Innovative Audio Visual Solutions for a National University
DeVry University partnered with RoomReady to design an intuitive instructional platform that professors could operate without training, aiming to create a more engaging online learning experience for students.
RoomReady developed audio-visual solutions to:
- Create an intuitive, AV design and solution for students and professors.
- Develop a simple, iPad interface for easy control of the AV system.
- Implement a novel “virtual pressure pad” system for seamless camera tracking of professors.
- Rapidly deploy the new AV systems across 27 sites.
SERVICES PROVIDED
Hybrid Learning Solutions
AV Integration
Custom AV Design
The Goal
As DeVry University, serving over 20,000 students across 45 locations, searched for a new technology partner, they faced critical challenges:
- Need for Simplicity: The university wanted an “easy button-style approach” and not a complex system with lots of cables that would be difficult for professors to use.
- Creating an Engaging Experience: The solution needed to enable “bi-directional video engagement” so that no matter where a student was, they felt as if they were participating directly with the rest of the class.
- Unique Technology Requirements: DeVry needed an easy-to-use interface to limit IT support and a “pressure pad-less solution” for camera tracking to remove a potential tripping hazard for faculty.
The university’s goal was clear: create a simple, engaging, and innovative experience for both students and faculty.
The Solution
After a competitive pilot program, DeVry selected RoomReady for its innovative approach to solving the university’s unique challenges.
- Custom iPad Interface: RoomReady designed an intuitive, iPad-based five-button interface to make launching and controlling all in-room AV equipment simple and easy for professors.
- Virtual Pressure Pad: To solve the camera tracking challenge, RoomReady delpoyed a “virtual pressure pad”—technology that didn’t exist at the time—which allowed the camera to follow the instructor as they lectured without any physical hardware on the floor.
- Flexible Hardware Installation: The RoomReady team worked within DeVry’s existing building infrastructures, installing steel posts where needed for display mounting and using the patented RoomReady Set to neatly house all classroom AV equipment behind the display.
- Rapid, Large-Scale Deployment: Facing a tight deadline before the spring semester, the RoomReady team was able to deploy the new solution across all 27 sites in just a matter of weeks.
The Results
RoomReady’s innovative solutions produced exceptional outcomes for both faculty and students:
- Simplified Faculty Experience: The system is easy to use, allowing professors to simply walk into the room, start the system with the iPad, and begin class.
- Enhanced Student Engagement: Years after the installation, the university continually hears from students who appreciate a level of engagement that was once missing from the online learning experience.
- Rapid Deployment: The RoomReady team successfully deployed all 27 sites in a matter of weeks, ensuring the renovated classrooms were running prior to the spring semester.
The Video-Connected Classrooms from Cisco and RoomReady have delivered a unique and engaging experience for students and faculty alike.
Key Metrics
- 27 Sites Deployed: Solutions were rolled out across 27 sites in the DeVry University network.
- Weeks to Complete: The entire 27-site project was completed in a matter of weeks, from system design to installation.
- 4-Day Classroom Launch: The RoomReady team can now roll out a new DeVry Video-Connected Classroom in just four days.
What DeVry University Says
“RoomReady really thought out of the box and came up with an ingenious solution—a virtual pressure pad—which was a simple experience for faculty. All they needed to do was walk into the room when class was ready to start, fire up the iPad and begin class. It’s that easy.”
– Chris Campbell, CIO and VP of IT, DeVry University