Clairon (Opens in a new tab) Classroom technologies are vital to helping teachers today engage students, provide blended learning opportunities, and enhance familiarity with new tools that are commonly deployed in modern work environments. At Mesa Community College in Arizona (MCC), which serves more than 20,000 students on three campuses, Covid-era lockdowns and funding have provided an ideal opportunity to evaluate existing classroom technologies and pursue new solutions to enhance the flexibility and quality of distance learning experiences.
“Our team in the media department recognized that the temporary closure of schools presented an opportunity to transform classrooms with new systems that provide high-quality audio and video for remote learning,” said David Kollar, MCC Technical Support Specialist for Tech Services Media. “Previous positive experiences with ClearOne audio and video products, we tested and ultimately selected several ClearOne audio solutions to provide reliable, cost-effective audio capture and ensure that every remote learner can hear every word spoken in the classroom with stunning clarity.”
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The school began evaluating existing classroom solutions in the spring of 2020, and before long had a demo system from ClearOne with the COLLABORATE Versa Pro CT in-ceiling microphone and CONVERGE Huddle DSP mixer. After testing the solution and inviting staff to comment on its performance, the school quickly purchased 28 Huddle mixers to improve the quality and simplicity of some of their existing room systems. By May 2023, nearly 200 rooms will provide educators with the power and reliability of the Versa Pro CT solution, while eight larger rooms have been upgraded with enterprise-grade ClearOne Converge Pro 2 DSP.
“As a forward-thinking institution that also happens to be one of the largest community colleges in the country, we strive to provide maximum value to our students, no matter how they attend courses or where they are physically located,” added Jeff Foster, a senior community college in the U.S. Support Specialist for Tech Services Media. “Distance learning provides an excellent option for any student who is unable to attend a class while greatly increasing opportunities for parents or working professionals who rely on our courses and programs to advance their education and careers. Combined with the upcoming launch of our first four-year study programmes, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to innovation In education we offer choices that allow more potential students to pursue learning wherever, whenever and to whatever degree they choose. Innovative technologies such as ClearOne’s powerful audio products are critical to our continued success and our ability to attract students in a highly competitive market.”
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When installations are complete, approximately two-thirds of existing classrooms will feature ClearOne audio capture solutions, while retaining and integrating some of the existing technical infrastructure through analog connections on ClearOne DSP mixers. Like many colleges, Campus assigns some classes to open booking, while others are assigned to specific professors. Standardizing these easy-to-use systems across the entire campus allows for greater reliability and ensures that educators can quickly use remote tools without IT assistance or barriers.
To help the school expedite and improve the use of new solutions, ClearOne provided in-depth training for technical staff and helped ensure that faculty were quickly trained in the use of advanced features such as automatic echo cancellation (AEC). A range of new and existing PTZ cameras provide video capture, while a select number of legacy microphones are integrated into Converge Pro 2 systems in larger lecture halls.
“Through these investments in classroom technologies and the ability to support remote learners, Mesa Community College has positioned itself to be a leader in higher education for years to come,” said ClearOne representative Jason Wiley. “Students of all disciplines can now enjoy crystal clear lectures and lessons wherever they choose, removing barriers to non-traditional students and offering greater access to life-changing education.”
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Simplifying user operations even further, ClearOne solutions feature broad compatibility with today’s leading virtual conferencing platforms including Collaborate Space, Cisco WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
ClearOne’s Versa Pro CT solutions provide schools and businesses with a cost-effective solution for high-quality audio capture in small to medium-sized rooms. Consisting of a powerful ceiling tile-style microphone array that blends with standard room environments, plus a COLLABORATE Huddle DSP for signal processing and echo cancellation, the solution is easy to deploy and use for everyday communications.