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IT management solutions can help overcome five significant barriers to leveraging audio in today’s higher education learning environments. Whether students are learning in person or in a hybrid setting, the right sound systems can help bring everything to life, from literature to science. In large auditoriums and intimate lectures in conference rooms, the right AV tech tools allow professors to focus on teaching, enable students to get the most out of immersive technology, and make it easier for IT managers to implement and troubleshoot the technology.
Here’s what to consider and what challenges to avoid when it comes to sound systems for your learning community.
Solving technical challenges before they happen can highlight the value that IT departments bring to the classroom. Professors often move to different classrooms and offices throughout the day. In some situations, they may only be in a space for an hour or two each week. It’s not practical for them to learn how to operate unique AV tech tools in each room, especially if they’re highly differentiated.
As a result, higher education IT departments are increasingly focused on solutions such as videobar devices. Professors can receive generalized training on how to connect their machines to devices so they’re better prepared to self-service basic technology needs as their week finds them in different teaching locations. Whether they’re on a laptop or working from a connected Bluetooth-enabled tablet or smartphone, these IT management solutions offer rich features with simple operation. Choosing videobar devices can support professors with streamlined technology and alleviate the troubleshooting time needed.
Easy-to-operate tools are crucial, but today’s learning environments have other unique demands. With the increase in online learning, in-person sound solutions must flex for a variety of different student needs. Students may be fully on-campus, remote, or both throughout the semester. Professors need access to technology that will enable them to deliver quality experiences to students in each of these environments.
Videobar devices can be a strategic choice. By combining sound, microphone, and video capabilities — along with popular conferencing options, including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom — these devices bring many essential features together in one device. Videobar devices offer high-performance and reliable video to learners around the world and optimize the sound performance in the classroom itself.
Poor sound quality can quickly overwhelm professors and students, creating significant barriers to learning and collaborating. In selecting IT management solutions, it’s helpful to look at systems that offer three key features. The Bose Professional Videobar VB-S, for example, brings the following elements to smaller rooms, up to 10×10 feet, which can serve as a good planning model.
Microphone quality is one key element to consider. The VB-S has four beam-steering microphones that make conversation more natural by actively focusing on voices. The second is focusing on the right sounds and filtering out background noise. With VB-S, exclusion zones help to reject unwanted sound, with auto EQ delivering optimized audio to all participants. Lastly, a seamless sound experience that can work easily from any device is critical. The videobar device uses the Bose Professional transducer to project sharp, intelligible sound from any connected computer or mobile device. Planning for each of these elements can help to ensure professional sound quality in every learning environment.
With dozens or even hundreds of classes occurring throughout the day, and often simultaneously around campus, IT departments’ ability to provide real-time support to teachers and students experiencing challenges with technology is limited. Choosing AV tech tools that are all-in-one and optimized for the spaces in which they’re installed can help decrease demands for IT staff’s time. Operating videobar devices, for example, simply requires connecting to a computer. This vastly simplifies the operations and reduces the chances of issues occurring when you’re troubleshooting separate video, microphones, and speakers.
Colleges and universities often feature a wide range of spaces, from small conference spaces and offices to large learning environments that seat hundreds of students. Higher education IT leaders need access to solutions that perform seamlessly, no matter what space they’re in.
The VB-S is a USB device that’s quick and easy to install in a conference room or other space up to 10×10 feet, while solutions like Bose Professional VB1 are optimized for rooms twice that size. As IT leaders move into larger spaces, loudspeakers augmented by foreground and background support can deliver high-quality audio experiences. Videobar devices offer the ability to adapt tool selection to a variety of spaces. In addition, videobar devices an be used with Bluetooth connectivity as a standalone speakerphone or to stream music, offering greater flexibility.
With many students heading back to school, IT teams will be hard at work implementing and supporting the technology they need for the best learning experiences. From traditional sound solutions to innovative technology that brings students together from all over the world, the latest IT management solutions are helping to bring a new year of learning to life.
IT management solutions are helping universities and colleges manage balance the needs of in-person and remote learners.
