SEPTEMBER 2022 // EBOOK

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REMOTE AND HYBRID

LEARNING SYSTEMS
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

AV/IT

FLEX HYBRID

The RebelFlex classrooms at the University of Nevada,

Las Vegas, were part of a big, bold plan. Not only a
solution during a pandemic but a new standard has been
set in place for UNLV’s classrooms going forward.
By AV Technology

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
world-class research university that prides itself on its diver-
A sity and competitive academic programs in hospitality, law
and many other disciplines, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV) was faced with an unprecedented set of techni-
cal challenges amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. With a diverse
student population from around the world and a lingering uncertainty
of how the pandemic would impact in-person learning, the University
moved decisively to implement a hybrid, flexible classroom scenario
that could accommodate both in-person and remote learning.
University provost Dr. Chris Heavy requested a “big, bold plan” that
would help both faculty and students navigate a challenging learning
environment, while providing lasting value to the university at large.
Senior AV/IT Systems specialist Frank Alaimo and Classroom Control
Systems specialist Michael Theil worked with the University’s IT team
and came up with a plan. “The main goal was to provide a new solution
in our classrooms while keeping the existing standards in place,” Alaimo
said. “Essentially, we added another flavor of classrooms to our class-
room ecosystem.” The new hybrid classroom was named “RebelFlex”
after UNLV’s mascot.
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University of Nevada,
Las Vegas campus
REBELFLEX MISSION
To prepare for the roll-out, UNLV converted 73 classrooms into
RebelFlex equipped spaces. “It was what I like to call the Swiss Army
Knife of classrooms, because while it is a typical classroom, we added
lecture capture and web conferencing into the rooms. Now the room
has synchronous and asynchronous capabilities, recording capabilities,
and live, “in-the-room” capabilities,” Alaimo explained. “The room has
everything.” 
A specific requirement from the administration was that each room
had to be a technical ‘carbon copy’ of the other. “While the rooms might
be different sizes and contain different furniture, it was important for us
to deliver similar functionality in each room,” Alaimo said. “One thing
we wanted to guarantee for our instructors was that when they go from
one building to another, the touch panel would be exactly the same and
they will be able to record lectures while experiencing top-quality AV
conferencing.”
The RebelFlex rooms have the equipment needed for both synchronous
and asynchronous learning, allowing instructors to leverage enhanced
technology in the classroom to teach a face-to-face class, and to stu-
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

TeamConnect Ceiling
2’s Dante compatibility
makes it easy to control,
monitor, add or remove
devices on the network.

dents who are joining remotely simultaneously. Instructors can engage
both sets of students in real time using Webex, as well as capturing the
content for remote viewing. Instructors can engage both audiences in a
typical lecture scenario or by using active learning techniques, which
may include class discussions, live polling, or group work.
Students are enrolled into two groups for a RebelFlex class: one group
meets in the classroom for each scheduled session, while the other group
joins remotely at the same time. “Everyone interacts with the instructor
and their classmates in real time using Webex or similar technology,”
Alaimo said. The instructor can explore new teaching techniques while
teaching both sets of students simultaneously. The students can enroll
in the section that fits their learning style and engage in active learning
together, in person or remotely.
The first RebelFlex was deployed in UNLV’s faculty center, the IT
team then provided recommendations on how to migrate both new and
existing classrooms to state-of-the-art HyFlex environments. “The con-
cept was a little bit overwhelming for instructors at first, so as part of
the RebelFlex pilot program, we included a RebelFlex assistant in each
room to provide support, so instructors could remain focused on their
agenda during the roll-out,” Alaimo added.
The primary roll-out comprised 58 classrooms. “We took eight rooms
that we had on campus that already had a camera and a Panopto record-
ing device and converted those to RebelFlex rooms,” Alaimo said. “The
remaining 50 classrooms are completely brand new, with equipment
including Sennheiser TCC2 microphones.”
AUDIO IS A TOP PRIORITY
Part of the new solution featured several Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceil-
ing 2 (TCC2) microphones, which are being deployed across 58 multi-
purpose classrooms across the campus. “We already had Sennheiser’s
SpeechLine Digital Wireless and Sennheiser Control Cockpit in place,
and we added the TCC2 as part of our overall web conferencing solu-
tion,” Alaimo said. “Now, the instructor has a mic at the lectern, and the
TCC2 is able to capture both the students or the instructor, should he or
she choose to lecture while moving around the room.”
The patented beamforming microphone technology on the TCC2 is
particularly useful in a classroom with many student participants. “The
microphones pick up voices really fast and are able to move to wherever
a student is talking, and then is able to bounce back and forth as needed,”
Theil explained. “This also simplifies our lives in IT so we don’t have to
make microphone adjustments. That is a huge time saver.”

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

“Now the room has

UNLV’s RebelFlex
rooms have the
synchronous and
equipment needed for
both synchronous and
asynchronous learning. asynchronous, recording,
“The most important thing is that the content from the
and live, “in-the-room”
microphone and any slides are captured,” Alaimo added.
“The TCC2 not only helps capture the lecture but also
enables students to feel like they are part of the experi-
capabilities.”
ence.” Theil agreed, “We wanted to be able to offer a
— Frank Alaimo, senior AV/IT Systems specialist at UNLV
similar experience for the student, whether they were in-
person or remote. If you are at home and you’re getting a
sub-par lecture or feel that you can’t hear the other stu-
dents, you won’t get the same degree of value. Our sys-
tem was designed so that people at home have the same
TECH SNAPSHOT
opportunities that students have on campus.”
TCC2’s network compatibility made installation y Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones
seamless. “Using Dante with TCC2 makes it a lot easier, y Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless lapel microphones
because everything shows up as a network device,” Theil
y Sennheiser Control Cockpit
said. “Being able to route all the devices with a simple
click of a mouse simplifies everything, and it means that y Vaddio PTZ cameras
we can monitor the performance with Control Cockpit y Inogeni Share 2
right here in the office. Also, with the Dante connectiv-
y Crestron 8x8 AV switcher, processor, and 10-inch touch panel
ity, I am able to merge the conferencing capabilities of
two or more rooms quickly if needed.” Using Sennheiser y Panopto lecture capture
Control Cockpit, the IT team can also monitor things y Webex

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

UNLV’s senior AV/IT Systems

specialist Frank Alaimo

like battery levels, muting functionality, and

other features. “This kind of remote monitor-
ing through Control Cockpit gives us added
confidence that when someone walks into
the room there won’t be issues. We know
everything will just work as it should,” Theil
added.
Theil also appreciates TCC2’s exclusion
zone functionality, since each room comes
with its own set of noise challenges. “If we
are close to an HVAC register, we can bring
the pickup pattern so we are no longer pick-
ing up noise from it,” he said. “Or if there
is a door where the students are coming in
and out, I can slice out that one little section
of the room with an exclusion zone.” Once
the exclusion zones are defined, Theil simply
drops in a standard audio processor. “I don’t
have time to make a custom DSP program for
each room, and that’s what makes it really
nice, it works wonderfully out of the box.”

ON A ROLL
The RebelFlex classrooms vary in size, rang-
ing from 25 seats to 179 seats, with the larger
sized rooms being served by a pair of TCC2
units. In addition to several more RebelFlex
classrooms that are currently in the planning
stages, Alaimo and team are looking at con-
“We are seeing a push from our
verting a campus auditorium that is currently
undergoing renovation. “The auditorium has
administration to get more and
more rooms online.”
all the recording features already in place,
so if the administration decides to move for-
ward, we’ll be ready to roll and could easily
deploy the TCC2 in there,” Alaimo said.
— Michael Theil, Classroom Control Systems specialist at UNLV UNL-
RebelFlex has caught on among the admin-
istration and student population. “We are get-
Vasynchronous, recording, and live, “in-the-room” capabilities.”
ting positive feedback,” Theil said. “We have
teachers calling us and saying, ‘I need you to
turn my room into a RebelFlex room by tomor-
THE AV/IT TEAM
row.’ Additionally, we are seeing a push from
our administration to get more and more rooms The project was split into the “What” group, which was responsible for campus needs and ease the
online.” transition to a flexible model or provide options; and the “How” group, which was responsible for the
Alaimo added that the RebelFlex roll-out design, implementation, and support after install. 
has set a new standard for the University’s The Classroom Technology Services and E-Learning Technology departments collaborated on
classroom capabilities, and expects the tra-
the design, use, and support models of this project. Key players included: Frank Alaimo, senior AV
jectory to continue: “We have projects of all
types and sizes, but we feel like every class- systems specialist and acting manager of CTS; Michael Theil, senior AV/IT control systems special-
room will be RebelFlex by default going ist; Joseph Chrobak, AV/IT systems specialist; Matthew Broughton, IT technician 6; Rohan Palmer, IT
forward.” professional 2; Andy Borts, instructional technology support specialist, OIT e-learning technology

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR HYBRID EDUCATION
How to Enrich HyFlex Modalities for
Student Engagement and Success
By Margot Douaihy, Ph.D.
perform modestly better than those on site, students in hybrid learning
s colleges and universities modeled various scenarios programs actually outperform their peers. 

A in a quest to stay solvent during the pandemic, adapta-

tion became the guiding theme. Among the myriad of
approaches considered, the HyFlex (hybrid-flexible)
Career readiness is another benefit of the hybrid modality. The educa-
tional sector’s migration to HyFlex mirrors broader corporate trends, as
more companies embrace remote and hybrid workflows.
framework has proven to meet the demands of today while providing
the agility to stay relevant long after COVID-19 fades. 
A HyFlex strategy guarantees that every classroom exists in both ENGINEERING MEETS UX
the physical and digital realms, and students can inhabit both modal- According to EDUCAUSE, hybrid learning, also referred to as “blended
ities seamlessly, with no difference in the richness of their learning learning,” combines traditional face-to-face classroom instruction with
experience. Adherents of hybrid models point out their equalizing online learning. AV/IT integration leaders like CTSI know why hybrid
effects for students with disabilities, adult learners, and international learning is evolving.
students. Its incorporation of mobile collaborative tools is another
selling point.
But can our higher-educational institutions, which have been equated
with the brick-and-mortar physical campus for centuries, absorb these
changes? How are AV/IT teams and instructional designers adapting
to these shifting expectations? And what hardware, software, and net-
work infrastructure solutions will help keep students on track?

STUDENTS WANT FLEXIBILITY

A 2020 survey by Microsoft Education and the Economist Intelligence
Unit found that while digital learning was already the inevitable direc-
tion for higher ed, COVID-19 has been a change accelerant, speeding up
the process by 10 years or more. There has inevitably been some fallout
from the swiftness of this change. More than 70 percent of faculty were
“concerned” about their ability to deliver the same quality of instruction
through online methods, and students and faculty alike cited adaptation
to online learning as the most significant challenge during the pandemic.
However, research shows that these learning platforms are not going
anywhere, and students don’t really want them to. The most recent Digi-
tal Learning Pulse survey, published in April 2021, found that 73 per-
cent of students wanted the option to take some courses online, and 68
percent were interested in courses offered through a combination of in-
person and online instruction. 
Student interest in hybrid programs continues to grow, but what does
the data reveal about their efficacy? A 2010 survey from the U.S Depart-
ment of Education suggests that while students in online-only modalities

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

“There’s been a transition this past year from

‘hybrid’ learning to what is morphing into
HyFlex at Lord Fairfax Community College
‘HyFlex,’” observed Mike Wilson, director of engi- For Lord Fairfax Com-
neering for CTSI. “Before the pandemic, you had a munity College, CTSI
classic synchronous/real-time, in-person environ- designed and built
ment with the ability to bring in asynchronous or HyFlex systems that
hybrid elements into the program. Now, through enable instruction
the pandemic and with the move to hybrid and now and collaboration
HyFlex, we see a major shift in both workflow and for participants in
process, from the engineering perspective and the both synchronous
user perspective.”  and asynchronous
learning experiences
Hyflex provides the instructional foundation,
based on intended
educational content, and technical capabilities to
learning objectives.
empower full collaboration among participants, The systems lever-
regardless of whether they are—in person, syn- age sources such as
chronous, remote, or asynchronous. “HyFlex desktop computers,
offers the ultimate in learning space flexibility,” document cameras,
said Pjotr van Baarle, global education lead for and a mix of BYOD laptop, smartphone, and tablet devices featuring both wired and wireless
Kinly, an international provider of AV collabora- connectivity available through both instructor and student. With transparent and intuitive
tion services and support.  control technology, the HyFlex system enables all students to achieve the same learning objec-
To unlock the potential of synchronous shar- tives, no matter the path taken.
ing, the HyFlex shift requires more transparent, Nine classrooms were opened in 2021 on their Luray, VA, campus, with an additional 35
classrooms designed across the college’s three campuses in Virginia. The project will continue
intuitive control that is integrated directly into
to roll out in 2022, with more than 30 additional HyFlex classrooms. With an IP infrastructure
the workflow and architecture of the classroom
in place, CTSI can remotely access, diagnose, and manage each classroom’s AV/IT systems.  

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
system. “We’re leveraging transparent control with
Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and larger UC [unified col-
laboration] platforms to also control the room and
the whole academic environment,” Wilson said. “We
cannot deploy systems that require extra training on
the AV systems. We want people to just adopt it and
use it instantly—a totally frictionless experience in
their workflow or instruction.”
MULTIMODAL AND INCLUSIVE
HyFlex also requires a cultural change. While the
discussion tends to foreground technical require-
ments, attitude change is often the heavier lift.
Lecture capture is nothing new, with systems like
Mediasite in use for decades, but HyFlex is a dif-
Pjotr Van Baarle
ferent educational framework that gives students
more agentive control of their learning. It offers
various modal pathways from which students can
choose.
But all stakeholders must be aligned to make it work. The tradi-
tional academic experience is built around synchronous learning,
with students and the instructor in the room at the same time. The
pedagogy, workflow, and technology must be reassessed and, in
many cases, recalibrated to meet learning objectives. Within the
facility, the shift to HyFlex requires an infrastructure transition from
physical, point-to-point wired connections to a secure IP topology for
24/7 remote and cloud access.
Common problem: An instructor needs to connect a laptop or
desktop computer to a flat-panel display or projector while teaching
remote participants and on-site students using a mix of school-issued
tech and bring your own device (BYOD). The reverse is also true: A
professor needs to dial into a class via his laptop to lead a workshop
with on-site students. The ever-growing list of possibilities is why
the campus infrastructure must move to IP.
“AV-over-IP-based communication allows us to take the various
sources and encode them and put them on the network,” said Wilson.
“That allows us to share between classrooms and people, then use
software-based tools like wireless presentation with active learning
capabilities.”   work,” Wilson explained, “it makes it easier for us to transmit content
DOWNSTREAM CONSIDERATIONS
At the heart of the modern campus is a rock-solid IP infrastructure
with an ample bandwidth network for collaboration, streaming, and
high-resolution video sharing. 4K and 8K video, as well as VR/AR out-
put, necessitate strong Wi-Fi networks, with extenders where needed.
Students with unstable home Wi-Fi may need accommodations or addi-
tional tools; it is incumbent on the intuition to ensure equal access.
Plus, data security and PII (personal identification and information)
safety measures must be current to safeguard critical data.  which need to be revised to work with hybrid setups. Movable
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HyFlex’s downstream implications for campus
AV/IT teams are notable. Key video components
include interactive displays, interactive white-
boards, projectors, and auto-tracking and auto-
zooming cameras—all outfitted with AI and IP
capabilities. 1 Beyond’s Automate VX, Auto-
Tracker 3 Cameras, and PTZ Cameras, for exam-
ple, can track instructors as they walk around a
room and join with videoconferencing platforms to
connect remote students.
With its wireless screen sharing solutions
designed specifically for education, Vivi exempli-
fies how technology can help students personalize
their learning journeys. “We empower teachers
to help students get the most out of a lesson,”
explained Natalie Mactier, CEO of Vivi. “With
Vivi, a teacher can instantly share content to a
classroom display and then can encourage active
participation from every student. It’s all about
richer student engagement and collaboration, and much more person-
alized learning.”
These benefits extend directly to hybrid learning applications. Vivi
will soon debut its hybrid learning solution with its videoconferenc-
ing partners. With videoconferencing functionality embedded in the
Vivi app, users just initiate Vivi in the classroom and the videocon-
ference will automatically start. All students in the classroom have
the same screen experience as students at home. Any content that’s
shared on the classroom display is also seamlessly shared on remote
students’ devices.   
PPDS, the company behind Philips Professional Displays, has also
been a strong advocate in its support and development of HyFlex
learning technology and solutions. Running on Android, its Philips
T-Line interactive education display centers heavily on both physi-
cal and wireless collaboration, allowing students—whether inside
a classroom or learning remotely—to access the display using their
own personal connected device.
From an AV/IT perspective, IP-enabled video and cameras help
keep Help Desk tickets down, because they can be configured once,
then remotely managed thereafter. “When everything’s on the net-
around the room, campus, and push content to students on the go.”
Audio is also central to the HyFlex environment. Beamforming
microphone arrays are a “huge element of new system design,” said
van Baarle. “This kind of audio enables us to steer microphone pickups
to the appropriate locations within a room, pinpoint specific speakers,
and make sure all students have the best audio quality, whether they are
in the room or learning remotely. Every use case or classroom could
be different, but with beamforming microphones, we can provide the
speech intelligibility to the far side of a hybrid environment.”
Other considerations include the traditional learning space design,
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

desks, pods, and reconfigurable zones are supplant-

ing affixed desks. Zoom, Microsoft Teams , and other Collaboration at UT-Chattanooga
videoconferencing platforms are central to today’s
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wanted to guarantee the return on their
hybrid learning programs—and software-based learn-
investment of new collaboration technology. They chose Vivi to actualize their state-of-
ing management systems, such as Canvas and Black-
the-art learning environment, linking 20 screens and two projectors in a single classroom.
board, must be agile enough to tie in these platforms “Vivi is the one that really appeals to both IT and the end user,” said Wade Johnston, pre-
as well as eBooks, audio, and other UC solutions. sales AV engineer with Howard Technology Solutions. “It is a simple, reliable solution that
To assist educational clients with budget con- delivers what educators say they want—to connect easily and share their screens—some-
straints and keep technology current, CTSI offers thing Vivi allows them to do with ease.”
a subscription services model. The service model
offers flexibility with financing, moving the line item
from capital expense (CapEx) to operational expense
(OpEx). Instead of waiting for a large chunk of cap-
ital budget to be allocated, AV as a Service (AVaaS)
enables educators to accelerate HyFlex technology into
the learning environment, while ensuring the systems
operate at peak performance with managed service.
Also included is an ongoing technology refresh pro-
gram, ensuring the systems adapt as new technology
becomes available.
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL
he London Business School (LBS), considered one of the
T world’s leading business schools, is host to about 12,000 stu-
dents and executives each year. Up to 120 lectures a day take
place at the school, which is spread across 140 teaching and
meeting spaces in several buildings in the heart of London, including the
new Sammy Ofer Centre. The result is an AV estate--more than 2,500
devices are in regular use at the school and maintained by a crew of just
five AV support staff.
As a fee-paying school that has taught some of the brightest business
minds of recent decades, there is constant pressure to ensure that every-
thing is online and working all the time. “The first lectures start at 8:15
a.m.,” said Wayne Buttigieg, head of infrastructure, London Business
School. “And on busier days you may have five lectures starting on one
site, eight starting on another—and someone has to get around to all of
those lecture theatres just to make sure that everything is okay before
8:15 a.m.”
Two significant events during 2020 moved the goalposts at LBS. First,
the COVID-19 pandemic saw the school shift to a new methods of hybrid
learning. Second, LBS installed the Utelogy platform to gain dramati-
cally improved visibility into its AV estate, how it is being utilized, and
how it can evolve in the future. The flexible Utelogy platform can run
on any network and server, virtual or otherwise, and can integrate with
teaching spaces, smart classrooms, and hybrid learning environments.
“In May we decided, as a school, that teaching would be in a hybrid
format, but hadn’t decided in what form,” recalled Buttigieg. “In setting
up hybrid teaching we created several configurations—and because we
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were able to come up with user interfaces very quickly on our own, using
U-Console and U-Control, we were able to demonstrate the rooms to
the faculty. That was really useful; instead of waiting for a professional
programmer, an AMX or Crestron programmer and pay for that work to
be done, we could just rapidly prototype them ourselves with Utelogy.
As the process was interactive, the speed to concept was invaluable.”
This constant adaptability is one of the real benefits LBS takes from
its Utelogy installation. “We made quite a few tweaks from what we
were originally proposing with hybrid learning,” said Buttigieg. “Hav-
ing a tool that allows you to do that on the fly was also invaluable.”
Saving time for LBS engineers and reducing the time to lecture start
have also been key benefits of the Utelogy system, which unites a wide
range of equipment under a series of quick reference dashboards. “We
have something like 30 large teaching spaces, between lecture the-
atres and classrooms, as well as many student rooms, and they are all
equipped with AV hardware,” explained Mario Vergara, teaching spe-
cialist, IT, London Business School. “Using Utelogy software, we have
been able to setup automatic room checks that are scheduled to run at
6 a.m. daily, just before the morning shift begins for the IT Customer
Services team. They’re able to identify issues and go straight to the room
that has that issue instead of checking every room from scratch. In the
current COVID-19 environment, we have reduced coverage of engi-
neers, so this efficiency is all the more pertinent.”
The Utelogy system at LBS is still relatively new, so there are some
significant areas of its functionality that is yet to be explored. Part of
that involves data and seeing precisely what is being used when over the
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

school’s diverse estate.

“Utilization data will be very useful, especially for the group rooms,”
offered Buttigieg. “I often pass by a room which has some amazing
equipment in it to find someone just sitting in there tapping away at a
laptop that isn’t connected to anything. Digging into the data will help us
understand better what rooms need what equipment in them and enable
us to target our resources in a much more efficient manner.”
Utelogy’s integration with Zoom provides added functionality for
lecturers, but the platform is also changing the way the AV team can
personalize other AV equipment. For example, the IT team designed a
button for a lecturer using WolfVision Cynap to share content via Zoom
side-by-side in the school’s new virtual classroom.
“It’s just a macro that governs the functionality of the button and
ensures nothing unexpected happens, and she loves it,” said Buttigieg.
“That is exactly the sort of project we would not have been able to do
in the past, as we can’t justify paying a programmer to build something
that may only ever be used by one person. Utelogy effectively gives us
experimentation for free. We want to harness Utelogy further, with more
custom interfaces for experimentation, more automation for checks and
healing, and ultimately use the data to make real ROI decisions.”
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

UNC SCHOOL OF
JOURNALISM
By James Careless
ne lasting impact of COVID-19 has been

O the acceptance of hybrid learning in college

classrooms, with professors teaching a mix
of on-premises and web-connected remote
students at the same time. Ensuring an equal level of
participation for both groups is a challenge, particularly
when it comes to discussions in the physical classroom,
because poor microphone placement can make it difficult
for remote students to hear.
The University of North Carolina (UNC) Hussmann
School of Journalism and Media in Chapel Hill, NC, has
found a unique solution to audio pickup problems in its
building. Eighteen of its classrooms have been equipped
with Nureva HDL300 audioconferencing systems, with
one of the microphone-equipped soundbars placed at the
head of each classroom. Using a mix of 12 onboard physi-
cal omnidirectional microphones plus AI-driven level
adjustments and control, the HDL300’s “Microphone
Mist” technology can provide consistent audio pickup
through a 25-foot square room. (Two HDL300s can be combined to by a human operator. It’s all automatic and hidden within the soundbar,
cover larger spaces.) and the result is clear, intelligible audio from anywhere in the space that
“It’s like everybody in the room is wearing a microphone,” said Gary can be understood by remote students at all times.”
Kirk, broadcast engineer and classroom AV technician for the Hussman In creating the HDL300, Nureva decided to take a “clean sheet”
School of Journalism and Media. “I love that the AI that’s built into this approach to the problem of consistent audio pickup. “The definition of
soundbar is constantly adjusting the acoustics and echo cancellation to this problem had always been expressed in terms of people seated around
provide consistent whole room coverage, with no actions being required the table and how their audio could be best captured by physical micro-
phones,” expalined Nancy Knowlton, president and CEO of Nureva. “As
we started to think about how people would collaborate in a conference
room setting, we conceived of them being much more actively involved
physically within a space, with people standing at displays and moving
around, and audio coming from all corners of the room. This is what
inspired our Microphone Mist audio capture approach.”
Essentially, the Microphone Mist technology is built on the AI-driven
assessment and control of inputs from the soundbar’s 12 physical micro-
phones to create 8,192 virtual microphones. Each virtual microphone, or
“pickup point,” is created when two or more of the physical microphones
in the HDL300 work together to focus sound pickup on a distinct zone.
With Microphone Mist, each virtual mic is optimized for a natural lis-
tening experience.
“With Nureva’s type of AI-controlled virtual microphones, you can
direct a lobe to cover a particular area, typically defined in a classroom
as a place where someone is sitting,” Knowlton said. “This is a capabil-
ity not found in beamforming technology.”

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
The Hussman School is no newcomer to HDL300 sound bars. “We
had piloted one of these several years ago and then were happy with the
performance in one room,” said Kirk. “So, we built out a second class-
room that had also included one of the Nureva HDL300s. Then, when
the pandemic happened in 2020 and everybody went remote, we knew
that the return would include some form of hybrid classroom that had
to address the poor audio pickup problems being experienced by remote
students. That’s why we increased our number of HDL300-equipped
rooms to 18—and plan to add up to six more.”
Despite incorporating sophisticated audio pickup and processing tech-
nology, the HDL300 is simple to install. “Anyone can set this up: You
don’t have to be any kind of a tech genius,” Kirk said. “You don’t even
have to be very good mechanically: Put two screws into a wall at the
front of the room and you can hang the thing up. And then you’ve got one
cable that runs back to your hub/breakout box, which connects to your
network using a standard USB connection.”
All told, Nureva’s HDL300 soundbars are precisely what the Huss-
man School was looking for to resolve its audioconferencing consistency
issues. “Despite what people may think, it’s the audio that matters dur-
ing multi-site sessions, not the video,” said Kirk. “That’s why consis-
tent audioconferencing technology is so vital to what we’re doing in our
hybrid classroom, and why the Nureva HDL300 soundbar is so central
to our successful operation.”
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

USC: HYBRID LEARNING

PIONEERS
Streamlined Classroom AV Uses Minimal Hardware
by Carolyn Heinze solutions.
n the summer of 2019, Joe Way began his tenure as direc-

I tor of learning environments at the University of Southern

California (USC) in Los Angeles. His mission: to contribute
to the school’s digital transformation effort by upgrading the
AV systems in hundreds of spaces across campus. In other words, before
the pandemic—thus, before the term “hybrid learning” became ubiqui-
tous—his job was to ensure that instructors and students would have the
ability to teach and participate in classes either on site or remotely.
It was a big project, involving more than 300 general use classrooms,
100 dual-purpose conference/group study spaces, several lecture halls,
and a large auditorium. Going in, Way knew he would be incorporating
UC technologies into his design, as well as support for videoconferenc-
ing via Zoom and cloud-based monitoring and management. He began
designing a system, reaching out to manufacturers to research potential
ADVANTAGEOUS TIMING
Eventually, he partnered with Spinitar, an AV design and integration
firm headquartered in La Mirada, CA, which provided additional design
services, as well as programming and integration. By the beginning of
2020, all of the equipment was sitting in storage on campus—extremely
good timing, in light of the looming COVID-19 crisis.
“When COVID hit and everybody got kicked off campus, I remember
our provost coming to me and saying, ‘How are we going to solve this?’”
Way recalled. “I was like, ‘We already did. All the equipment is sitting
here [and] we have an empty campus––let’s get this stuff installed.’ I
consider myself the luckiest man on Earth because I actually designed
something that solved the pandemic problem.”

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

The final result incorporates a minimal amount of hard-

ware, with software-based systems doing a lot of the heavy
lifting. Each room is outfitted with a Crestron UC-Engine
and Crestron Flex videoconferencing hardware, with sig-
nal distribution handled via the Crestron Digital Media
NVX platform. Monitoring and management is provided by
Crestron XiO Cloud.
“Our entire classroom setup is two rack units and that’s
it––everything else is software-based,” Way explained.
“[The system] is very simple, yet very complicated at the
same time: All of our touch panels use HTML5, so they’re
not standard Crestron control. And all of our programming
is done in C Sharp [C#].”
USC also updated its audio systems, with the integration
of Shure’s Intellimix Room audio processing software, as
well as Shure ceiling array microphones. With a few excep-
tions, Way says there was no need to upgrade video display
and projection technology, loudspeakers, or amplifiers.
Rob Ogulnick, senior systems account manager at Spini-
tar, noted that USC’s hybrid learning technology model has
been adopted by a number of other higher education institu-
tions. “They know that there are going to be students that
will be working and calling in from home that want to be active par- With 15,000 faculty members on campus, Way and his team needed
ticipants,” he said. “They need to have the right tools at home—mean- to roll out a large-scale training effort. In the end, training was
ing computer, camera, and microphone—and the classrooms need to multi-faceted.
be equipped with good cameras, a good recording system, and good “You can’t just say, ‘We’re going to host three training classes,’ and
microphones and audio systems. We’ve vetted that out over the last three expect people to show up,” Way explained. “Some people won’t.” Instead,
years, and we have some really good solutions. And working with USC his team took a white-glove approach to getting faculty on board, with a
really helped us define what will work and what won’t.” combination of hands-on training, cheat sheets, webinars, and an online
portal where people can access resource materials.
The majority of faculty and students have returned to the USC cam-
TRAINING CHALLENGES pus, with the exception of international students who weren’t allowed
Way said that one significant challenge associated with this deployment into the country due to ongoing travel restrictions. As of this year, USC
was user training. At first, both instructors and students were confined mandated that all classes must be streamed and recorded, and Way pre-
to their homes and 100 percent remote; when people started returning to dicted this practice will continue even as the pandemic draws to an end.
campus, they needed to become familiar with the hybrid learning model. “It’s an expectation—things have changed because society has
“You had faculty come back who hadn’t taught on a campus for a changed,” Way said. “It’s now something that I have to be able to allow
year-and-a-half, and it was all brand-new technology and a new way of in every single space and every single instance, even if it becomes a
teaching,” he recalled. “They didn’t know what hybrid learning was.” smaller percentage of users.”

“Our entire classroom setup is two rack

units and that’s it–everything else is
software-based.”
Joe Way, USC

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SEPTEMBER 2022
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
HYBRID AT SCALE
pproached by McCann Systems for a world-renowned uni-
A versity, Peerless-AV got the call to install two custom
direct view LED (dvLED) videowall systems for Unilumin
displays. Before COVID, the university wanted to create
dynamic remote learning classroom environments, which would allow
professors and faculty to move around while speaking and delivering
presentations. For the students, the benefit was to be able to invite them
into a conversation and present materials to classmates, as if they were
attending in-person.
The main challenge that the university faced was building a com-
pletely custom solution that would fit within the existing architecture
of the two studios, both square in size and with low ceilings. In addi-
tion, all teams invested a lot of special design and engineering resources,
all while navigating through scheduling issues due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
The university chose McCann Systems, an audiovisual design build
integrator, to design and manage the project. Specifically, two identical,
57-foot, 96-person concave videowalls, based on a similar type of vid-
eowall McCann’s team had conceptualized, designed, and installed in
another venue. Unilumin was chosen to provide the dvLED displays and
the Peerless-AV team was chosen to design, engineer, and deliver a cus-
tom SEAMLESS Bespoke Mounting System that would bring together
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all of the design objectives.
The university selected Proscenium, the connected studio environ-
ment from McCann Systems, as its solution. McCann Systems and Uni-
lumin recognized that Peerless-AV was the only manufacturer whose
mounts would work successfully for this custom installation.
For the project, Peerless-AV custom-designed two 180-degree, 33-feet
wide by 10-feet high (10 by 3 meters) pedestal mounting structures that
are freestanding and bolted to the floor. The mounting systems needed to
accommodate 168 Unilumin UpanelS 1.5 displays (610 x 343mm). The
final configuration of both walls would incorporate 12 bottom row half
height displays (36 modules) and two custom displays (eight modules)
with a total pixel count of 14,839,799.
Peerless-AV was on site for the installation of the videowalls; from
the moment the teams arrived on site, they required extreme attention
to detail for such a precision engineered installation. Since there was
no way to attach to the walls, a pedestal mounting structure would be
designed to provide a stable floor standing solution.
Each of the rooms presented additional unique challenges due to room
limitations. The first studio room included stairs, an ADA ramp, and a
raised walkway to allow for maintenance access. Additionally, the class-
room entry opens to the rear of the videowall, so Peerless-AV added
aluminum cladding on the rear of the mounting structure to conceal the
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

electrical components and create a sleek,

finished appearance. The second studio
room was not the same size as the first, so
Peerless-AV had to design this videowall
structure differently from the videowall in
Studio 1 to fit the space accordingly and
create access for maintenance behind the
videowall.
In addition to the custom dvLED vide-
owall mounting systems, Peerless-AV also
designed and manufactured hardware for
the integrated technology solutions needed
for the videowalls. This included custom
mounts for the four integrated web cam-
eras in each section, (providing 56 total
viewing angles), two speakers on each
camera, and seven subwoofers at the base
of every wall section. Six PTZ 4K web
cameras were also installed.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the
installation, and all parties were back on
site to complete in the summer of 2021. The
precision engineering and tight manufac-
turing tolerances along with x, y, z adjust-
ment on Peerless-AV’s mounting structure
was essential to ensure all the Unilumin
displays showed no visible lines between
the panels, and to achieve perfectly flat
planes at all angles of the curve on both
videowalls.
The result was an ideal environment for
virtual classes comprised of more than 90
students in a single session. The professors
can now conduct lectures as if they are
in a TV studio with a control room. Each
student’s image is separated on the curved
dvLED videowall in front of the professor,
allowing for a more personal connection
with students than traditional lectures con-
ducted in a typical conferencing service.
McCann Systems Proscenium interface
offers a browser-based user interface that
is controlled by operators in a studio con-
trol room. This connects callers/students
with a presenter and the presenter can con-
trol the videowall themselves to ask indi-
viduals questions or send a poll using the
polling tool. Callers can put their hands
up to speak or ask questions—the result
is greater engagement and a better experi-
ence for all. 

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SEPTEMBER 2022
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
BEST HYBRID PRACTICES
The Corporate Classroom
By Carolyn Heinze 
he hybrid workplace is here to stay—at least for the forsee-
T able future. At the height of the pandemic, organizations
focused on how to bring employee training to a fully remote
workforce; now, they face the challenge of providing ade-
quate instruction to team members that may be in the office or work-
ing from home. The task of deploying the technology to support hybrid
employee training falls to AV designers and integrators, as they work
with their clients to re-envision what today’s corporate classroom should
look like.
The good news is this exercise isn’t entirely new. Since March 2020,
higher education institutions have been forced into the hybrid learning
model and are, therefore, a good source for guidance on how to deploy
these spaces in the corporate environment. “The enterprise world should
borrow lessons learned from the educational space for sure,” said Chris-
topher Jaynes, founder and CTO at Mersive Technologies, Denver.
“There’s a rich community of users, there’s a rich community of people
that are in IT and technology that are thinking very specifically about
how students learn.”
One issue organization across the globe are grappling with is how
to maintain equity in hybrid meetings. This same concern applies to
the corporate classroom. This is concerning to Jaynes because “equity”
often means a compromised in-person experience or a sub-par remote
experience (or both). He cited examples of on-site employees attending
hybrid meetings in the corporate conference room, only to be instructed
to participate via their laptops—while sitting next to each other––so
their remote colleagues have equal footing. He argued that this is not the
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way to provide the best experience possible to either group. This isn’t to
say that remote participants should be ignored, Jaynes said. They need
to be able to hear what’s going on in the classroom, and multi-camera
systems should afford them a clear view of the room and its occupants.
It should also be possible to get everyone’s attention when they have a
question.
At the same time, the physical learning space should allow for an
engaging in-person session. “People went there because they didn’t want
the remote experience, they wanted an in-person experience,” Jaynes
added. “You’ve got to design for that.”
EXPANDED AUDIO AND VIDEO NEEDS
Like Jaynes, Holger Stoltze, director of product management at Yamaha
Unified Communications, encourages AV designers and integrators
working on corporate classrooms to look to higher education for inspira-
tion. Specifically, he points to how universities have configured their
audio systems to accommodate hybrid learning.
Pre-COVID, the design goal behind most corporate classrooms was to
deliver a one-to-many experience. The trainer was miked and recorded,
and the audience was not. In a hybrid scenario, this is no longer adequate.
Remote participants must not only be able to hear the trainer; during
more interactive sessions, they must hear their colleagues as well. This
need for interactivity means miking the entire room with ceiling micro-
phones and/or tabletop mics (depending on the size of the venue). It also
requires some form of audio switching or DSP programming that will
prioritize the microphones according to who is speaking at any given
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
time, with the highest priority reserved for the trainer. “You need to be
able to capture everything that’s being said by anybody in the room,”
Stoltze explained.
Likewise, video in a hybrid corporate classroom must also be
expanded to include everyone in the room, not just the trainer. The larger
the space, the more cameras will be required. It is also necessary to
determine whether the cameras will be operated manually or if they need
to feature automated tracking functionality. Again, the size of the space
and the sophistication of the training session will determine this. Some
sessions may warrant dedicated camera operators, whereas others may
not merit this investment. Regardless, remote participants should have a
clear view of everyone, including facial expressions.
Stoltze also pointed out the need for additional video displays in the
corporate classroom. On-site participants should be able to see their
remote counterparts, which mandates one or more displays within their
line of sight. Plus, the trainer needs to see the remote participants in
order to address them or answer questions when they raise their hand or
signal, via the conferencing platform, that they’d like to speak. Often,
this requires at least a second display or more, depending on how many
people are attending virtually.
“You actually need a second set of displays at the far end so the trainer
can see the people who are in the room as well as the people who are
remote,” Stoltze said. “It’s actually an easy solution, or a comparatively
easy solution, but it costs money and doubles some of the investment.”
However, he added, to succeed at hybrid learning, the additional invest-
ment is necessary for both instructors and participants to be able to enjoy
as natural a training session as possible.
TRAINING FOR TRAINING
At  AVI-SPL, Sean Edwards thinks a lot about corporate training. As
manager of global training and adoption services at the firm, he works
with clients to teach them how to use the technology that they will apply
to their own collaboration and training sessions.
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SEPTEMBER 2022
With organizations in various stages of return-to-work—and, of
course, with many adopting a hybrid work strategy—he said much of the
training the firm is offering is in virtual format. Through 30 to 60-min-
ute training sessions, Edwards and his team offer refresher classes and
new training so that users are more comfortable with the tech once
they’re on site.
“It’s great to be proactive and set some remote or virtual sessions so
users can familiarize themselves with the technology before they even
come back to the office,” Edwards explained. “In a lot of cases, it’s been
18 months since folks have been in the office. Not only have they gotten
away from the technology that may have been there, but in many cases
the technology has actually changed.”
AVI-SPL also offers in-person training, and supplements what’s cov-
ered in class with flipbooks, quick-start guides, and on-demand videos,
so users have something to refer to as they use the technology. The same
material is also accessible via QR code for those who don’t wish to touch
a “communal” flipbook. (The firm has been providing resources via QR
code for a number of years, but the pandemic has rendered the solution
more popular.) Edwards encourages clients to distribute these digital
resources on their organizations’ intranet so employees can access them
at their own convenience.
While higher education offers insight into how to best approach hybrid
corporate learning environments, it remains a work in progress for both.
“There’s not going to be a moment in time where we [can say] ‘it’s done,
we’ve achieved some new model,’” Jaynes said. “That’s never been the
case anyway, to be honest, because everything is always evolving.”
What has changed is that the trends that existed prior to COVID-19
have been pushed to the forefront. “It really has been this acceler-
ated process,” he added. “I was hearing things like, ‘I don’t want a
control panel on my table anymore’ from customers, and before the
pandemic it had nothing to do with, ‘I don’t want people touching
things.’ People just wanted to use their own devices. Those trends
have just accelerated.”
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
he University of Arizona (UA) is a public land-grant a complete and customizable audio solution for remote conferencing

T research university in Tucson, Arizona, the first univer-

sity founded in the Arizona Territory. As of 2021, the uni-
versity enrolled 49,471 students in 19 separate colleges/
in any meeting or learning space. The easy-to-install solution is com-
prised of four Yamaha products: a choice of microphones (RM-CG ceiling
array, RM-TT tabletop, or RM-W wireless), the RM-CR processor, Yama-
schools. Its academic systems engineering department was the first ha’s long-trusted PoE switches, and VXL series line array speakers. The
of its kind in the country and it has one of the top-ranking mining complete solution immediately detects all components of the system and
engineering programs in the US. optimizes their configuration for the room environment, accounting for
Yamaha UC is amping up the classroom audio experience for in- the location of speakers and microphones, reverberation, and echo behav-
person and virtual students in those disciplines. The higher education ior. Setting up a room is done through the system’s configurator in four
institution’s Systems and Industrial Engineering and Mining and Geo- effortless steps. With USB, Bluetooth, Dante, and analog connections, this
logical Engineering departments selected and installed the award-win- flexible system can fit a variety of meeting spaces.
ning ADECIA ceiling microphone and line array speaker system for lecture The two classrooms at UA only required one RM-CG ceiling
recording and video conferencing. microphone each, demonstrating its
“With ADECIA, everyone on the powerful room coverage. The sys-
far end can easily hear the in-room tems engineering classroom seats
participants clearly, even if they walk 30-40 people, while the mining
around the room,” said Zachary Chap- department’s classroom seats up to 50
man, Senior Systems Administrator at people. The team installed the ceiling
UA. “The microphone picks them up microphone toward the front of each
clearly, without picking up background classroom, in the vicinity of where
noise from the room’s air-conditioning the professor normally stands and
unit. Plus, there are far fewer trouble- speaks. Thanks to ADECIA, despite
shooting calls to the IT department. the room’s large size, students asking
That’s a success, in my opinion.” questions from anywhere in the room
ADECIA is a\family of com- are now successfully picked up by the
munication products that provides ceiling microphone.

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 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS

PRODUCTS
RENKUS-HEINZ ICONYX COMPACT SERIES
Iconyx Compact Series was
designed to provide integration
options for mid-sized installa- ATLONA AT-WAVE 101
tions in house of worship, corpo- This standalone touch-free wireless presentation and collaboration
rate, transportation, education, platform is designed for easy content sharing from iOS, Android, Mac,
and government markets. The new Chromebook, and Windows devices; it supports four simultaneous pre-
line kicked off with the Iconyx senters. The WAVE-101 directly supports all popular, device-native,
Compact Series 12/3-RN single wireless casting protocols including AirPlay, Google Cast, and Miracast;
array module, aimed for use within content encryption and randomly-generated PIN codes are designed for
spaces where even traditional secure wireless sharing. The compact device can be installed discreetly
Iconyx arrays might be too large. near a display for easy, ad hoc content sharing or used in conjunction
The ICC12/3 provides digital beam with a switcher to enhance a new or existing AV system with wireless,
steering in a compact footprint, multi-participant BYOD connectivity. For educational environments,
housing a dozen 3-inch full-range, treated paper cone drivers, along with the browser-based Instructor Mode enables easy management and mod-
a 12-channel digital amplifier and DSP channel for each driver, result- eration of multiple active and queued student presenters and supports
ing in a package nearly 40 percent smaller than previous Iconyx offer- YouTube live streaming for remote learning, with integrated playback
ings. The module provides full RHAON II beam-steering with the latest of locally stored images, and media files to incorporate lesson materials.
U.R.G.O beam algorithms, a movable acoustic center, multiple beam
opening angles, and high-pass filtering of individual beams. Standard RN
units have analog and AES inputs and come with an included wall-mount YAMAHA ADECIA
bracket.; the series has Dante-enabled models. The range has expanded This integrated family of
since its 2020 debut to include the ICC 24/3, ICC 36/3, and ICC48/3. communication products
provides a complete and
customizable audio solu-
TD SYNNEX + LOGITECH RALLY BAR tion for learning spaces. It’s
TD SYNNEX partners with Logitech to comprised of four Yamaha
offer its customers Rally Bar, Log- products: the RM-CG ceil-
itech’s cutting-edge video ing array microphone and
bar for conference rooms RM-CR signal proces-
and classrooms. Meetings sor, as well as Yamaha’s
powered by Rally Bar are long-trusted PoE switches
collaborative and inclusive: and VXL Series line array
with an AI-powered lens speakers. The ADECIA
that pans and tilts to focus on ceiling microphone utilizes
speakers anywhere in the room, four beams to automati-
Rally’s A/V delivers an interactive expe- cally track voices within
rience for hybrid workers and learners, leaving the room simultaneously, ensuring lively conversations are picked up
nobody behind. Rally Bar can be bundled with large format displays and and delivered clearly to the far end while eliminating unwanted back-
works seamlessly with the industry’s most popular collaboration soft- ground noise. The complete solution immediately detects all compo-
ware. Solution bundles like these are available through TD SYNNEX, nents of the system and configures them to be optimized for the room
which offers a specialized services portfolio including presales design, environment, accounting for the location of speakers and microphones,
installation, integration, post-sale support, traditional and alternative reverberation, and echo behavior. Setting up a room is done through
financing, and more. Adding value every step of the way to deliver the system’s configurator in four effortless steps. With USB, Bluetooth,
custom solutions, TD SYNNEX is committed to helping its partners Dante, and analog connections, the system can fit a range of situations.
grow their business. For more information, the team can be reached at It is also available as part of a hybrid room-ready solution from Yamaha,
­v isualsolv@synnex.com. Lenovo, and AVer.

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SEPTEMBER 2022
 REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING SYSTEMS
WHO’S READY FOR HYBRID? 
Lessons from five years of hybrid higher ed
By Carolyn Heinze
ilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC, began experi-
W menting with hybrid learning back in 2017, well before the
pandemic. Jason Sitek, instructional technologies special-
ist, explained that this was to make attending class easier for
students with classes across several campus locations. Prior to 2017, the
college’s distance learning offerings required “remote” students to be in
a classroom; by integrating platforms such as Skype for Business (at the
time) and Microsoft Teams, they could sign in from anywhere.  presentation. “You really need more than one camera—even if you have
The initial deployment involved one general classroom as well as
another used by the nursing department. Since the pandemic, the synchro-
nous classroom count is up to 15. During this entire initiative, Wilkes has
worked with ClarkPowell, an AV design and integration firm based in
Winston-Salem, NC.
Michael Wingler, vice president of IT and operations/CIO at Wilkes,
said the school’s jumpstart on hybrid learning provided some perspective.
Instead of deploying as many rooms as possible with whatever equipment
was attainable, the focus was on quality. “We elected to focus on quality,”
he said. “That student deserves the same quality remotely as the quality
they get when they sit in the classroom.”
Consistency and simplicity were also paramount at Wilkes, so faculty
members could focus on delivering their lectures rather than operating
complex systems. While more sophisticated spaces feature touchscreens,
most classrooms are outfitted with a simple Extron MLC Plus 100 control-
ler. Each unit features six buttons: on, off, PC (for the station computer),
doc cam (for the document camera), laptop, and mute. 
“White buttons, black letters, high contrast—you know which one
you’re pressing,” Sitek noted. “And if you press the wrong one, all you have
to do is press the right one and it’ll switch over.” An added advantage of
this approach is that the college was able to benefit from some cost savings
where touchscreens weren’t really required.
LECTURE HALL LESSONS
Larger lecture halls that seat 200 to 300 people often accommodate more
sophisticated presentations that incorporate more production-related best
practices. For this reason, Lee White, CTS, account manager at ClarkPow-
ell, urges colleges and universities to provide onsite technicians to oper-
ate these systems while instructors are teaching. “When they’re streaming
it out, they want it to look as professional as possible, and [that involves]
multiple cameras, a production switcher that’s managing these cameras,
and someone that is controlling the cameras––which are usually pan/tilt/
zoom,” he said.  And, Wingler added, his team has performed some “awareness training”
White cited one 300-seat education venue that he is currently working
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with, which features four 4K-capable PTZ cameras, a switcher, and several
sources, such as the station PC, or instructors’ personal laptops: “Someone
is running the cameras for them, and then another person is switching from
his sources and bringing up content. If it’s lecture capture, then we’re feed-
ing the content directly into the lecture capture machine at the same time,
so it’s a picture-in-picture kind of scenario.” 
White’s argument for onsite technical support during these sessions is
based on how many different components are involved in a larger hybrid
auto-tracking—because there are so many other things that are going on,”
he said. “And, if there’s audience participation, someone needs to be there
to get that camera switched for them.”
While we’re gradually moving out of the pandemic, White believes
hybrid learning will continue to remain prominent. “The thing to fully
understand about virtual learning is that it’s here to stay,” he said. “It may
not be a Zoom class, but [colleges and universities] will be capturing all of
these classes with quality video and audio so that they can be repurposed,
or so that students that missed class that day can see it. So while it may not
be a live virtual class, day-in, day-out like it was, cameras and technology
are still very important.” 
The student deserves
the same quality
remotely as in person.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
One challenge that Wilkes Community College continues to face is provid-
ing adequate lighting in its hybrid classrooms, admitted Michael Wingler,
vice president of IT and operations/CIO. Faculty members, he said, are
accustomed to turning out the lights when displaying content—leaving
cameras in the dark and remote students with a subpar viewing experience. 
To resolve this, the college has invested in brighter projectors and dis-
plays, which has required some custom configuration, depending on the
space. “We either remove lights as needed to prevent glares, [or] we repo-
sition lights,” Wingler explained. “We also make sure that the tracking
cameras are working properly in that environment.” 
to gently coax faculty to break the habit of cutting the lights.