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Webinar: Workforce Readiness Through Technology

AV in Education

Over the next 10 years, millions of jobs will require skilled workers, but the number of skilled workers is dropping. To meet the challenge of matching jobs with qualified people, some communities are working to grow and retain their skilled workforce with workforce readiness programs.

Join us on October 29 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET to hear how educational institutions are outfitting their learning spaces with technology to help students — young people, career-changers and mid-career experts — prepare for or continue successful careers in high-growth areas like healthcare.

This interactive, 60-minute webcast will:

  • Explore how educational institutions are using technology to attract students and keep them employed in the community.
  • Examine how smaller communities are upgrading their workforce readiness programs to better compete with larger communities.
  • Investigate how strategic investment in simulation and other technologies can result in better communication, collaboration, and training outcomes.

Register for “Confronting the Growing Labor Shortage: New Approaches to Workforce Readiness” >

About the presenters

Dr. Kecia Ray, Principal, K20 Connect
Dr. Ray is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and is past president of the ISTE Board of Directors. In 2013, she was appointed by Tennessee Governor Haslam to the Advisory Council on Alternative Education and in 2014 was appointed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to a Personalized Learning Advisory Committee. In 2015, she was invited to serve on a U.S. Department of Education technical working group focused on evaluating education technology. Dr. Ray currently serves on the board of Learning Bird Inc. and holds advisory positions with Mackin, Inc. and H Institute Award for Excellence in Education.

She is a five-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award and has earned the ISTE ‘Making IT Happen’ Award. Dr. Ray was named ’20 to Watch’ by the National School Board Association, Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, one of the top 10 EdTech Leaders by Tech and Learning magazine, and most recently was named a Top 100 EdTech Influencer by EdTech Digest. She leads K20Connect and other passion projects supporting K20 education around the world!

Jordan Myers, Regional General Manager, AVI-SPL
Jordan Myers is the Regional General Manager for AVI-SPL’s Tennessee region. AVI-SPL is the largest AV integrator in the world, providing audio-visual and collaboration solutions for corporate, higher ed, healthcare, and federal clients across the country. His team’s higher education clients include University of Tennessee, Loyola, Auburn, ETSU, Clemson and others. Previous to AVI-SPL, Jordan was a manager with Interactive Solutions, which was acquired by AVI-SPL in 2018. He also worked for DePaul University in enrollment management.

Based in Memphis, TN, Jordan has a B.A. in Public Relations and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship, both from DePaul University in Chicago. He has his CTS certification from AVIXA, the professional AV industry’s foremost trade association.

Steven Zink – Moderator
Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education
Steven Zink is an emeritus faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he served as the university’s first vice president of information technology, while simultaneously serving as dean, university libraries. During his lengthy tenure at the university, Zink assembled a vibrant hybrid organization of information professionals, ranging from specialists in instructional technology to librarians to information technology professionals. In 2008, the physical manifestation of the organization was realized with the opening of the widely acclaimed 300,000-square-foot Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. From 2011-2016, he served as vice chancellor for the Nevada System of Higher Education, the coordinating body over all public institutions of higher education in Nevada.

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Webinar Recording: Healthcare Simulation in Higher Education

AV in Education

Learn about the benefits of healthcare simulation technology and how it prepares future healthcare professionals and improves patient outcomes through training.

The Center for Digital Education (CDE) hosted “Future-Ready Learning: How Technology and Simulation Are Transforming Healthcare Education.” This webinar looked at the ways that healthcare simulation solutions are being applied to give competitive advantage to the colleges, universities and teaching hospitals that adopt them.

Kecia Ray, senior fellow for the CDE, led this event and was joined by an expert panel that discussed:

  • What goes into a healthcare simulation center and how instructors are using the technology in their teaching
  • Barriers to healthcare simulation technology adoption and ways to overcome them
  • How the University of Miami is using its healthcare simulation center to prepare students for the workforce

Speakers include:

  • Jim Angelillo, VP of AVI-SPL’s Advanced Visualization Group
  • Paul Metcalf, Ph.D., development director, School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami
  • Amar Patel, Doctor of Health and Chief Learning Officer, CAE Healthcare

Get the recording for “Future-Ready Learning: How Technology and Simulation Are Transforming Healthcare Education” >

To view our Partner blog, click here

Making AV Tech ADA Compliant in Higher Education

ADA compliance

Jay Bosch, a director of business development for AVI-SPL, contributes with this post on ensuring ADA compliance in higher education. Note that AVI-SPL will host a Legrand | AV webinar on AV and ADA compliance on Sept. 4.

Starting an “All Students” approach to ensure ADA compliance in your classroom

Students come to class with a desire to learn. However, sometimes there are challenges that need to be overcome in order for every student to have an equal opportunity to learn.  Employing an “all students” approach to the classroom allows every student to engage with instructors live or via remote means.  Also, classroom design is rapidly changing, and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance should be considered in all classroom formats. 

As learning environments become more interactive, ADA compliance can provide its own challenges.  Working with a professional audio/visual integration company can ensure your classrooms incorporate every students’ needs.  The education landscape and related technology evolves quickly.  It is important to build flexibility in your investment which includes the latest classroom designs and methods including distance learning, e-learning, hands-on learning, simulation and others. 

Considerations:

  • Competition to maintain and grow student population will increase as on-line offerings become more prevalent. This includes all students.
  • As the general population — including people with disabilities — relies increasingly on mobile devices, teaching will follow this migration and leverage it to better engage “smartphone-centric” students.
  • The pressure to stretch education dollars will likely drive the growth of e-learning, distance education, and any other pedagogical method that is more efficient and cost-effective than traditional classroom-based learning.
  • As all of these advances occur, ADA standards will adapt and expand to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind.
  • All new buildings and remodels should be designed with ADA compliance as a given, similar to all public restrooms with a wheelchair stall.

What is ADA compliance?

First enacted in 1990 and amended/updated in 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act is aimed at preventing discrimination against people with mental or physical disabilities. The titles of the ADA that apply to schools are administered by the Department of Justice (DoJ). The DoJ provides informational, regulatory, and enforcement support for the ADA’s requirements.  For the AV industry, the critically important document is the 2010 “ADA Standards for Accessible Design.”  (The ADA sections cited in this Legrand eBook are drawn from that document.) Assembly halls, conference rooms, classrooms, learning spaces, and lecture halls all fall within the ADA’s compliance standards.

Seven commonly recognized components of ADA compliance

  • Policy: Create a policy for electronic and information technology (EIT) accessibility
  • Designate an accessibility coordinator: Appoint an accessibility coordinator
  • Purchasing: Include accessibility criteria in EIT purchases
  • Post your accessibility statement: Include a link to an accessibility statement and resources and provide a feedback mechanism
  • Conduct an audit: Complete a prioritized audit of EIT
  • Fix any issues: Remediate inaccessible EIT
  • Training: Provide role-based training for faculty, staff, and administrators

Next Steps: Capital Requests

  • Logging which ADA standard(s) each requested piece of AV equipment complies with will also form the basis of a searchable ADA compliance database.
  • Having ADA compliance information included in a capital request helps AV designers in assessing whether the overall AV system meets the needs of people with disabilities, in all aspects.
  • Thorough documentation of ADA-compliant AV equipment will be needed in budget meetings, requests for proposals, inquiries and ADA audits.

Five things to consider for lifecycle planning with ADA-compliant equipment

  1. Recording ADA compliance information upfront will streamline any ADA audits that may occur. The necessary data will be a few keystrokes away, saving you time in compiling this information after the fact.
  2. Have ADA compliancy information available during equipment upgrades and replacements, and ensure your purchases are earmarked to be ADA-compliant.
  3. Should new product categories become subject to ADA compliancy standards, a quick search of your database will indicate non-compliant equipment. This data will help you plan for future ADA-compliant purchases and ensure you meet any deadlines set by the Department of Justice.
  4. Document and log compliant equipment with a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) process.  A VPAT is a vendor-generated statement that provides information on how a product or service conforms to the Section 508 Accessibility Standards for Electronic and Information Technology in a consistent fashion and format.
  5. A word to the wise: Be sure to check with your regional ADA Center to see which specific VPAT applies to your project.

ADA Requirements for AV

Many ADA requirements apply to the AV industry. The ADA’s requirements are meant to allow people with disabilities to access and use AV equipment in business and educational settings as easily as people without disabilities. ADA requirements apply whether or not a school receives federal funding. (Schools that receive federal funding also have to comply with another federal law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.)

For example, teachers in wheelchairs should have access to lecterns set at usable heights, and with sufficient surrounding space for them to maneuver into and out of.  Any AV controls and equipment associated with the lectern should be just as easy for them to access and use.

Fusion Fixed MountAs the term suggests, “ADA compliance” applies to the sum of the combined systems—not just its individual components—and the ways in which it is installed/operated complies with the ADA’s requirements. For example, under ADA rules that govern “Protruding Objects” (ADA Sections 204 and 307), a wall-mounted flat panel display cannot protrude more than four inches from that wall. There’s a good reason for this: An object protruding more than four inches could be a serious obstacle for wheelchair users and people with visual disabilities. While a two-inch-deep mount and 2.25-inch-deep display are ADA compliant on their own, when mounted together, they exceed the depth limit.

AVI-SPL is dedicated to making sure all students have an opportunity to learn, no matter if they are traditional, non-traditional or special needs.  AVI-SPL partners with nationally recognized names such as Chief, Da-Lite, Middle Atlantic, Sennheiser, Spectrum, and Vaddio, who all share our dedication to ADA compliance who provide excellent solutions for visual, auditory and mobility impairment.  Solutions include: wall mounts, swing mounts, height adjustable display mounts, electric height adjust carts, height-adjustable lecterns and desks, ultra low-profile credenzas, screens, speakers and microphones.  See the “Making AV Technology ADA Compliant” document for more information.

Register for our Sept. 4 webinar “The Intersection of AV Technology and the ADA: Challenges and Solutions” >

To view our Partner blog, click here

Learning Solutions for Hearing-Impaired Students

Audio Conferencing

The following is a guest post from Sennheiser, an AVI-SPL partner that specializes in audio solutions, including those designed for business and education applications.

In order to promote integration at universities and other educational institutions, ever better technical solutions are being developed that enable all students to have barrier-free access to research and teaching. Inclusion means that no one is excluded; inclusion technology means, for example, that there are no separate places for hearing-impaired students in lecture halls and that everyone can sit wherever they want. Of course, the prerequisite for this is that the hearing quality is the same in all places.

Learning requires listening. In the course of the global digital transformation, the digitization of AV devices affects universities in particular, because they need the best tools for exchanging thoughts and words. Students are best supported in their personal development by creating ideal conditions for the exchange of knowledge and ideas in lectures and discussions.

Audio barriers can be costly for universities in the context of growing societal demand for true integration. Audio streaming on top quality intelligent devices perfects the integration of hearing-impaired students.

In order to make inclusion at universities possible, Sennheiser has developed MobileConnect: Sennheiser MobileConnect transmits audio content via WiFi live and in top quality directly to any smartphone. Using the free MobileConnect app, you can intuitively adjust the sound properties.

Personalized accessibility for students
MobileConnect is Sennheiser’s WiFi-based system for barrier-free hearing. It is optimized for use at universities, where it best meets students’ wishes for state-of-the-art and easy-to-use audio technology.

The system for assistive listening
MobileConnect streams audio content via WiFi live and in excellent quality directly to your smartphone. The audio signal is forwarded to the headphones, hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Personal hearing assistant
The Personal Hearing Assistant developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT makes it easy to adapt the audio signal to individual hearing needs. This intuitive touchscreen control provides hearing aids for the hearing impaired and improves speech intelligibility and sound quality.

How it works
With MobileConnect, the innovative assistive listening system, lectures are transmitted to mobile devices and smartphones via WiFi in real time and in high quality. To access a livestream, students simply download and install the free MobileConnect app (available for iOS and Android) and use their own device to connect to their university’s WiFi network.

Fast amortisation – bring your own device
Students use their own smartphones, so no additional hardware is required. MobileConnect requires no maintenance or operating costs, resulting in lower total cost of ownership and a faster return on investment. This eliminates the need for device handling, headphone hygiene or battery management.

Quick setup, easy operation
MobileConnect integrates easily with any existing audio infrastructure and can be installed within a day. The ConnectStation is simply connected to the existing audio system and WiFi and the app is then launched. The entire system is easy to maintain and quickly configured via the Admin Web Interface.

In order to further develop innovative streaming solutions, audio specialist Sennheiser has founded Sennheiser Streaming Technology GmbH (SST) as a competence centre for innovative streaming solutions.

Sennheiser Streaming Technologies combines the 70-year audio expertise of the German family-owned company with future-oriented developments in the field of streaming. The Hamburg-based subsidiary will initially focus on low-latency audio streaming to mobile devices (MobileConnect).

Shaping the future of audio and creating unique sound experiences for customers – this aim unites Sennheiser employees and partners worldwide. Founded in 1945, Sennheiser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of headphones, microphones and wireless transmission systems. With 21 sales subsidiaries and long-established trading partners, the company is active in more than 50 countries and operates its own production facilities in Germany, Ireland, Romania and the USA. Since 2013, Sennheiser has been managed by Daniel Sennheiser and Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, the third generation of the family to run the company.

 

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How Higher Education Can Make the Most of Its Current Tech Assets

AV in Education

JLL, a prominent real estate service provider, notes that higher education is facing the largest demand for capital investments they’ve ever seen. By upgrading their facilities, schools can recruit students to innovative programs that support teaching and learning in exciting and engaging ways. However, universities are also feeling the pressure from reductions in federal aid, due to defaults on school loans. JLL states that 40 percent of student loan borrowers are expected to default on their loans by 2030, which is a data point used for federal aid qualification.

So the challenge for schools is this: how to approach its building projects in a cost-effective way as they deal with the pressures of losing the support of student loans.

Gain Business Intelligence

Once a higher ed school upgrades or builds a facility, reductions in cost can be achieved with the right technology platform in place. A platform, like AVI-SPL Symphony, can bring tactical and strategic business intelligence to these institutions. Let’s look at a pre and post platform deployment example.

Pre – No Actionable Business Intelligence: A building has 100 rooms with 450 technology devices, ranging from video conferencing to projectors to displays and everything in between, all from a multitude of manufacturers. A teacher, who needs to use the equipment in one of the rooms, discovers the systems don’t work. She makes do without them, runs her class, and may or may not reach out to IT. Because the solutions didn’t work, she stops using that room or technology. IT eventually finds out about the problem, sends out a technician, fixes the issue and moves on to the next issue.

Post – Tactical Business Intelligence: This same building’s rooms and devices are loaded onto a managed services platform like AVI-SPL Symphony. Let’s say there is an issue with technology, from anywhere in that building. Through auto-detection, thresholds and ticket creation, IT can proactively resolve this issue before it affects the teachers and students. When issues cannot be resolved quickly, IT can inform the teachers, who can then move their classes and minimize disruption.

Post – Strategic Business Intelligence: As device data is collected through the monitoring and management platform, schools can analyze what is happening within their spaces, including which ones are being used and why, which technologies are generating the most tickets, and what are the root causes of those tickets. This enables data-backed decisions to be made on how to repurpose and upgrade those areas.

“Rather than turning to new construction to accommodate academic needs, colleges and universities continue to make better use of the facilities they already have,” says David Houck, co-leader of JLL’s Higher Education practice. “Campus utilization studies, occupancy planning tools and centralized management of shared spaces can unlock significant efficiency and savings opportunities.”

Work with AVI-SPL to learn more about Symphony and how it can do for your university what it’s doing for Australia’s RMIT:

 

 

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Benefits and Examples of Virtual Reality in Higher Education

advanced visualization

Virtual reality is about creating experiences. Within higher education, those experiences can have the goal of increasing student engagement with areas of study, improving their learning outcomes and attracting prospective students to your school.

Virtual reality solutions can do more than distinguish your college or university from those who don’t have the technology. They help you keep pace with those who do and with current teaching practices. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2021, 60% of U.S. higher-education institutions will use virtual reality systems to create simulation and learning environments. The barriers to implementing the technology fall away as the experience improves (better visual acuity and responsiveness) and prices come down,

If your department or your school has been on the fence about adding virtual reality resources to its toolkit, consider the possible applications and how they’ve been successfully implemented:

  • Recruiting students — As I noted in this post on higher ed and workforce development, some schools are using virtual reality technology to immerse prospective students in environments where they can learn and train. They also enable them to take virtual campus tours from the comfort of their home or at college fairs.
  • Preparing students for their careers — Plenty of schools — including the University of Toledo and the University of Nebraska — are using virtual reality in inspiring ways. These institutions are using virtual reality and advanced visualization to help train their medical students in safe environments. AVI-SPL played a significant role in implementing the virtual reality and visualization technology for the University of Nebraska’s iEXCEL program for healthcare education. It’s also helping the school’s medical center track human simulator data so that medical trainers understand student performance during simulation-based instruction. The same team that worked with Nebraska implemented similar solutions for the University of Toledo Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center.
  • Creating engaging education programs — There’s an application for virtual reality in many fields of study, including aerospace, architecture, biology, history, mathematics, and medicine. Learners move through and interact with environments like ancient ruins and cities, crime scenes, molecules, engineering structures, and scientific data. For the instructors, the benefits include another way to evaluate learners in competency-based simulations. At Rice University, users of the DaVinci virtual environment can walk amidst seismic data that influences drilling and acquisition decisions for the oil and gas industry.

Getting Comfortable With Virtual Reality

Understand how virtual reality is successfully being used in higher education, and you’ll have realistic expectations of what it can do to advance your program or department’s goals. I’ve included a handful of resources to help you build that confidence.

  • “Virtual Reality in Higher Education: Q&A” — Jim Angelillo, AVI-SPL VP of enterprise business development, explains the benefits of virtual reality, refers to use cases and explains AVI-SPL’s value as a partner that designs and implements these solutions.
  • “Preparing Professionals With Advanced Visualization: Q&A” — Bill Schmidt, AVI-SPL sales director, answers questions about a topic close to virtual reality: advanced visualization. He addresses the technology involved and the process of designing and building the systems.
  • “Visualization and Simulation for Research and Collaboration” — This AVI-SPL tech paper explains the value of virtual environments, and how to choose the right visualization or simulation system. It also looks at North Carolina State University and the visualization and simulation solutions that AVI-SPL implemented to improve the school’s ability to conduct research and collaborate with outside partners (including the U.S. Navy).

Work With an Expert in Virtual Reality Outcomes

AVI-SPL has teams who are dedicated to analyzing your goals when it comes to using virtual reality systems, and designing and implementing systems that will meet those goals. Share your questions and ambitions with our experts.

 

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