AVT Question: Please share your insights into emerging trends and how AV/IT technologies are reshaping the higher education classroom and beyond.
Thought Leader: John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing, Education at Crestron
Simple connectivity, a repeatable user experience, and increasing engagement are among the most impactful developments in the higher education classroom.
One important trend in the higher ed classroom is the widespread adoption of wireless presentation solutions like Crestron’s AirMedia technology. These solutions have evolved to simplify connectivity for faculty and students compared to wired options requiring different cable adapters or dongles, which can be unreliable or easily lost. Wireless presentation solutions can facilitate engagement by allowing up to four participants to share content simultaneously.
One form of technology facilitating better engagement includes using multiple cameras to capture the classroom experience for hybrid learning or lecture capture." —John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing, Education at Crestron
Eliminating complex programming requirements for AV technology and moving towards configurable user interfaces is another evolving trend. With Crestron’s .AV Framework capabilities, systems can have a uniform look and feel across the entire campus by simply connecting a device and configuring what will be shown on a touch screen. Depending on the hardware used in the classroom, control processors might not be required.
One form of technology facilitating better engagement includes using multiple cameras to capture the classroom experience for hybrid learning or lecture capture. Microsoft Teams and Zoom conferencing programs allow for multiple camera streams. Cameras with presenter tracking can follow the professor as she walks back and forth at the front of the room, but a camera framing the in-person students, which can zoom in when a student asks a question, increases engagement for remote students.
Using Visual AI, Crestron’s Automate VX chooses between different cameras to reframe a speaker to accommodate the direction he is facing. With the Intelligent Video Room Designer software, visualizing how the room will operate puts the control in the hands of the system engineer or technical end users based on specific preferences. Group framing, conversation mode, presenter tracking, and other methods help increase participation, no matter where students are when joining the class.
