Creating Hybrid Learning and Work Environments
In only a few years’ time, hybrid learning and work environments have gone from being “nice-to-haves” to “must-haves” for schools and businesses. When students, teachers, workers, clients and contacts log in from just anywhere, having the right onsite environment helps them be as involved and immersed in the professional or classroom experience. Plus, the right onsite environment makes it easier for workers, students, teachers and staff to engage with people from the other side of the screen.
Setting up a hybrid learning environment on campus
We started one of our most recent build-outs when Portland Fashion Institute (PFI) approached us with an idea. They wanted to modernize their classroom to create greater accessibility and engagement with remote students.
The school had been attracting more students from outside the Greater Portland area. Even though they’d been utilizing web conferencing since the start of the Covid pandemic, they wanted their hybrid classroom to create a more seamless interactive experience for everyone involved, including teachers, on-campus students, and remote students.
The college needed a hybrid learning experience that would be flexible and easy to use, and would continue to provide high-quality video and sound to remote users.
One of their specific requests included finding a solution that could rapidly switch from the instructor to a demonstration in the classroom, or to a remote student via Zoom.
To get started, our technicians headed over to evaluate the school’s current learning environment. From there, our team began to design a hybrid learning solution that would align with PFI’s needs and goals.
Over the course of a few weeks, we leveraged equipment and resources from Logitech Education, one of our preferred vendors when it comes to hybrid learning solutions, to successfully set up and launch the following:
Installing a specialized camera with a Zoom-focused system control unit
Adding a high-performance microphone for groups
Adding a new computer for multifunction control
We also incorporated a number of new pieces of equipment to help PFI’s students and teachers maximize the enhanced hybrid learning environment
Every hybrid space build-out requires different tools and solutions, depending on how people will use the space, how often groups will use it, and how many people will engage with the space at the same time. From cameras, to microphones, to applications, we have a list of go-to tools and partners we like to use. Still, we remain agnostic when it comes to looking for actual final solutions, whether it’s a tool, platform, apps, service provider or something else.
When setting up a hybrid work or learning space, the key is to keep your focus on the need. from there, find the right path to solve it, within your tech budget, time constraints, and any user or functionality concerns you have.
Brightstone may not be in the business of fashion design, but we love helping Portland Fashion Institute create new ways to push the future of fashion forward. Their new hybrid learning environment is making it easier for them to reach students from all over the country and the world, while creating a synergistic learning experience for all students and teachers.