AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for designing the higher ed classroom for today and the future.
Thought Leader: Joel Carroll, Executive Vice President, Global Sales at 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.
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 at Mersive
Many of the institutions I 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 launches them on a quest for new technologies.
A hybrid approach that combines hardware and software can provide the best of both worlds. The hardware delivers the necessary connectivity, while the software adds ease of use plus advanced capabilities, such as video conferencing, wireless collaboration, and even AV over IP routing. Only when hardware and software work in perfect unison does a solution become an experience. The hybrid solution needs to be fast and easy to deploy, replacing the need for custom programming of active learning spaces; it must be flexible to accommodate each classroom’s needs, promote student collaboration with easy sharing from any device; and designed for student-teacher engagement. A huge benefit that educational facilities find with the hardware/software approach is the option to upgrade the hardware or software independently, allowing for more granular control over the system’s 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.
