University of Rhode Island Standardizes Classrooms with User-friendly Automated Video Technology
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URI, ranked the top public university in New England and 35th nationwide, values tech-driven education. But Katie Babula, head of ITS-Audio Visual Systems, prioritizes being behind the scenes. "We strive to make tech as user-friendly and invisible as possible, letting the teaching shine," she said.
However, the AV team's stealthy approach became challenging due to the rapid growth of video spaces in 2020. With lecture capture, video recording, and streaming now expected across campus, they've embraced the demand.
Beyond classrooms, the team supports live events, lectures, and broadcasts from various spaces. Such deployments are crucial to their mission of educating students and the local community. "We want AV to do double duty for us reliably, managing tasks at scale and maximizing impact," Babula mentioned.
Scaling Up Video Capture & Streaming
To plan for URI's 45-room deployment, Babula gathered requirements from all corners of the campus. The consensus was clear: automate as much as possible.
Key elements of the video capture solution included seamless integration with existing AV infrastructure, ease of use for faculty, and efficient deployment and management for the small in-house team.
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succeeding hinged on faculty adoption. Making video capture, recording, and streaming automatic was essential to minimize faculties' technological responsibilities.
URI standardized on Epiphan Pearl Nexus as the cornerstone of its lecture capture solution. Panopto for content management, Q-SYS for control, and NETGEAR M4250-26G4XF-PoE for the network were also chosen. The system's ease of use has been a hit with instructors.
"Our instructors love the ability to stream and record their lectures," said Jeffrey Levesque, lead information technologist. "It's just set and forget for them!"
Epiphan Pearl Nexus
Video capture, recording, streaming
Panopto
Content management, scheduling, LMS integration
Q-SYS Core 110f/Q-SYS Core Nano
Audio processing
Q-SYS NV-21-HU
Endpoint for USB-C laptops
Q-SYS TSC-70-G3
Control, Pearl integration module
Catchbox
Wireless microphones
Audio-Technica ATND1061
Ceiling microphones
Q-SYS NC Series
PTZ cameras
Sony VPL-PHZ60
Projector
Instructors schedule their rooms at the beginning of the semester, and the system handles the rest. Pearl records cameras, content, and audio, then sends the recordings to Panopto. Students access lectures via their LMS.
URI's new standard leverages industry-leading components for reliability, scalability, and user-friendliness. "Partners' help has been invaluable in making our AV deployments happen," Babula said.
Efficient Management with Epiphan Edge
To manage dozens of lecture halls, URI relies on Epiphan Edge for centralized remote management. The tool saves time, enhances operational efficiency, and allows the team to diagnose and resolve issues without leaving their office.
The automated solution provides an effortless learning environment for students, with hundreds of lectures recorded and streamed weekly. More faculty are now requesting the technology for their classrooms. The reliability of the Epiphan + Panopto integration helps the AV team keep up.
"Our teachers find the solution highly approachable," Babula noted. "They appreciate the ease of recording their lectures, and I couldn't agree more!"
For Levesque, the project's success can be attributed to the advanced features of the Epiphan system. "Thanks to Epiphan Edge, the time savings are substantial," he concluded. "Having everything at a glance has simplified our job immensely."
- The AV team at URI, prioritizing the education of both students and the local community, wanted a video capture solution that was easy to use for faculty and manageable for their small team.
- To meet these requirements, URI standardized on Epiphan Pearl Nexus, a platform that integrates seamlessly with existing AV infrastructure and allows for the automation of video capture, recording, and streaming.
- With this technology, instructors can now schedule their rooms at the beginning of the semester, and the system handles the rest, providing an efficient management solution for the AV team and a user-friendly learning environment for students.
