Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


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

  • digital data protection and cyber security

    White House Launches New AI Security Framework

    President Donald Trump has issued a new executive order aimed at maintaining United States AI leadership while addressing the security risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems.

  • person typing on a touch screen schedule plan calendar

    DOJ Extends Deadline for ADA Title II Compliance

    Institutions working to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II regulations for digital accessibility have received a temporary reprieve: The United States Department of Justice has published an interim final rule to push back the compliance deadline by one year.

  • abstract representation of artificial intelligence with data streams and circuits

    New Anthropic Institute to Study Risks and Economic Effects of Advanced AI

    Anthropic has announced the Anthropic Institute, a new research effort focused on the biggest societal challenges posed by more powerful AI systems.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    AI Shifts Cybersecurity Focus from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's most difficult challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.