5 things to think about: HyFlex learning for universities
HyFlex learning models are rapidly gaining popularity with European universities and colleges. The available options for hardware, apps and connectivity can seem endless for academic institutions. And that makes it crucial that organisations understand the challenges of designing and implementing an adaptable, cost-effective hybrid/flexible teaching and learning solution that caters for the needs of both students and lecturers – now as well as in the future. Here are five pointers to ensuring HyFlex success for universities and their AV/IT integration partners.
1. Lower the barriers to using technology
It’s frustrating for AV/IT teams to build a technology solution that’s scarcely used because teaching staff find it off-putting or hard to use. And it’s hardly surprising that hardware often sits untouched when lecturers have got so much else to think about at the start of each lesson. It’s essential to choose technology that is intuitive and easy to use, allowing lecturers to deliver their best without time-consuming training and unwelcome distractions. Sony solutions are designed to work with just a touch of a button and everything’s ready for action – with no need to fiddle with device settings or juggling to find the correct inputs at the start of a presentation.
2. Keep life simple for students, too
Every university cares about lowering barriers to learning. Successful HyFlex models allow students to enjoy the same learning experience when studying remotely as if they were attending lectures in person. Our PTZ cameras and smart AI-powered Edge Analytics solutions ensure that streamed or recorded lectures look polished and professional for an online audience, with the presenter accurately framed in every shot plus crisp, clear text and images to reinforce their communication. Wireless screen mirroring makes it easy for students to connect their laptops or mobile devices and present their own work and ideas.
3. Security made simple
Universities face the same potential vulnerabilities as other large organisations, making an effective cybersecurity strategy critical. Equally, it’s important that busy lecturers aren’t slowed down with time-consuming logins at the start of every lesson. We’ll help you deploy a layered security solution that gives teaching staff the freedom to start each session at the touch of a button – while AV/IT teams maintain full control of overall system security, including integration with other devices and control systems.
4. Ensure every student has a clear view
Few lecture theatres and seminar rooms provide perfect viewing conditions for every student. Displays positioned near the lecturers can be hard to see clearly from the back of the room, while sunny days or harsh lighting can mean dull, washed-out images or distracting screen reflections. Big, bright BRAVIA 4K Professional Displays ensure that everyone can absorb fine details of presentations and other lecture materials with vibrant colour and high contrast. Innovations like our *Deep Black Non-Glare technology reduce on-screen reflections in brightly-lit rooms to give a clear picture for every student. BRAVIA’s extra-wide viewing angle also ensures everyone in the room can see what’s happening, regardless of their seating position.
* Dependent on model chosen
5. Solutions that scale for today, and tomorrow
The future’s just around the corner – and forward-thinking universities must cater for eventualities like new courses, more students attending classes in person, or additional demand for distance learning. At Sony we’ll help you create an agile, highly adaptable HyFlex solution that can scale smoothly to accommodate tomorrow’s needs as well as today’s – whether colleges are starting small with incremental additions to their existing AV/IT infrastructure, or implementing a ‘big bang’ technology strategy.
