AVT Question: Please share your insights into emerging trends and how AV/IT technologies are reshaping the higher education classroom and beyond.
Thought Leader: Levi Lavrinyuk, Director of Marketing at Lightware
Higher education is in the midst of a transformation. Students and instructors expect an intuitive environment where they can easily share content and control the classroom’s AV equipment without delay or hassle.
As AV/IT infrastructures scramble to keep pace, three key trends are emerging: hybrid and active learning models, BYOD, and remote systems management. Traditional lecture halls are giving way to flexible, collaborative spaces. Institutions are layered in collaborative zones, fixed pods, and breakout rooms equipped with displays, capture cameras, and interactive media. Instructors may move from lecturing to facilitating small-group work, while remote students engage via live streams. The AV backbone in these environments must handle multiple simultaneous signal paths reliably.
AV/IT designers must now account for USB-C laptops (both Mac and Windows) and mobile devices that all need to connect seamlessly without dongles or drivers." —Levi Lavrinyuk, Director of Marketing at Lightware
Gone are the days when cable clutter and overcomplicated AV systems got in the way of instructors and students. Today, they all demand simplicity: video, audio, USB, Ethernet, and power in a single interface. USB-C is rapidly emerging as the standard for future-proof deployment, enabling seamless host switching and universal interoperability across platforms. AV/IT designers must now account for USB-C laptops (both Mac and Windows) and mobile devices that all need to connect seamlessly without dongles or drivers.
As campuses scale, AV/IT teams can no longer keep a physical presence in every room. Monitoring, diagnostics, and remote control are fast becoming baseline requirements. By deploying technology that enables these features, institutions can not only future-proof their classrooms but also save significant amounts of time and money on their AV investments.
Lightware’s efforts focus on simplifying signal management in these evolving environments, remaining dedicated to delivering the technology that helps higher education institutions overcome integration roadblocks and build collaboration environments that perform every single day. Our versatile and scalable USB-C host and video switching solutions deliver seamless BYOD workflows and equip AV/IT professionals with the right tools to build learning environments that are resilient, future-ready, and aligned with institutional goals.
