Living during this pandemic has required mandatory change & creative thinking for all types of verticals…from corporations, to restaurants, to the entertainment industry, to education – & countless others. As a result, institutions of higher education have had to step-up their Distance Learning Game because students & instructors are no longer tethered to their actual campuses. Speaking in broad strokes, “Covid-19 helped justify the (technology) upgrade,” says Joe Way, Director of Learning Environments at the University of Southern California. K-12 institutions have had to undergo modifications as well, but not to the same degree as colleges & universities as it is firmly believed that K-12 will indeed one day return to “normal” out of necessity.
Thankfully, we live in a technologically advanced age that makes this rapid transformation possible, & commercial AV integrators like Captus Systems are able to offer expertise in creating the systems that make this switch to hybrid learning, seamless. As technology evolves, the ways in which we can present Distance Learning increases. Not only does Captus Systems design, engineer, & build these types of infrastructures, but we also offer training & ongoing support as part of our Distance Learning Portfolio. According to Commercial Integrator, “The ability to control AV experiences remotely creates limitless reach for on-site experts to deliver consistency” – & we couldn’t agree more.
Designing the Distance-Learning Ecosystem:
In order to create the best functioning virtual classroom, specific elements are fundamental to its configuration: Web Cameras, PTZ Cameras, In-room Microphones, Digital Displays, Projectors, Projection Screens, Document Cameras, Wireless Headset Microphones, Videoconferencing Platforms, & eLearning Development Tools. Following are some good examples…
Web Cameras:
Logitech C920 Series or Brio WebCam, Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 or LifeCam Studio, & Huddly IQ & GO Cameras
PTZ Cameras:
Logitech Meetup (this has microphone and speaker in one unit), Rally System (again, Mic and speaker included) PTZ Pro2, Vaddio’s RoboFLIP 30 HDBT In-Ceiling HD PTZ Camera, AVer CAM340+, CAM520 Pro & CAM540, & AVer TR310 or TR510 Tracking Cameras* (*These are especially useful as they track the teacher moving around)
In-room Microphones:
Shure MXA-310 with the Intellimix P300, Logitech Rally Mic, Jabra Speak Series
Digital Displays:
These are all touch sensitive displays that can be used like a whiteboard: OneScreen Solutions, LG TA3E Series, Planar HB Series Huddle Board & UltraRes Touch, Infocus Mondopad, & AVer EP65
Projectors:
The Panasonic PT-RZ Series, & the NEC UM383WL Short-Throw Projector
Projection Screens:
Screen Innovations Solo2, Solo Pro 2, the Motorized Model 3, & the Da-Lite IDEA Panoramic Screen
Document Camera:
The Aver M11-8M
Wireless Headset Microphones:
Jabra Evolve 65, Sennheiser D 10 USB ML-US, & Plantronics Voyager series
VideoConferencing Platforms:
StarLeaf, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, & Cisco Webex
eLearning Development Tools:
Articulate 360 (Storyline & Rise), Captivate, Lectora, GoMo, Evolve, Elucidat, & DominKnow – among others
It is also necessary for everyone involved to have access to a Desktop PC, Laptop, Tablet, or SmartPhone in order to be able to interact with the Virtual Classroom Experience.
Bottom Line:
In today’s hybrid learning environments, flexibility is KEY. This fast-evolving model requires a technical framework that can support quality learning experiences that lend themselves to students being able to participate live over conferencing software – & as instructors become much more technologically knowledgeable than ever before. Captus Systems is here to help make these experiences easy to develop & manage, so that our young men & women can get the very best education possible during these extraordinary times.
Yeah. Together, We’ve Got This!