Lightware powers hybrid learning transformation at Centri...

Situated in the town of Kokkola, Centria University of Applied Sciences offers higher education across five core fields: engineering, business, social and health care, humanities and culture. With degrees taught in both Finnish and English, the university has a diverse mix of international students and offers remote and flexible learning options. Led by Centria's AV and education specialist, Janne Torvikoski, the university has adopted a new technology standard based around Lightware's Taurus UCX-4x3-HC40-BD solution to unify classroom devices and provide a smoother experience for teachers and students alike.

Through interviews with our teaching staff, it became clear that the lack of permanent hybrid devices, such as microphones and cameras, and the need to set up the room peripherals for every class, were a huge drain on teachers' time and caused stress. We needed to rethink our classrooms and develop a more user-friendly solution, explains Torvikoski.

Most teachers prefer to use their own laptop, rather than the in-room PC, which also shaped the new classroom AV designs. The Taurus UCX-4x3-HC40-BD offered plug-and-play connectivity for the new, permanent room devices, reliable USB-C charging, integration with any type of laptop (Mac or Windows), as well as the ability to configure a custom welcome screen.

The general classroom set-up is based around a single Taurus UCX-4x3-HC40-BD unit, with HDMI output to the local monitor on the desk for the teacher, with the same output also routed up to the room projector via HDBaseT transmitters, some of which are also from Lightware.

When a teacher plugs in their laptop via the Lightware full-featured USB-C cable provided, their display and audio are automatically connected to the room devices, whilst also providing reliable charging. There is no interface or touch panel, so additional points of interaction or potential confusion are eliminated. A custom welcome screen displays instructions on how to start the hybrid class, further simplifying the process.

For the IT department, Lightware s Advanced Room Automation (LARA) and Lightware Smart Device Controller have proven to be standout features of the Taurus UCX.

"We use LARA for scheduling, such as nightly power-off, auto reboots and camera resets, plus the Lightware Smart Device Controller for troubleshooting, monitoring the systems, and remote management all essential at our smaller campuses where there is not always a member of the IT department present," explains Torvikoski.

The Dante support provided within the Taurus UCX-4x3-HC40-BD also played an important role in the upgrade project. Facilitating two-way Dante functions, there is no need for an external DSP or Dante adapter in order to connect with the room's audio devices. Audio devices can also be easily selected during video calls, which further empowers teachers to select the correct sources during hybrid lessons and avoid classroom delays.

Around 40 classrooms have already had this new technology standard installed, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Looking to the future, Centria is already trialling a proof of concept for their auditoriums, based around Lightware's Taurus UCX-2x1-TPN-TX20 and Taurus UCX-4x3-TPN-TX20 products, in combination with HDMI TPN extenders and a Netgear M4350 switch. The flexibility of Taurus TPN and an AV-over-IP network is key for this next phase of the project as we want to build a system that can be scaled across multiple zones," says Torvikoski.

Centria's classroom upgrades have already solved the common challenges faced by teachers, creating a simplified yet sophisticated hybrid teaching experience. As the project scales to new areas of the Centria campus, Lightware's solutions have proven to be a powerful tool for building future-proof AV infrastructure that supports remote and in-person learners equally.

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