Walk into a newly upgraded classroom, and it becomes clear, almost immediately, whether the project simply modernized technology or if it truly modernized learning. The difference is not in the brand of the displays, the number of inputs at the lectern, or the smell of freshly painted walls. It’s whether the room was rebuilt around what actually happens in class and addresses the needs of its users, like ensuring clear speech intelligibility, reliable visual sightlines from every seat, energy-efficient lighting that supports both faces and content, furniture that enables different teaching formats, and a technology experience that doesn’t add friction or stress.
That theme runs through UCLA’s Classroom Modernization Pilot Project, which upgraded eight high-use classrooms over the summer of 2025. UCLA describes the work as a $4.3 million collaboration between Digital & Technology Services (DTS), the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), and Facilities Management (FM), with designs informed by instructor input and intended to support flexible modalities, including hybrid, lecture capture, and accessibility support. “What the team designed isn’t a technology or space upgrade, it’s a true reimagining of what is possible,” explained Joe Way, DTS executive director, digital spaces. “Through this collaboration, we created a first-of-a-kind smart campus management platform that aligns with our guiding principle of ‘everything, everywhere, for everyone.’ And, we did so in a way that is sustainable, scalable, and fiscally responsible.”
Instructors returned to rooms featuring new in-room microphones, speakers, displays, and projection, modular desks and tables to support customizable layouts, more writable and projectable surfaces, and improvements to environmental acoustics and lighting. Those choices reflect a practical prioritization of the fundamentals that drive student comprehension and instructor confidence: students need to hear clearly, see clearly, and participate without the room fighting back. “Creating more engaging, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for students requires modern teaching infrastructure,” said Erin Sanders O’Leary, UCLA Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning. “These upgraded spaces and additions of new technology are critical to support our instructors in implementing inclusive and innovative teaching approaches where all of our Bruins have the opportunity to thrive.”
The Classroom Modernization Pilot was spun up out of a two-part current state audit of the general assignment classrooms (GACs). Leveraging the EDUCAUSE Learning Space Rating System (LSRS), the seventy-two-point rubric was applied, with a pre-pilot score of eleven. Additionally, a subjective survey that went to over 2,000 faculty and TAs, with key aspects requesting the need for equitable learning environments, interactive tools, modern technologies that support BYOD and multi-modalities, flexible experiences, and better lighting, ergonomics, writing surfaces, and acoustics. The new post-pilot scoring increased the average space to sixty-seven out of seventy-two points, equating to a total increase of 607%. Initial feedback aligns with the score finding and noted the ease-of-use, adaptability, and intuitiveness, and others acknowledged the investment UCLA made in the space and technology.
While new audiovisual equipment is the obvious aspect of a classroom upgrade, it is not what makes this install special. Alongside the physical upgrades, UCLA Digital Spaces has described the pilot classrooms as being designed with a revolutionary cloud-first control and monitoring platform. This architectural shift matters because it reframes the classroom as a managed platform rather than a collection of room-by-room exceptions. A cloud-first control approach enables consistent user experiences, centralized configuration patterns, remote monitoring and troubleshooting, and faster iteration when teaching needs evolve, especially when paired with integrated scheduling and environmental sensors, all part of the pilot concept.
Nick Sieracki, DTS senior engineer, AV/IT Solutions, noted: “The platform acts as a micro-service focused orchestration layer that connects and aggregates facilities and AV systems, IoT endpoints, real-time data, and enterprise IT solutions, allowing once disparate technologies to work together, powering countless use-cases. The UCLA AV Platform leverages modern cloud architecture, AI, developer frameworks, and APIs, while still supporting all peripheral devices as required.”
From a user standpoint, audio, in particular, emerges as a foundational design element in modern learning environments. When classroom experience must translate reliably to recording and hybrid participation, speech intelligibility, and microphone strategy become primary requirements, not add-ons. The pilot’s emphasis on microphones, acoustics, and accessibility underscores the shift toward voice-first learning space design, as those are necessary requirements to provide real-time direct-to-cloud live-streaming, transcription, and multi-language translation.
Visual and physical design decisions carry similar implications. Improved sightlines and lighting elevate the effectiveness of the display layer, while modular furniture supports multiple teaching styles and group configurations, changes that also influence where attention naturally lands, how discussion forms, and how well technology can support different instructional needs. Aligning display and projection with the DISCAS standards and space design best practices ensures every student receives the best learning experience, regardless of the chosen modality.
UCLA’s BruinCloud Service
This groundbreaking AV Platform design is built upon UCLA’s BruinCloud service with features that include: UCC connectivity, web-based programming, cloud-first control, API-based coding, Zero-touch deployment, LMS integration, building management, AI integration and healing, multi-modal options, lecture capture, multi-camera auto-tracking with AI-enables live production switching, BruinCast integration, appropriate audio and video capture and presentation, access control, digital signage and comms, event and scheduling management, flexible furnishing, asset management, BYOD-first, environmental controls, emergency notifications, helpdesk integration, digital accessibility, ADA compliance, personalized experiences, and self-healing support. Way added, “It’s not what you see in the room that makes it special, it’s what you don’t see,” commenting on its zero rack-unit goal. “The platform has the ability to sync all essential services necessary in the day-in-the-life of the students and faculty, treating every item as a node on the AV network. It’s a true from anywhere to anywhere design.”
A Future-Ready Foundation
The UCLA Classroom Modernization Pilot presents a future-ready foundation driving smart building solutions and a modern workspace experience. The broader takeaway is straightforward: high-performing learning spaces are defined less by novelty and more by repeatability, supportability, and reduced friction. When modernization couples flexible layouts with a standardized cloud-first control strategy, UCLA gains more than refreshed classrooms; it gains a foundation that can scale across a campus portfolio while keeping the instructor and student experience consistent, reliable, and personal.
