Bringing HyFlex to Classrooms at UC Berkeley with Cost-Effective, Easy-to-Install Technology

Institutional Profile

At UC Berkeley's Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, world-renowned faculty are exploring a rich array of research questions relating to how we see and why vision fails. The answers have the potential to change lives. Vision is one of our most valuable senses, and Berkeley's School of Optometry & Vision Science takes great pride in offering comprehensive eye care to the Berkeley campus and the local community. From eye exams and complete contact lens care to pediatric optometry and the diagnosis and treatment of ocular health problems, our patients work with medical teams steeped in academic and research expertise.

One of the school's offerings is continuing education courses for optometrists. In response to the pandemic in 2020, the Office of Virtual Initiatives led the transformation of this program, shifting from traditional in-person symposiums to a synchronous, online learning environment. This shift to online learning is now a long-term focus and a revenue-generating initiative for the institution, granting more than 150,000 credit units annually, featuring renowned speakers from around the world, and reaching a global audience. This effort aligns with UC Berkeley's mission to foster community engagement and academic excellence on both local and global scales.

The Challenge/Opportunity

The future success of higher education remains at stake—a statement that is just as pertinent today as it was in 2022 when Jodie Penrod, associate vice president and chief information officer at Marshall University, emphasized the need to incorporate HyFlex learning into higher education strategies.^Footnote1 HyFlex allows students to choose between attending classes in-person, participating remotely in real-time, or accessing recorded materials asynchronously, while keeping the learning experience as close to equitable as possible.^Footnote2 The leaders at Berkeley's School of Optometry & Vision Science have been accelerating the hybridization of classrooms as part of their digital transformation. Matthieu Kaminski, director of the Office of Virtual Learning Initiatives, was charged with identifying innovative, hybrid approaches to enhancing learning experiences and ensuring accessibility for faculty and students.

While exploring options for offering HyFlex learning environments, Kaminski had to balance budgets with benefits, so finding the right technological improvement was crucial. One of his biggest challenges was that retrofitting older campus buildings to provide access to power for videoconferencing technology is costly in terms of time and dollars. Campus electricians are often overbooked and prioritize maintaining services essential to the institution's core operations. Consequently, noncritical requests such as audiovisual power outlets are often delayed, with installation in nonessential areas sometimes taking up to eighteen months to complete.

With many classrooms needing access to a hybrid setup, Kaminski had to look for other solutions that would allow him to manage multiple classrooms with ease and be more efficient with financial and human resources for acquisition, installation, and training. He landed on a number of systems from the Logitech Rally portfolio, including the new Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit (see figures 1 and 2) that uses a single category cable for power and data transmission. This approach streamlines the setup and operation of devices such as cameras, microphones, projectors, and wireless access points. This technology addresses the challenges and needs at the school to support HyFlex classrooms, providing a cost-effective and approachable videoconferencing experience for faculty, students, and IT staff. The kit has provided additional benefits for faculty members who have been able to quickly adopt the technology for their classes and other activities, including virtual research meetings, staff meetings, symposiums, and webinar recordings.

Process

Kaminski explored his options by engaging with peers and industry experts. He attended A/V conferences; reached out to fellow EDUCAUSE members; collaborated with the University of California, UC Berkeley Research, Teaching & Learning (RTL) groups, and the RTL Learning Spaces Community of Practice; and talked directly with industry partners including Logitech. Through these exchanges, Kaminski heard about the forthcoming Rally system and its plug-and-play simplicity. The system required no additional power outlet installations, offering a cost-effective and time-saving solution for faculty, staff, and students.

The low cost of the system meant Kaminski was able to get approval from leadership to acquire a few of the Rally systems to test in a handful of classrooms to build a proof of concept to make a case for standardizing the use of this technology. For the initial pilot, he selected faculty members who were interested in and comfortable with technology. The initial feedback he's received has been positive. "Faculty members are able to arrive in the classroom minutes before class starts, get their laptop connected to the system, and be ready to present and record their material by the time class begins," said Kaminski. He's been testing in classrooms of various sizes, from small discussion rooms to large lecture halls, and feels that the technology is flexible and simple enough that faculty can quickly become familiar with it:

This solution allows me to provide a standardized, consistent learning space experience, so a faculty member can enter a room and know exactly how to use the technology. Also, in our effort to promote teaching excellence, equity of experience, and inclusion for all students, accessibility is at the center of our initiatives while leveraging HyFlex and Zoom rooms. An additional powerful feature available is the ability to launch a Zoom session internally, allowing students to follow the shared content directly on their computers, so they can see the content on their devices, versus having to follow along on the screen, which can sometimes be hard to read (see figure 3). Captions are also AI-generated when the instructor gives a lecture, providing access to additional learning materials such as lecture transcripts.

From a support standpoint, Kaminski has been pleased with his ability to monitor and troubleshoot the Logitech videoconferencing systems in various classrooms and assist faculty using the systems, all from a centralized location. "On my end, I can get a view of all the systems at once via the Logitech Sync and Zoom Room portals," Kaminski said. "If people need help, I can look immediately into the system from my office and assist them with launching software or other troubleshooting without running to the classroom." So far, the system has been working well, with minimal interruption of teaching and learning as the users get comfortable with the new technology, allowing time and space for Kaminski to anticipate faculty needs and schedule regular maintenance.

Faculty and staff are coming up with other ways to use the system to their advantage. In addition to the general ease of use with his laptop for class, Assistant Professor Jorge Otero-Millan has been using the system to hold research meetings with his peers, where note- and material-sharing have been very valuable, along with the video and audio capture for in-person and remote attendees. Kaminski has also been using the Rally systems to bring experts to Berkeley to share and record their knowledge: "We are no longer geographically constrained and can bring anybody from anywhere in the world to teach a class at Berkeley, remotely or in-person, and we can record it for posterity or for our students to access the recording at any time."

The initial launch of the Rally Streamline Kit has gone well, with more faculty starting to ask when it will be available for their classrooms. Kaminski put together the results and feedback from his test group and received approval from leadership for a larger deployment, scaling the kits out to a new clinic featuring ten exam rooms, six break-out rooms, a state-of-the-art lecture hall, and several other rooms (see figure 4). He's hoping that this will help accomplish the institutional mission and goals to reach a larger student audience and provide access to modern HyFlex tools. "We believe that . . . being part of the technology revolution is something we need to do on campus," Kaminski shared.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Look to peers and industry partners during the exploration and initial deployment of technologies. Peers and industry partners alike can provide valuable insights and suggestions throughout the technology selection process. Kaminski suggests finding a peer at another institution who can act as a mentor and guide through the selection and deployment processes. One good resource is the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA), which is free and can connect users to hundreds of tech managers in higher education. Alternatively, when users work with professionals and partners in the industry, they can connect with others who have done the same or similar deployment of the technology at their institution. Connecting with institutional peers and industry partners, especially those who work closely with higher education, can reassure users and help avoid pitfalls during testing and deployment. Working with industry can also provide an avenue to feedback about the unique needs of each institution, desired features, and support through potential discounts or technical support.

Test new technologies in small batches with interested and motivated users. When introducing new technology to campuses and classrooms, small cohorts of curious and tech-savvy users can generate valuable feedback to guide larger deployments. This approach allows IT/AV staff to test the technology's effectiveness with minimal initial resources. Additionally, early users can help identify support and communication strategies needed to assist others in adopting the technology and enhancing their teaching. Small initial groups of testers can also provide some great individual cases, which make it easier to get approval from leadership for additional support.

Demo days provide a dedicated time and space for users to learn about new technology. When moving to larger-scale deployments, remember that faculty and staff are busy, so it might be ideal to have a "demo day" at the start of the semester to showcase all the features and technology available to them in their teaching spaces. Providing demonstrations at these events helps garner interest, gather feedback, and answer questions in a dedicated space, which can help smooth the deployment process. Kaminski emphasized the importance of understanding and communication: "Be curious and say things out loud again and again. As you go through initial deployment and encounter common questions or issues, it can be helpful to develop a repository with step-by-step explanations or an FAQ to help users problem-solve on their own." Overall, he suggests IT/AV staff remain engaged and focus on understanding the features and limitations so they can support users.

Find ways to highlight the successful deployment of technologies to leadership, faculty, and students. Summarizing the connection between the numbers (costs, usage, etc.) and benefits (standardization, reduced need for hands-on support, better accessibility, etc.) for leadership and users is valuable throughout the deployment and use of new technology. Kaminski recommends finding someone who can help bridge the gap in understanding between IT/AV staff, institutional leaders, and users with great communication and short executive summaries. Presenting feedback and results that meet the needs and goals of the institution will help make the case to get approval for funding from leadership and support from faculty. For students, it can be helpful to provide a module in the LMS as a quick introduction when they get started in a class that uses new technology.

Notes

1. Jodie Penrod, "Staying Relevant: The Importance of Incorporating HyFlex Learning into Higher Education Strategy," EDUCAUSE Review, March 25, 2022. Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.↩
2. Joshua Kim and Edward J. Maloney, The Low-Density University: 15 Scenarios for Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020). Jump back to footnote 2 in the text.↩

Sean Burns is a Researcher at EDUCAUSE.

Matthieu Kaminski is Director of the Office of Learning Initiatives, University of California, Berkeley.

Jorge Otero-Millan is Assistant Professor of Optometry & Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley.