Pepperdine Outfits Classrooms with Hybrid Learning Tech

PTZ camera in Pepperdine classroom

Panasonic PTZ camera in Pepperdine classroom

Southern California's Pepperdine University has upgraded 166 classrooms on campus with hybrid learning technology for the Fall 2020 semester. While fall instruction will remain fully online, the institution wanted to ensure its learning spaces could accommodate any combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning, according to a news announcement.

Across all the classrooms, the university opted for the EduFLEX solution from AV integrator ClearTech, a technology bundle that pairs Panasonic's AW-HE38H HD Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera with a microphone system, PoE switch, cables and more. In particular, the PTZ cameras provide HD video quality, 22X optical zoom, and a wide viewing angle and pan/tilt range. Faculty and students are using the Zoom videoconferencing platform to hold class virtually.

Standardization was key to ease of use for faculty, noted Jared Mukai, manager of AV technologies and special projects at Pepperdine, in a statement. "We didn't want our faculty to feel like they had to re-learn the technology, depending on where they taught. We needed a solution that would be turnkey and completely location agnostic, so no matter where you're teaching, you could walk into the room and it was going to feel the same as every other space."

He continued, "There were a lot of complexities we needed to work through on a very tight timeline to ensure we'd be ready to support our students and teachers with online class instruction by mid-August. We evaluated various scenarios but with the uncertainty of the new academic year, we knew we needed a solution that could support all types of learning environments. ClearTech's EduFLEX solution with Panasonic's PTZ cameras was the clear choice given its reliability, flexibility and versatility to transform distance learning environments into engaging teaching experiences."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Training the Next Generation of Space Cybersecurity Experts

    CT asked Scott Shackelford, Indiana University professor of law and director of the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, about the possible emergence of space cybersecurity as a separate field that would support changing practices and foster future space cybersecurity leaders.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Launches Claude for Education

    Anthropic has announced a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • AI microchip, a cybersecurity shield with a lock, a dollar coin, and a laptop with financial graphs connected by dotted lines

    Survey: Generative AI Surpasses Cybersecurity in 2025 Tech Budgets

    Global IT leaders are placing bigger bets on generative artificial intelligence than cybersecurity in 2025, according to new research by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

  • university building surrounded by icons for AI, checklists, and data governance

    Improving AI Governance for Stronger University Compliance and Innovation

    AI can generate valuable insights for higher education institutions and it can be used to enhance the teaching process itself. The caveat is that this can only be achieved when universities adopt a strategic and proactive set of data and process management policies for their use of AI.