructor and their peers. Equity between remote and in person students is vital for collaboration, especially in smaller study groups like seminars, and can be supported through technology such as AIpowered tabletop cameras that focus on the active speaker to give every student an equal seat at the table.
Higher education institutions also need to implement solutions across large estates, and ensure they are reliable and keep students learning without disruption. This means solutions that are easy to deploy and can be managed at scale are an important consideration. For example, solutions that come with in-built data analytics allow IT managers to monitor device performance and manage settings all from a single management platform. This keeps AV equipment performing at its best at all times, ensuring higher education institutions get the most out of investments and no student learning experience suffers as a result of IT challenges.
AI-powered whiteboard cameras are also giving educators a new and exciting means of sharing content with remote students and those present in the room. By giving virtual meeting participants a clear, real-time view of the whiteboard, lecturers can deliver a learning experience that captures the imagination and replicates in-person learning as closely as possible.
FRANK TROSSEN Global Business Development Director, Education PPDS
Without question, the forced lockdowns in 2020 exposed the vulnerabilities in traditional education. And while our world has, on the whole, returned to normal, we have learned how to bring some efficiency into the way education providers connect with their cohorts and communities.
There are other benefits, too. As well as providing AV and IT managers in education with a new crisis plan blueprint, the technology adopted for online lessons also allows schools the opportunity to address historic challenges around absence. Prior to the pandemic, eight million students were chronically absent—missing at least 15 days of school in a year. Post-pandemic, that number has more than doubled, putting students at serious risk of falling behind, according to the Department of Education.
Statistically, 86 per cent of classrooms and teaching spaces in North America already feature an interactive display for more inspired teaching and learning, and investment into interactive has increased post-pandemic. The display is only part of the story and a much bigger picture. With advancements in technologies, coupled with evolving dedicated remote/distant learning software, the boundaries around absence can now easily be overcome.
Whether in class or isolating at home, students have the ability to join classes (including visually via two-way webcams) and collaborate directly with their teachers and fellow students, and even take control of the screen, in real time. This can be achieved as part of the growing trend and adoption of BYOD for smarter experiences in and out of the classroom, with students using their own connected device, such as a PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Meaning that, no matter where they are, falling behind can be avoided. Having flexible, connected solutions in place will not only enhance teaching and learning for today, they will provide a safety net to ensure things can continue efficiently, should the circumstances change suddenly again in the future.
JIMMY MCLAUGHLIN Coordinator ofSeminole State College, Florida
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t predict what will happen in the future. So, the most important thing for AV and IT managers to keep in mind when designing classrooms for the future is to use flexible technology. Don’t install equipment that will lock you into doing things a certain way for the next five years. We selected Poly solutions for Zoom Rooms as our video conferencing solution because it gives us the ability to use Zoom, BlueJeans, RingCentral, Microsoft Teams and other technologies. There are hundreds of different products we can use with it.
I also recommend staying on top of trends and new technologies, but also doing your due diligence and testing out multiple products until you find a combination that does what you need it to do. We selected Epson laser projectors, the Poly video bars, and AVer cameras to turn 60 of our 300 classrooms into rooms that can be used for distance or hybrid learning. This served us extremely well during the pandemic when our campuses were closed, and continues to serve us well today. Instructors can use the rooms as traditional in-person classrooms, or they can offer hybrid or remote learning options to students when needed. We even had a situation this year where we needed to social distance students so we divided them into two classrooms and had one room invite the other to a videoconference so all the students could learn together. And we have some professors who allow students to video conference into the class when they cannot be there in person.
By selecting technology that provides flexibility, and by making sure classrooms support in-person, remote, and hybrid learning, AV and IT managers can help ensure their colleges and universities are prepared no matter what the future brings.
Technology is an important facet of higher education teaching and learning, especially now that hybrid classrooms have become the norm. Instructors and students, whether attending class in person or remotely, require visual aids to effectively communicate, collaborate, and retain information. Arguably the most cost-effective, versatile, and engaging way to present coursework is via a projection system. Why? Projectors can produce imagery that is larger than any standalone LED display can match, and they cost a fraction of a comparably sized video wall. Also, unlike static displays, a projector can alter the aspect ratio and composition of an image, making it just as useful for conducting a video conference of multiple attendees as sharing supplementary materials, videos, and more. The size and shape of the projected image can also change to suit the needs of each professor who uses the classroom and to accommodate myriad activities:
for example, a smaller, projected image for a class of 10 students and a full-screen video for a classroom of 50.
While projectors are well positioned as a primary visual tool in higher education environments, LED displays, while usually more expensive, are a great option for critical viewing due to their ability to produce bright, crisp images with accurate color saturation and contrast in virtually all ambient light conditions. Projected images can only combat wash-out from ambient light when paired with a special ambient-light-
rejecting (ALR) screen. LED displays also convey a more modern aesthetic and can be used as an interactive touchscreen for greater student engagement and retention.
No matter the budget, design, structure, or video requirements of a higher education classroom, there’s a display solution that fits. The advanced capabilities and features available in current projection systems and LED displays offer higher education classrooms the flexibility required of today’s college and university hybrid learning initiatives.
“No matter the budget, design, structure, or video requirements of a higher education classroom, there’s a display solution that fits.”
—Chuck Collins, Vice President of Sales Digital Projection
Our best recommendation for AV/ IT managers is to think modular in their approach to systems across campus. Relying on a single software or manufacturer ecosystem is risky. What happens when another department is determined to use a different video conferencing platform, or if there’s a manufacturer supply chain issue during the next upgrade cycle? Classroom designs must prioritize interoperability. It’s rare that a campus gets an entire technology overhaul; it normally happens department by department as budget allows. A modular solution is a future-facing approach that can thread that tricky needle between flexibility and complexity.
Most higher education AV/IT teams are incredibly technology savvy and skilled at designing systems, and a modular approach takes careful planning. The user experience should be simple and consistent, classroom to classroom. No matter what the space’s array of capabilities, the instructor should be able to follow roughly the same steps to walk in and start teaching in any space—no matter if it’s their first day back on campus after summer break or their 500th day teaching.
Designing and deploying these consistent experiences is no small feat. To avoid the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” scenario in the future, dedicating time and budget to the right infrastructure is essential. Planning and communication are key; the stakeholders must look beyond the needs of the project to the needs of the campus. With this lens, AV/IT teams can set higher education classrooms up for continued success.
AV has always played a key role in connecting teachers and students for academic instruction. University planners and administrators are now actively seeking out technologies which support hybrid teaching and distance learning requirements—all originally necessitated by the pandemic. In fact, we believe the demand for this model, which enables a wider reach to remote audiences via the best available and most intuitive technology solutions, will grow.
That said, many of our customers working on higher education projects still need sophisticated AV solutions for on-premise learning and collaboration applications. This includes the creation of automated experiences driven by sensors. For this, system controls with robust open APIs are essential to ensure all system elements work seamlessly.
The tactile training employed in engineering and medical contexts requires high-quality video with near zero latency. Instructors need a point-of-view perspective as they observe students working through projects from geological studies to surgical procedures and beyond. In addition, the ability to route multiple sources (local computers, USB cameras, esports gaming consoles) without additional latency or compression is also required. Across the board, SDVoE signal distribution technology delivers the required fluid user experience.
Higher education administrators and AV/IT departments need AV systems that are reliable, flexible, and easy to use. They are also quickly learning that relying solely on a single product manufacturer is a dangerous vulnerability. Deploying a standard or interoperable solution like SDVoE is very attractive, as it enables decision makers to create best-of-breed solutions while hedging against product availability issues.
Going forward, sophisticated AV technology will remain a driver in attracting students who are savvier than ever. In fact, students and instructors at higher education institutions are benefiting from the convenience of the latest deployed AV solutions—becoming more comfortable with, and knowledgeable about, the possibilities they offer.
Renkus-Heinz
Whether a class is in person, virtual, or hybrid, speech intelligibility is paramount. If students can’t hear or understand the instructor, their ability to learn and retain information is compromised. The larger the room—the more critical speech intelligibility becomes. In small classrooms, instructors may be able to speak louder to reach the back of the room, but that’s not a viable option in a lecture theater.
For in-person classes, beam-steering technology like that found in Renkus-Heinz’s Iconyx Compact series allows loudspeakers to tightly control the sound and place it where it’s needed—on the students—while keeping it away from other surfaces that may cause echoes and reverberation. Every listener deserves the clearest, most intelligible sound possible, especially in higher education environments.
Intelligibility plays a huge role in learning and information retention. If you’re in a reverberant space like a church or train station and all you hear is muffled speech, you’ll quickly give up trying to understand what’s being communicated. The same is true for students; if they can’t hear and understand the instructor, they’ll zone out. The higher the speech intelligibility—the easier it is to retain information and understand the lesson being taught.
For tomorrow’s classroom, designing as much flexibility into the network infrastructure as possible is an excellent approach to futureproofing an AV system. As recent events have indicated, you sometimes never know what may be just around the bend. Dante is pro AV’s de facto transport mechanism, so being able to route AV streams between various rooms (for overflow situations) or to the internet (for streaming virtual/hybrid classes) gives an AV/ IT manager several options for distributing audio and video throughout a room, building, or campus as needs change. That includes Dante-enabled endpoints, in many cases, for complete control of the end-to-end signal path.
Adaptability and flexibility are crucial features of any AV system in higher education classrooms. AV/IT managers planning classrooms for now and the future should design inclusive learning spaces that implement nimble technologies to meet end users’ unique needs. Assistive listening systems that are portable, easy to use, unobtrusive, and multifunctional benefit all students.
Assistive listening systems help people hear clearly, whether they have chronic hearing loss or find it challenging to hear in certain situations, such as when they are far away from speakers, in a room with poor acoustics, or unfamiliar with the language. Assistive listening systems also block out distracting audio and background noise so students can focus exclusively on the instructor’s voice.
There are different types of assistive listening systems; however, the best system is the one that students will use to make their experience in the classroom more inclusive and engaging. Audio-over-Wi-Fi assistive listening systems are very popular in higher education environments, and we expect this trend to continue as the pervasiveness of smartphones grows. With audio-over-Wi-Fi systems, students stream clear audio directly to their smartphones and listen with earbuds or headphones. Audio also can stream from their smartphones to Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids and cochlear implants. Unless they borrow a dedicated Wi-Fi receiver, there is no equipment to check out and nothing to indicate to others they are using assistive listening technology—just a seamless, inclusive listening experience that supports learning and engagement.
The more AV/IT managers can reduce barriers to inclusion and ensure accessibility for all students and educators in higher education classrooms, the better.
Over the last three years, students have had ample time to adjust from sitting in a large lecture hall to joining lectures in a video conferencing forum. However, for students pursuing higher education in the vocational market—a market expected to grow by nearly 10 percent in the next decade— this can get a little more challenging; how can hands-on training and experience be optimized in a remote or hybrid environment?
Some of the world’s largest institutions are addressing this growing need. Australia’s leading provider of vocational training, Technical and Further Education New South Wales (TAFE NSW) serves over 500,000 students with a world-class, digitally enabled campus, utilizing technology from Poly to transform the future of education. TAFE NSW utilizes what are called connected learning points (CLP), which create simulations and virtual reality experiences to offer a wider range of practical, flexible, and accessible learning opportunities to students and employers across regional NSW. Using the Poly Studio Room Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms, paired with 24/7 support, TAFE NSW was able to offer a scalable, adaptable, and interoperable solution that was compatible with Microsoft Teams and accessible to over 200 CLP locations. With Poly’s innovative features such as group framing, automatic speaker tracking, and NoiseBlockAI technology, students and teachers can enjoy a seamless and immersive learning experience.
The connected learning points are equipped with multiple cameras, high-quality audio, and a microphone that can pick up the teacher’s voice from anywhere in the room. Large screens enable teachers to keep a connection with students on one screen while sharing teaching and learning resources on the other—meanwhile students receive a professional and engaging learning experience.
These connected learning points are revolutionizing the way students and teachers experience learning, bringing a new level of accessibility, flexibility, and engagement to vocational education and training.
“The more AV/ IT managers can reduce barriers to inclusion and ensure accessibility for all students and educators in higher education classrooms, the better.”
—Sam Nord, Vice President of Global Sales Listen Technologies
“These connected learning points are revolutionizing the way students and teachers experience learning, bringing a new level of accessibility, flexibility, and engagement to vocational education and training.”
—Genevive Ammar, Head of Marketing HPJOEL CARROLL Executive Vice President, Global Sales Mersive
When I examine the conventional design of AV systems, it reminds me of a children’s book called “Boxes, Boxes Everywhere” by Crystal Bowman. When constructing a standard classroom, various boxes are required to create a complete AV system—each with a specific purpose. If additional functionality is desired, a new box must be added or an old one replaced. Although this method has proven to be reliable over time, it can be challenging to plan for the future when unforeseen changes require new capabilities, such as the sudden need for remote learning in 2020.
Many of the institutions I get to speak to are looking for ways to augment or replace purpose-built hardware with solutions that add flexibility and future growth in their designs. The best approach to prepare for the future is to adopt a solution that meets current needs and is adaptable to upcoming requirements. This often necessitates a shift in mindset towards design and embarks them on a quest for new technologies.
A hybrid approach that combines hardware and software can provide the best of both worlds. The hardware can provide the necessary connectivity, while the software can add advanced capabilities such as video conferencing, wireless collaboration, and even AV over IP routing. This approach also offers the option to upgrade the hardware or software independently, allowing for more granular control over the system’s growth and future evolution.
Stepping outside traditional AV solutions can offer greater flexibility and scalability to the changing demands of the educational environment. By staying open to new ideas and technologies, institutions can build AV systems that meet their current needs while also enabling future growth and innovation.
KENNETH MAU Product and Channel Marketing Director
ViewSonic
Today’s higher education organizations, like most businesses, are embracing a hybrid model where classes can be fully on campus, fully remote, or a combination of both. AV/ IT managers need technology that supports these new teaching scenarios. Campuses are large and require the correct infrastructure so teachers, students, and administrators can communicate, create, and collaborate cohesively no matter where they are.
It’s critical for colleges and universities to utilize modern AV equipment and support the shift from an on-campus education to remote and hybrid learning. By using equipment such as high-quality video cameras, interactive displays, and collaborative software, pro AV installers and IT teams can ensure that everyone has access to an inclusive learning environment.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s important to consider how technology will be used in different environments. The needs of an auditorium will be vastly different from a smaller classroom. For example, direct-view LED video walls will ensure that students learning remotely and sitting in the back of a large auditorium can view the content with complete clarity. Wayfinding kiosks can serve as a display solution that offers wayfinding, announcements, advertisements and even emergency alerts.
While managing digital displays can be time-consuming, the right digital management software can assist IT admins in managing devices, scheduling updates, or pushing out emergency alerts. Digital signage software such as ViewSonic Signage Manager Advanced can help institutions streamline their digital signage process and save on both time and money.
The future of education will likely include augmented reality and learning in an educational metaverse. Companies like ViewSonic offer support for these features and can help your organization find the best solutions for your school, classroom, and campus.
“Stepping outside traditional AV solutions can offer greater flexibility and scalability to the changing demands of the educational environment.”
—Joel Carroll, Executive Vice President, Global Sales Mersive
“The future of education will likely include augmented reality and learning in an educational metaverse.”
—Kenneth Mau, Product and Channel Marketing Director ViewSonicLISA KIRTLEY National Sales Manager
Screen Innovations Technology played an increasingly critical role in higher education campuses during the pandemic as administrators, professors, and students leaned heavily on collaboration tools for both in-person and remote learning. Hybrid teaching and learning models have since taken a foothold as a necessary teaching and learning method. The shift requires many campuses to redesign their classrooms by incorporating more dynamic and engaging presentation and collaboration solutions like large-format displays. This video category offers many options: flat-panel displays, multi-screen video walls, and projection screens. Although each imaging solution has merit, projection systems offer a few cost and performance advantages.
One of the most notable is the sheer size of a projection screen. It is able to span 120 inches diagonally or more as it delivers a clear, unobstructed view of course material in any size classroom and gives remote students and good view, as well. Priced about the same as a 98-inch LCD flat-panel display, a 120-inch screen and companion projector give campuses more bang for their classroom buck, while costing significantly less than a comparably sized video wall. A screen comprising ambient light rejecting (ALR) optics is a bonus. ALR prevents natural and artificial light from washing out the image; the classroom lights can stay on, and window shades open so students can comfortably take notes and see reference materials during bigscreen presentations.
Finally, there’s flexibility and versatility. The size, optical materials, and style of a projection screen can be customized to suit the specific classroom environment, be it a small room or a stadium-size lecture hall. Plus, the screen can be motorized to roll into a cassette so that the classroom can be used for other purposes. Given their cost effectiveness, customizable design, and ambient-light-rejecting qualities, projection screens offer higher education campuses an effective tool for hybrid education models.
The higher education classroom has never been more technologically sophisticated than it is today due to the remote learning trend. Audio, video, and lighting equipment is packed into these rooms, enabling an equitable and engaging learning experience. For AV/IT managers tasked with designing, specifying, and overseeing these rooms, one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is how all that equipment will be turned off and on. Standby mode can be the enemy, continuously consuming greater power and possibly shortening the component’s lifespan. However, it’s not feasible to manually turn off everything, especially if it’s a video display or ceilingmounted projector. Web-enabled power control and distribution panels, purpose built for AVL systems, offer immense value. With astronomical clock features or a web-based interface that allows for remote access, staff have a much more convenient and efficient workflow.
But there are additional benefits to adding power control to the AVL system design. First, it decreases human errors. Video walls and audio equipment are sensitive and must be turned on in the right order. For example, speakers and amplifiers are susceptible to damaging “pops.” With a power control solution that provides automated sequencing, tech staff can ensure that equipment is turned on properly, avoiding damaging end loads and adding a layer of protection. An astronomical clock can carry out the appropriate sequencing steps, ensuring sweep-offs and startup automatically. This can be especially beneficial for smaller tech teams, decreasing the workload and the time demands this step requires. Finally, these systems can lower the power consumption overhead for schools, especially in large lecture halls. The good news is that many of these solutions are compact and economical enough to fit into most design plans and budgets.
PETER VERWAYEN Vice President, Product Management BlueJeansThe future of education will emphasize flexibility and equity—flexibility in that it will require specialized audio and video solutions purposefully implemented for room acoustics. This can be achieved through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to manage things like speaker volume optimization and the ability to automatically remove disruptive background noises, as well as for the ability to natively zoom in or out on the room participants to ensure a more inclusive classroom experience for those joining remotely. The end result should be a design implementation that creates a more equitable experience, encouraging engagement from all participants by opening the doors of education in an immersive and inclusive way to those who may have been previously excluded (those who can’t make it physically to class).
You have to provide complementary synchronous (in-person) and asynchronous (virtual) experiences that will give students the opportunity to participate and engage with course material in a way that works best for them; this is what will create education equity.
Once the room system is optimized for a hybrid environment, specialized video platforms that allow for a real-time online (RTO) option to learning will enable students to make a personal choice based on their comfort level, financial situation, medical history, and family needs. This requires simplicity in design and management and interoperability features that will allow teachers to operationalize their learning environment so they can focus instead on educating students.
Integrating these systems with other workflow applications and augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) solutions will really transform the education experience into one that is immersive and engaging for all.
COVID-19 changed the way classes were experienced at all educational levels. Since then, hybrid and remote lectures have become part of the new normal. More often now, however, schools are welcoming students full time back into their classrooms, which means faculty now need to motivate participation from onsite students, while at the same time still providing a smooth experience to remote students and making them feel as if they are in the front of the room.
Different methodologies and technologies have been discussed and even applied in classrooms to keep the interest of on-site students. Classrooms need to be designed to allow collaborative work amongst students. Let students work in group projects with access to interactive and smart projectors, as well as virtual reality headsets that would help them step “outside of the room” to experience more real content. Immersive tools displaying 3D scenes for courses can provide an advantage when using such technology for history, biology, et cetera.
For remote students, joining lectures should be fast and easy. Wireless presentation video devices are the way to go, and should allow many students the ability to join classes in different ways, via an app or mobile streaming services like AirPlay or Chromecast. Better yet, if these wireless presentation switches include collaborative tools such as whiteboard, screen capture, multi-view, or moderator mode—that would help with the management and flow of content.
JOE DA SILVA Vice President of Marketing Extron
AV technology plays an increasingly significant role in helping educators reach students wherever they are—in person or remote. Each day, an AV/IT manager is faced with an older classroom they must rapidly transform into a more flexible space. Whether renovating or creating a new classroom, functionality such as autotracking cameras, speakers, microphones, audiovisual control systems, and recording and streaming must be considered. But before delving into your project, it’s best to create a roadmap of your room requirements based on an integrated AV platform that allows for future flexibility.
To navigate what’s needed, think beyond disparate pieces of technology such as a capture device or camera. Start by focusing on the AV framework of the space, and then compile a list of all supporting technologies to incorporate. A few items that modern hybrid, HyFlex, and active learning classrooms may require include ceiling speakers and wireless microphones, which enable instructors to move about the room to deliver consistent sound to in-person and remote students; AV control and automation to streamline lectures and presentations with control of video, audio, lighting, and shades; an interactive board or document camera to facilitate writing capture; a wireless collaboration system to share content or desktops to displays for active learning; recording and streaming so you can offer live or on-demand lesson content; integration to collaboration systems, enhancing room experiences when using Microsoft Teams or Zoom; and resource management tools in order to remotely manage and monitor networked AV devices and review analytics.
In summary, your successful project means focusing beyond the challenge of the moment. A well-designed AV framework can save resources and time, and give you the flexibility to leverage the same infrastructure tomorrow. Keep the room’s purpose and critical components in mind, including mobile devices, audiovisual, and connectivity. And don’t hesitate to seek design assistance from AV integrators and manufacturers who can offer valuable insights.
The education vertical mainly uses digital signage outside the classroom, at least in the classical sense. Traditional campus signage generally focuses on event-based and departmental communications within gathering and heavy foot traffic areas, with departments often contributing content that shares what is happening inside learning spaces.
BYOD and wireless presentation switchers, generally marketed for corporate and education verticals, now build in automated applications that switch inputs to digital signage upon the end of a lecture or presentation. This tends to be more popular inside meeting spaces than learning spaces, though it is a creative example of where digital signage and collaboration technologies intersect.
The BYOD concept itself has long been embraced by the digital signage and higher education communities. Interactive wayfinding applications on university campuses are now ubiquitous. Visitors and new students scan QR codes on their mobile devices and take the maps with them on their campus journeys.
We also now see creative use of similar BYOD concepts inside the classroom that leverage a growing sector of the digital signage community. QR codes are increasingly presented on interactive touch panels, rather than simply printing a QR code on paper and taping it to a wall. Students simply scan the code upon entering or leaving the classroom. Codes may cover today’s assignment, upcoming projects, or a complete or recently updated syllabus—all of which are helpful for the hybrid learner who spends time off campus.
IT managers with data-feed-friendly digital signage software can easily bring important content and information inside the classroom through connectivity to interactive signs, presentation switchers, and even traditional displays. This naturally also extends to outside the learning spaces, where exterior room signs, including more affordable electronic paper signs, automatically pull in event schedules, cancellations, and general class information for display.
The evolution of the modern higher education classroom has not been dissimilar to that of corporate meeting rooms, leading to a new shared experience expectation for both AV/IT managers and students. Unlike corporate environments, however, modernizing these classrooms and lecture halls with equipment such as cameras and interactive whiteboards presents its own challenges, including being of the retrofit variety—in older buildings designed long before remote learning was on anyone’s radar, and hallmarked by limited access to electrical outlets.
So how can these systems be updated or designed without sacrificing the personal connection between educators and their distance learners? How can they be made to satisfy today’s needs while leaving room for growth in the future? And, of course, how can all of this be done cost effectively, at scale, and managed more efficiently in a way that’s as simple as possible for users to operate? The answer is with a standards-based approach such as HDBaseT.
With HDBaseT’s vast existing install base, it’s likely that much of the equipment currently in classrooms already has HDBaseT technology incorporated, making it interoperable with countless other products in the HDBaseT ecosystem up to their highest shared feature set. This presents a huge win-win for AV/IT managers who can offset financial costs by supplementing their current equipment with devices from an ecosystem of thousands of interoperable products, including those supporting the latest “must-have” features such as professional-grade USB extension and Gigabit Ethernet. Not only does this interoperability make system maintenance plug-and-play convenient, but it also reduces the risks of replacement part delays due to global supply chain complications. On top of that, HDBaseT’s ability to power these devices over the same Category cable takes placement limitations off the table, along with the financial costs of bringing in certified high-voltage electricians.
JOE JACKSON Senior Manager EducationFuture proofing is an often-used term when it comes to architecting modern AV&C systems, but there’s rarely a consensus on how this should be achieved. Tactics aside, it comes down to one term: constant flexibility. While it might sound like an oxymoron, both elements are indispensable when building for long-lasting results.
This methodology can be implemented in many ways, for example the AV&C platform you select should have a software foundation, so features and patches can be easily updated. Depending on the size of your campus and staff, a remote monitoring and management system might be the means to provide the consistent performance and quick adjustments that are expected. Establishing a sandbox space to exhaustively test any new technology before wider deployment, while auditing your room types to potentially create a modular package that can be later customized, also both fall into the “constant flexibility” category.
When structuring a system that is planned on a six-to-eight-year cycle, the expectation for performance doesn’t stay static along that timeline. As equipment ages, users will continue to progress in their definition of what a great experience means. Having technology that continues to progress along with that expectation, and allows access to these improvements without having to rip and replace the system itself, is absolutely essential.
While deploying a truly future-proof system might still be an unattainable ideal, architecting a future-facing system based on a systematic approach to innovation will bring the closest result. Partnering with an AV&C platform that shares in this constant flexibility ethos is indispensable to achieving the lofty goal of building for tomorrow.
Living in the world of big data and IoT there is a universal demand for information anywhere, anytime, and on any device. This is especially true in higher education as we bring the concept of any location into the mix. If we look at the intended audience (the students), they may be in a classroom, working on the fly, or working at home. Hybrid environments are trending, and the necessities of a new AV system design approach ensures that each location is dealt with in an efficient and effective manner meeting the hybrid model requirements.
Content is key and must be tailored to the location. But it is the devices included in an AV design, and the quality of the video and audio that is sent and received, that are crucial. It begins with the facility and the ability to broadcast from a location (think one too many). The classroom must be equipped with displays and mounts (not to mention cameras and microphones) that can be adjusted and, in some cases, repurposed to the conditions dictated by the need. Added to this challenge is the situation where faculty cannot use their assigned classrooms and by necessity work remotely. This may be another facility inside the educational institution, or even at home. Again, the quality of the connection (hardware and software) with the students is critical. This all falls under the fail to plan and plan to fail scenario. We need to plan and future-proof for scenarios: What would we do if that big display in the lecture hall is no longer at our disposal? How does the educator do their job and how do students learn? Ultimately, it boils down to a new AV design approach beyond the historical paradigms that have gotten us to this point.
Higher education classroom technology must support an engaging and highquality remote educational experience. First, a 4K laser projector is essential. 4K has been the standard for displays for over a decade, but projectors still lag behind. Many are WUXGA lasers, which lack the resolution necessary for engagement and readability. 4K resolution delivers four times as many pixels at the same brightness level. The price difference is minimal, but the impact is irrefutable. Highbrightness projectors also should be held to the same Rec. 709 standard that every other display is for color accuracy. Details are vital to learning, which is only revealed through color accuracy. In addition, the projector must be truly maintenance free. Typically, projectors are mounted 15 to 25 feet high, making it almost impossible to clean filters at the requisite 1,000 hours or every year. IP5X-sealed laser projectors eliminate this burden.
Second, as more classrooms are outfitted with remote capabilities, a much simpler and more cost-effective AV infrastructure is imperative. Wireless HDMI presentation systems will eliminate long, expensive cable runs to centralized AV racks. What’s more, these user-friendly systems enable instructors and students to securely present quickly from anywhere.
Finally, it’s time to rethink the whiteboard. Often, instructors must physically connect to their room’s projector to share their screen while using a physical whiteboard or document camera to share notes. Cameras, recording software, and other components round out the system. This is an expensive, complicated, and limited design. A much more affordable and efficient alternative is a projector paired with a smart board featuring onboard microphones, screen recording, wireless presentation, and cloud-based annotation tools. This intelligent solution doesn’t have to be wired back to an AV rack and boasts management, monitoring, and security features to reduce time-consuming setup tasks that burden IT and AV tech staff.
Planning learning spaces for the future isn’t about packing every available technology into every classroom; it’s about balancing efficiency and flexibility. Space management software and infrastructure are central to that goal.
The campus of the future needs a variety of spaces to support differing teaching styles, and likewise, administrators and facility managers must have a simple way to match classes with the right spaces. Technology managers need analytics to assess usage and plan support. Space management software makes aligning pedagogy and physical environment much more feasible—but it’s even more important for handling the other collaboration requirements of higher education programs.
Supporting spontaneous gatherings is an important tech management priority; ad hoc collaboration, student-driven exploration, and extra-curricular events are the heart of campus life. Students and instructors should be able to easily find a space equipped with the resources they need, book it on demand, and navigate to their reserved location. Any reserved space that isn’t actually in use should be automatically released back into inventory. A digital signage display, kiosk, or web- or app-based room booking system—paired with wayfinding and room signage or sensors for check-in—allows you to automate space reservations across campus.
Automated space reservation systems help ensure existing spaces are used with maximum efficiency. They also help tech and facility managers plan. For example, they can use backend analytics to uncover preferences for room size, technology capabilities, and location. A comprehensive space management strategy lets you maximize the campus you have and plan for the campus you need next.
“It’s time to rethink the whiteboard.”
—Bob Wudeck, Senior Director of Business Development BenQ America
“Automated space reservation systems help ensure existing spaces are used with maximum efficiency.”
—Tomer Mann, Chief Revenue Officer 22MilesBILL HENSLEY Head of Global Marketing RTI
Post-pandemic, many universities are looking at how to solidify their remote learning programs or broaden their existing ones. With this shift, educational institutions may be looking at incorporating sophisticated classroom technology that will create a highquality remote experience that is reflective of their educational standards across more classrooms. These systems may include projectors, drop-down projector screens, cameras, microphone and speaker systems, HDMI or wireless presentation systems, lighting, shading, and more. For educators who need to use the room, dedicated single-room control will be vital to ensuring they can start classes with minimal steps or frustrations—on time and without relying on technology staff. Intelligent control solutions with one-button sequencing will drive an intuitive experience that prevents any delays. These systems will need to be deployed quickly and scale to the number of classrooms needed now and in the future. We designed our KX4 4-inch in-wall touchpanel for exactly this scenario. It features a built-in control processor, presenting an all-in-one scalable solution that can be configured and installed with minimal wiring. With our continuously growing library of drivers, almost any component that’s installed in the classroom now or later can be integrated seamlessly. One great example is the Blustream AMF41W wireless presentation switcher, enabling students in the classroom to easily share presentations with the class—even those learning remotely.
MEGAN ZELLER Senior Director, Business Development Peerless-AV
Designing for the future of higher education classrooms requires solutions that can uphold the richness of in-person communication with innovative technology to ensure lessons are interactive and engaging in any location.
Since the start of remote and hybrid learning environments, many universities have started designing classrooms specifically to support and enhance video conferencing. AV/IT managers should continue a focus on developing dvLED displays that are large in scale, and high resolution to create a more immersive experience for individuals in the classroom connecting with those who are remote. With the unpredictability of class locations, wireless tools and wireless casting also allow for more collaboration among students. An emerging technology to consider when designing for the future is AV-overInternet Protocol (AVoIP). AVoIP would allow professors to route audio and video from any source to display across networks, including desktop PC outputs, video cameras, dvLED walls, and more, which can also lighten the need for expensive equipment.
AV/IT managers should also continue to develop products that include tracking and detection features, ensuring microphones in the ceiling trigger a change in camera angle to display a student who is speaking, focus on a whiteboard a professor is writing on, or highlight a remote speaker on the classroom display. This can also take the weight of managing viewing angles off the professors so that they can focus on building connections with students.
Whether students are in the classroom or remote, the quality of education they receive should never waver. Designing for the future means keeping this in mind to make the best learning experience possible from anywhere.
NICOLE CORBIN
Utelogy Global
COVID-19 forced higher education institutions to adopt remote learning methods at a moment’s notice, making the AV/ IT manager’s role even more crucial than ever before. It is imperative for AV/IT managers to design classrooms that are flexible, adaptable, and future proof while delivering a great experience to both local and remote students.
To design an AV/IT classroom for the present and future, managers must focus on three key aspects: technology, collaboration, and accessibility.
Firstly, as technology continues to evolve, AV/ IT managers must ensure that their classrooms are equipped with the latest technology to facilitate remote learning. This includes video conferencing systems, digital whiteboards, and interactive displays that allow students to collaborate and interact with the instructor in real-time. AV/IT managers must also consider the compatibility of their technology with various software and hardware systems to ensure seamless operation and communication.
Secondly, as remote learning becomes more common, students need to work together, even when they are not physically present in the same classroom. AV/IT managers must design classrooms that accommodate virtual collaboration tools, such as shared workspaces, online discussion forums, and real-time messaging.
Finally, students with disabilities must be able to access the same technology and resources as their peers. AV/IT managers must ensure that their classrooms are equipped with assistive technology such as screen readers, captioning, and audio descriptions to facilitate learning for students with disabilities.
AV/IT managers must not only stay up-todate with the latest trends and technologies in the field, but they also need to implement a robust service management strategy to ensure that all equipment is operational and able to deliver a great teaching experience. This service management strategy is dependent on a robust and well-designed network architecture and a management platform that will significantly reduce operational costs and guarantee high levels of performance.
Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCC M) provides up to 40 square meters of coverage area, comes at an attractive price point, and is the perfect choice for mid-sized meeting or collaboration rooms and lecture spaces. With a different design profile than the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) microphone, TCC M gives integrators an additional option for various-sized meeting rooms. TCC M allows for cable-free tables and flexible furniture arrangements, while offering trusted Sennheiser audio quality, easy setup, brand-agnostic integration, simple management and control, and a sleek design. Like TCC 2, the new TCC M features the most flexible beamforming microphone technology and advanced zone control on the market.
sennheiser.com
With Shure’s Stem Ecosystem, devices can be mixed and-matched to create the perfect set-up for any learning environment no matter the shape, size, or configuration.
RoomDesign software allows users to determine the hardware needed to provide optimal audio coverage ahead of purchase. Once the products arrive, it’s time for an easy installation of the hardware devices, all of which are backed by a robust platform full of additional tools that can help optimize and manage the rooms and devices from anywhere.
The latest firmware updates provide an enhanced user experience that delivers seamless installation and improved customization. Firmware updates include API for third-party control, improved Mute Sync capabilities, and Link-Local functionality.
shure.com
Hall Technologies’ Apollo TRK1 (Technology Room Kit) is a turn-key solution for classroom and meeting space AV connectivity and control. It’s an ideal solution for education, training, and conference rooms with both in-room and distant audiences—without adding the complexities typically associated with technology. It’s designed to provide HDMI video switching, system control, video extension, and analog audio amplification in a convenient three-piece kit. Utilizing the Valens VS2010 processor—power, control, video up to 4K@60Hz, and audio are transported over a single Category 6a cable between the wall plate transmitter and the receiver with a minimum transport distance of 100 feet (30m).
halltechav.com
Yamaha’s ADECIA Ceiling Solution gives universities an audio advantage. The Danteenabled RM-CG Ceiling Microphone features four dynamic beams for full room coverage, with the option to create up to two focus areas or exclusion areas so the appropriate sounds are picked up or canceled out. The entire solution consists of four components: the RM-CG Ceiling Microphone, the RM-CR Signal Processor, Yamaha’s network switch, and line array speakers. Connect all ADECIA devices using the network cable, and start the simple five-step configuration process to configure and optimize your audio.
yamaha.com
Sony Electronics’ VPL-PHZ61 3LCD Laser Projectors (6,400 lumens; 7,000 lumen center) and VPL-PHZ51 (5,300 lumens; 5,800 lumen center) are the world’s smallest WUXGA 3LCD laser projectors. These impressive projectors combine advanced operational capabilities with the high brightness and flexible installation ideal for today’s integrated AV environments. They also boast outstanding picture performance—even in brightly lit rooms—as well as a discreet blend-in design; 4K 60p input support; and minimal maintenance, helping reduce running costs. The projectors are a reliable option for a wide range of corporate, education, museum, entertainment, and simulation use.
sony.com
Panasonic’s PT-CMZ50 Ultra-Short-Throw LCD Laser Projector provides exceptionally bright visuals without shadowing. The projector delivers an expansive 80-inch image from approximately one-third inch. WUXGA (1920 by 1200) resolution makes fine text easy to read across lecture halls, meeting spaces, and exhibits—perfect for education, corporate, and museum environments. Delivering 5,200lm, the PTCMZ50 supports 4K input signals, ideal for video conferencing and widescreen content (21:9). It’s flexible and easy to install with ceiling and wall mount options. The PTCMZ50’s new optical engine improves wattsper-lumen efficiency by 25 percent, while the light source and filter do not require maintenance for 20,000 hours, reducing cost, waste, and labor.
panasonic.com
7
Nureva’s Voice Amplification Mode adds audience mute with the new HDL410 audio conferencing system for extra-large classrooms. Voice Amplification Mode makes it easy to amplify a presenter’s voice in the room without compromising full-room microphone pickup in the rest of the space. When a wireless headset microphone system is connected to Nureva’s HDL410, the voice of the teacher or lecturer wearing the mic will broadcast through the system speakers for students in the room. Remote participants will not only hear the voice of the presenter clearly—they’ll also hear everyone else in the space, thanks to Microphone Mist technology.
nureva.com
8 C2G31011
C2G’s HDMI HDBaseT + USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen2 for video), 3.5mm, and USB-B to A (for data) over Cat Extender Dual Gang Wall Plate Transmitter to Box Receiver—4K 60Hz allows a 4K HDMI source to be extended up to 130 feet to a 4K display using a single Cat 6a Ethernet cable. This is an ideal solution where USB must be extended alongside HDMI video and audio to interactive whiteboards and displays in conference rooms, classrooms, lecture halls, and many other installation needs that go far beyond the length limitations of standard HDMI cabling.
legrandav.com
Nanolumens’ Engage NXT delivers an exceptional up-close-and-personal viewing experience for students and faculty. Engage NXT is a mid-level, market standard cabinetbased product in the standard 16:9 cabinet format. It is front serviceable with cableless interconnects, making replacement easy. Engage NXT displays are built for performance and quality, and are available in 1.2 to 2.5mm pixel pitches with horizontal/ vertical viewing angles up to 178 degrees. Another key benefit is that Engage NXT does not require a third-party mount, thus saving on installation costs. It’s also TAA compliant and comes standard with two-year Nixel to Pixel warranty coverage.
nanolumens.com
Atlona’s OmniStream 2.0 AV-over-IP firmware adds support for 4K/60 video with 4:4:4 color sampling alongside better bitrate efficiency and integrated multiview processing. OmniStream 2.0 features the new VCx codec that delivers less than one frame of latency from encode to decode, enabling 4K/60 4:4:4 streams with artifactfree presentation of computer-generated content and fast-motion video. Increases in coding efficiency enable additional HD streams over 1-Gigabit Ethernet networks, multiple 4K streams over 10-Gigabit switchto-switch uplinks, and simultaneous 4K and HD over Gigabit Ethernet. OmniStream 2.0 also enables simultaneous display of multiple sources from OmniStream Pro encoders onto one screen.
Epiphan Video’s Pearl Mini delivers the flexibility to support lecture capture, online learning programs, flipped and hybrid classrooms, and other AV applications. Pearl Mini can record, stream, and switch up to three full-HD video inputs from HDMI, SDI, and USB sources. The giant touch screen is great for confidence monitoring and ease of use, while direct integrations with Panopto and Kaltura streamline CMS workflows with automatic streaming and/or recording and file uploading.
Add Epiphan Cloud to simplify the management of multiple Pearl devices with a centralized dashboard, 24/7 monitoring and alerting, time-saving batch actions, and more. epiphan.com
9 Engage NXT
Samsung’s Interactive Pro, available in 75- and 85-inch models, is a transformative interactive display designed to enhance classroom engagement and learning outcomes. Educators use the Interactive Pro to bring vivid learning to life by displaying multimedia content and wireless screen mirroring from any device. The display comes with simultaneous connectivity for up to 50 devices with a multi-view of up to six screens. Seamless video conferencing and Samsung’s SmartView+ content sharing bridge remote and in-person students in blended classrooms. Its best-in-class multitouch display—with a latency of just 26ms— provides an intuitive real-world writing and drawing experience for users.
samsung.com
Bose Professional’s Panaray MSA12X is a self-powered, digital, beam-steering loudspeaker that enables improved room aesthetics, and provides outstanding vocal intelligibility and tonal consistency. The proprietary Articulated Array transducer configuration allows wide, 160-degree horizontal coverage throughout the room; and MSA12X’s modular design allows building of vertical arrays using one to three units. Dante’s digital audio network interface comes standard for connection with other Dante-enabled products over Ethernet-based networks.
pro.bose.com
Crestron’s AirMedia Wireless Presentation Systems bring simple wireless presentation into a single solution, enabling you to focus on collaborating. By removing the need for cables and adapters to be used when trying to connect to a system, an instructor can share materials from their personal or mobile device. Institutions can efficiently integrate AirMedia wireless presentation devices for effortless collaboration, presentations, and digital signage. The solution provides a secure way for guests to present content without being on the native network. AirMedia presentation is built for the future, and Crestron will continuously deliver the latest feature sets and new benefits in future firmware releases.
crestron.com
ATEN Technology’s PresentON VP2021 is a wireless BYOD solution that enables anyone, including visitors, to easily share content from a laptop or mobile device so that participants can actively collaborate for enhanced and efficient workflows. It is ideal for both huddle spaces and large meeting spaces, and is flexible enough for corporate or education use.
The VP2021 features multi-view and audio-out capabilities, designed to increase content-sharing flexibility. It is equipped with USB touch-back and moderation mode functions, allowing presenters to easily control meetings. This solution also features Remote View so participants can immerse themselves in the presentation. PoE connectivity makes installation easy.
aten.com
Digital Projection’s (DP) E-Vision Laser 9000 Projector outputs an impressive 9,000 lumens of light from a compact chassis. Ideally suited to medium-sized screens, this laser phosphor projector packs a punch while still offering unbeatable value with 20,000 hours of stable illumination. Powerful seven-point color correction allows for accurate color matching and an extensive range of connectivity options makes this a uniquely powerful addition to DP’s portfolio. All of Digital Projection’s lamp-free projectors have been developed with a “Fit and Forget” directive, delivering stunning visual entertainment with minimal maintenance throughout the lifetime of the display.
digitalprojection.com
Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS dvLED Mounting Systems are an ideal solution for even the most complex design and technology integration challenges. With Kitted and Bespoke options, SEAMLESS offers slim, space-saving mounts that are easily adaptable to support various dvLED display sizes and brands. The dedicated Kitted Series solutions are precisely engineered to fit major panel manufacturers’ specs and adapt to standard flat video walls. When a standard solution is unsuitable, Peerless-AV provides custom, Bespoke solutions, bringing unique flat, corner, or curved configurations to life.
peerless-av.com
EVSP8K22 Evolution 8K HDMI 2X2 Switching Splitter
Vanco International’s EVSP8K22 Evolution
8K HDMI 2X2 Switching Splitter has two HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. Users can split one source at a time to two displays and easily switch between sources. The EVSP8K22 supports video resolutions up to 8K@60Hz and 4K@120Hz over four channels of 10Gbps FRL for 40Gbps bandwidth. The EVSP8K22 was designed to allow signal switching and splitting while preserving advanced video functionality. It supports the optional HDMI features required to deliver high-performance graphics from real-time sources such as gaming consoles and computers. The EVSP8K22 is a flexible solution for a variety of projects, including gaming, video conferencing, education, and more.
vanco1.com
Mersive’s Solstice Active Learning Solution is designed to enhance collaboration in classrooms and provides easy Pod-to-Pod video routing over IP. The platform enables teachers and students to easily share content from multiple devices onto a shared display, making it easier for students to collaborate and participate. Solstice Active Learning also features a user-friendly interface that allows instructors to manage and control the content being shared, and is ideal for institutions that value collaboration, creativity, and innovation on campus. With broad device support including laptops, tablets, and smartphones, anyone can easily share content using AirPlay, Miracast, or even a web browser, in the way that best suits them.
mersive.com
Screen Innovations’ (SI) Black Diamond was conceived in 2008 from a desire to solve the problem of washed-out projection screens in rooms with abundant ambient light. Featuring ambient-light-rejecting (ALR) optics, the Black Diamond screen material is ideally suited for classroom instruction. The lights can stay on and the windows uncovered without compromising the clarity and brightness of the presentation on screen. Framed by the .5-inch bezel of SI’s Zero Edge Pro, the Black Diamond resembles a modern LCD flat panel, albeit much larger with Zero Edge Pro sizes ranging upwards of 120 inches diagonally.
screeninnovations.com
LynTec’s PDS-12 Relay Panel is low-cost and feature-rich, with four, eight, or 12, 30amp single-pole latching Panasonic relays installed in a compact, 1-square-foot NEMA 1R or 3R enclosure. The new panel features individual step delay between each relay, emergency off by circuit, emergency on for lighting by circuit, as well as under- and overvoltage sensing for brown out and voltage spike protection. It’s easy to set up via the LED display and rotary encoder. BACnet IP expandable, it can also be added to existing building automation systems—a feature also available with the company’s LCP and RPC Power Control solutions.
lyntec.com
Just Add Power’s MaxColor Series 2 4K60 transmitters and receivers natively support 4K60 in and out, allowing end users to play ultra-HD video from the growing number of 4K sources and devices now available. With MaxColor 4K60, video at 36-bit color and 4:4:4 chroma can be distributed over existing Cat 5/Cat 6 cables, eliminating the expense of upgrading to fiber and buying costly network switches. In addition, both the transmitter and receiver support MPEG downstreaming for connected devices, such as a laptop or tablet.
justaddpower.com
Logitech’s Scribe Whiteboard Camera, powered by AI, can display in real-time a perfect view of the board to remote learners. It’s leading the way in the classroom of the future by making lessons more accessible, and ensuring all students have an equal, enhanced learning experience no matter where they are.
Broadcasting whiteboard content with exceptional clarity, Scribe encourages student engagement regardless of location. Through built-in artificial intelligence, it “ghosts” the presenter, allowing students to have an uninterrupted view at all times. It’s further able to detect non-digital content, such as Post-It notes, facilitating more conventional, analog styles of collaboration.
logitech.com
Listen Technologies’ Listen EVERYWHERE streams audio over a Wi-Fi network, allowing listeners to use their own smart devices to hear live or recorded venue audio clearly despite hearing loss, noise, or distance. Listen EVERYWHERE works on an existing or separate wireless network. Venue operators and educators can customize the Listen EVERYWHERE app with messages and information. To access Listen EVERYWHERE for assistive listening, users download the free Listen EVERYWHERE app on their smartphone, select their preferred venue audio channel, and hear audio in headphones or earbuds via their devices. They can also stream sound directly from their smart device to Bluetooth-enabled headphones or hearing aids.
listentech.com
Epson’s PowerLite EB-810E Ultra 3LCD Laser Projector sits a few inches from the wall, and is the first ultra-short-throw solution for classrooms and meeting rooms to leverage Epson’s 4K Enhancement technology. Capable of creating massive, 4K-enhanced images at a minimum 80 inches from just 1 inch away, and up to 160 inches from as close as 14 inches from a wall or screen, the new PowerLite EB-810E Ultra brings stunning clarity to presentations. Delivering easy-to-read, crystal-clear content, the new PowerLite EB-810E Ultra fuses Epson’s impressive extreme-short-throw laser capabilities with high resolution to deliver better detail for a range of viewing scenarios.
epson.com
Visix’s E-Paper Room Signs are the most cost-effective option for showing room schedules inside or outside classrooms. The signs come in three sizes, and mount either portrait or landscape. Schedules and details can be published via RF from your own calendar app. Signs also include red and black ink for screen text, images, and QR tags for students to get more information. These paperwhite signs are lightweight, wireless, and battery powered for low installation and maintenance costs. Order custom faceplates to match your school brand or décor, and replace paper agendas for a more convenient, economical, and sustainable solution.
visix.com
CrimsonAV’s M90EDU Mobile Cart is an education-sector-specific, heavy-duty cart for displays ranging from 50 to 90 inches. Specifically configured with the classroom in mind, this model includes the MS9S back panel and cover for neatly housing components and preventing unwanted tampering in the field. The cart includes two side shelves for placing a laptop or other components, or for use as a general work surface. The adjustable top shelf is ideal for a speaker or video camera. It also features through-column cord management, cord wrap brackets capable of holding 50 feet of heavy-gauge extension cable, and removable handles for safely transporting the cart.
crimsonav.com
ViewSonic’s myViewBoard Manager Advanced is a centralized hub that allows IT administrators to have full control over the management and operation of the connected displays, from a single dashboard, from any device, anywhere. Manager Advanced is an easy-to-install web-based interface that also allows IT to broadcast multimedia messages to their display panels from anywhere, and to communicate alerts, news updates, videos, et cetera from a centralized location. Designed with built-in enterprisegrade security and AES encryption, this cloud-based hub provides a secure device management platform to IT administrators, no matter where they are.
viewsonic.com
UNITE 160
4K PTZ Camera
ClearOne’s UNITE 160 4K PTZ Camera exceeds expectations as an efficient and flexible virtual communications solution for higher education. Educators and students have access to cutting-edge 4K UHD performance with 12x optical zoom capabilities, remote-controlled mechanical pan and tilt, as well as AI-powered smart face tracking and auto framing. This camera is designed to capture all participants in large rooms while enabling automated focus on a moving presenter, making it ideal for larger spaces including lecture halls, conference rooms, and classrooms. The camera supports all leading virtual meeting platforms for ultimate flexibility.
clearone.com
LiveU’s LU300S Professional Live Streaming Solution for broadcast journalism programs, student events, fundraising, and entertainment activities—home or away—allows universities and colleges to share information, events, and resources in real time. Live streaming allows schools to connect with audiences, providing an elevated way to engage with students, families, faculty, and alumni. The LU300S unit for live streaming on the go is the most powerful portable 5G video transmission solution for live coverage. The unit provides reliable 4K, 10-bit HDR, broadcast-grade video over 5G and other cellular/IP networks at a fraction of the cost.
liveu.tv
Sonnet Technologies’ MacCuff mini 2 and MacCuff Studio Mounting Brackets for Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio computers, respectively, are made from rugged steel and enable the securing of computers under a desk, shelf, or table—or to a wall—while allowing easy access to their ports and power switch. The Sonnet brackets’ support for padlocks and Kensington security locks (sold separately) enables schools to choose the locking solution best suited to their needs.
sonnettech.com
22Miles’ 3D Wayfinding helps visitors orient and navigate campus with ease. Using your institution’s building CAD files, the 22Miles team creates interactive 3D maps that can be pushed to touchscreens, kiosks, and native or web-based apps, which visitors can access on their personal devices. Users can generate turn-by-turn directions to any location; find accessible routes; get “blue dot” routing for a Google Maps-like experience, even indoors; and explore the campus using AR navigation with integrated point-of-interest highlights. On the backend, facility managers can access analytics and set custom routes to understand and influence how foot traffic flows.
22miles.com
Blustream’s AMF41W 4K Advanced Wireless Presentation Switch is packed with options to intuitively support meeting participants to connect with a room’s presentation gear from their favorite device. The ultimate BYOD solution, it features four HDMI, AirPlay, and Miracast inputs to a single HDMI output; an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot; a multi-viewing capability with configurable screen layouts; and support for seven concurrent video signals from seven users who can share the screen during a single session. The result is meetings that can get started quickly and feature a dynamic view of content shared from multiple collaborators.
blustream-us.com
BenQ’s LK936ST 4K Short-Throw Laser Projector delivers high brightness and groundbreaking performance to classrooms, lecture halls, and auditoriums for under $6,000. It offers 4K UHD resolution, 5,100 ANSI lumens, a phenomenal 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio, high dynamic range (HDR), and laser-generated RGBY hues covering an unparalleled 92 percent of the Rec.709 color gamut. Setup is easy with its short-throw zoom lens and large H/V lens shift. It’s even maintenance free with DLP’s durable onechip design, a laser light source guaranteed for 20,000 hours, and a dust-proof sealed optical engine that eliminates filters and lamp replacements for lower total cost of ownership.
benq.com
BlueJeans’ Virtual Learning provides an immersive and engaging video conferencing experience, coupled with a dynamic set of tools to manage and customize teaching sessions. BlueJeans Virtual Learning feature pack allows instructors to build a custom teaching experience without the overhead associated with hosting traditional online classes.
By turning on the Teacher Dashboard, BlueJeans provides instructors with all the necessary classroom management tools they need in one place, making it easier to navigate the complexities of virtual teaching environments. These tools provide easy access to arrange students in gallery view or spotlight a presenter, share content, chat, and more.
Studio Technologies’ Model 5401A Dante Leader Clock provides a precise timing reference signal for applications that utilize the Dante audio-over-IP media networking technology. Deploying a leader clock unit will help ensure that all Dante devices in an installation, whether in a single building or an entire campus, follow the same timing source. The Model 5401A implements a highperformance IEEE 1588 version 1 precision time protocol (PTP v1) server, compatible with the requirements of Dante. The unit is capable of simultaneously supporting the timing needs of up to hundreds of Dantecompatible devices. The Model 5401A also provides eight channels of sine-wave audio signals—useful during deploying and testing.
studio-tech.com
Extron’s TLP Pro 1230WTG is the brand’s latest ultra-wide touchpanel that puts everything within reach. Featuring a vibrant 12-inch, 1920-by-720-resolution touchscreen, the ultra-wide format enhances user experiences since it allows multiple tasks to be seen and managed at the same time. The TLP Pro 1230WTG provides ample screen space to simultaneously display full AV system controls and video preview. It features HDMI video preview input that supports high-resolution, HDCP-compliant video from an HDMI source. The sleek, lowprofile design minimizes visual obstructions and improves collaboration engagement in a wide variety of applications.
extron.com
RTI’s KX4 Touchpanel is ideal for singleroom commercial applications such as meeting rooms, classrooms, and lecture halls, combining a 4-inch in-wall touchpanel and hard-buttons with a built-in control processor. The result is an enhanced automation solution that combines RTI’s control power with installation simplicity in a single cost-effective unit. For users, it dispels any anxiety caused by operating technology. The integrator can program the unit’s five hard buttons for the most-used functions, such as volume or lighting control, while the touchscreen interface provides even more customized options, such as a “start class” button programmed for more efficient lectures, presentations, and remote classes.
rticontrol.com
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