Seamless Scalable Smart Streamlining HyFlex Learning

Higher education institutions are under a lot of pressure to meet the growing demand for HyFlex learning models where students can participate in classes either in person, remotely, or asynchronously and switch between those formats from one class to the next.^Footnote1 HyFlex offers inclusivity and accessibility, allowing students to engage in high-quality education even if they work full time, care for families, or have learning differences that are better supported outside the classroom. For colleges and universities, the HyFlex model can also serve as a competitive differentiator that helps attract new students.

However, transforming learning spaces to enable HyFlex learning requires user-centered technology solutions that seamlessly integrate physical and virtual environments, spark engagement, and provide an equitable content experience for every student.^Footnote2 If that all sounds like a challenge, that's because it is. Despite advancements in edtech, effective hybrid learning still faces plenty of obstacles:

• Current systems often involve complex setups with multiple components that must be meticulously installed, maintained, and upgraded, creating technical and financial burdens for audiovisual (AV) and IT teams.
• Current systems are often difficult to use and give faculty inadequate control over lesson delivery.
• Integrating hybrid learning systems on campuses with old buildings and varied infrastructures often requires significant technical expertise, decreasing their scalability.
• Many technology solutions are not interoperable with existing tools and platforms, complicating integration.

Besides these general challenges, higher education institutions encounter several obstacles related to video—a crucial aspect of HyFlex learning. Outdated video technologies can lead to inconsistent AV quality, lagging connections, and limited interactivity, which frustrate both faculty and students. While stationary video solutions often prevent instructors from moving around classrooms freely while staying in the frame during lectures, today's automated camera tracking (often called AI tracking) tends to create a jarring viewer experience because the camera is constantly trying to determine and adjust for the desired view. At the other end of the spectrum, offering lecturers preset camera views on the room control panel disrupts the flow of their talks, as they must keep returning to the control panel. This type of camera setup also makes for disjointed viewing.

In addition, many current videoconferencing systems require a nearby power supply, but retrofitting for added power can be an arduous process. Institutions are expected to deliver high-quality HyFlex learning today, not in the distant future.

Matthieu Kaminski, director of the Office of Learning Initiatives at UC Berkeley School of Optometry, said, "In one of my classrooms, I needed three outlets to be installed. Guess how long that took. A year and a half."

As higher education leaders grapple with these factors, along with declining budgets and enrollments, the need for smart, reliable video tools that reduce complexity and enhance learning experiences have never been more critical.^Footnote3

Several years ago, Logitech began pursuing an answer to these evolving demands within higher education. With the goal of unlocking HyFlex learning for every room, instructor, and student, we built a device to enhance the Rally Camera with seamless new functions: the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit.

Simple Control, No Chaos

Observing HyFlex learning spaces showed us how important it is for faculty to switch between different content viewpoints without pausing their lectures. The Rally Camera Streamline Kit features wireless preset buttons that can be placed contextually, meaning lecturers can easily change the camera view with one touch. The result is predictable camera movements that keep presenters in the flow while seamlessly directing the viewer's experience.

The ability of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit to quickly switch between camera angles enhances diverse teaching scenarios, from capturing an instructor's detailed explanation on a whiteboard to zooming in on lab demonstrations to providing wide-angle views of classroom discussions. This single technology solution allows students in any class to take their lessons with them anywhere, anytime.

Streamlined Setup and Installation

One of the standout features of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit is its simplicity, which creates significant benefits for AV and IT teams.

A single category cable connects and powers the camera up to one hundred meters away from AV equipment, reducing the need for complex wiring, decreasing the chance of malfunctions or breakage, and cutting installation time and infrastructure costs significantly.

Too often, AV professionals find themselves performing a juggling act during installations, especially when inverted. The Rally Camera Streamline Kit hardware is designed to prevent that. The solution includes a base and mounting plate with a simple twist-and-lock interface that attaches to mounts for wall or ceiling placement. With the mounting plates and mount installed, a technician can simply plug in the camera and twist it onto the plate. The mount design hides the single required cable.

As part of a pilot project to evaluate the performance of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit in higher education settings, AV and technology leaders at three institutions—Georgetown University, UC Berkeley School of Optometry, and Foothill-De Anza Community College District—are discovering how easy it is to install and set up compared to their previous solutions.

"Foothill-De Anza Community College District is elevating the multimedia classroom experience with the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit, a game-changing solution that seamlessly connects remote and hybrid learners by simplifying camera management and freeing instructors to focus on what matters most—teaching," said Jory Hadsell, vice chancellor and chief technology officer at Foothill-De Anza Community College District. "The ease of installation makes it an instant asset for educators."

An instructional technology systems engineer at Foothill-De Anza Community College District added, "I initially tested the kit in our conference room to ensure everything was functioning. It was up and running in ten to fifteen minutes, including pairing the buttons and setting the presets."

Extended Value for the Investment

Higher education institutions have a duty to optimize every investment. The Rally Camera Streamline Kit lowers the cost of ownership and raises ROI in several ways. The simple installation minimizes labor and equipment expenses, making large-scale deployments across multiple classrooms more feasible. The Rally Camera Streamline Kit is interoperable with most videoconferencing systems and lecture capture platforms, which promotes ease of integration by reducing technical disruptions and the learning curve for instructors and AV and IT teams. Finally, the solution is ideal for phased rollouts, which allows institutions with smaller budgets to upgrade classrooms one by one if needed.

In addition to the meticulous and time-saving hardware design of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit, its management with Logitech Sync helps save money by enabling centralized monitoring and support. Instead of making trips every time to every deployed classroom on campus, higher education IT teams can monitor, update, and troubleshoot the system remotely, with a visit being the last step.

Impressive Reviews

Institutions in the pilot project have tested the ability of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit to elevate the student experience, meet faculty demands and the needs of AV and IT departments, and conserve resources at the institutional level.

AV and technology leaders at these institutions are using the Rally Camera Streamline Kit to equip a variety of buildings, some of them very old, with a uniform, user-friendly HyFlex setup—without lengthy and costly installations. It allows them to create modern, dynamic classrooms that do not conform to the traditional stage–audience layout but instead promote engagement and show multiple perspectives using mobile furniture and multiple whiteboards and screens. In rooms that previously held complex and often cumbersome videoconferencing systems, the Rally Camera Streamline Kit dramatically reduces the expense and faculty mental burden associated with technology.

"Previously, effective lecture capture has called for multiple stable cameras because the slow refresh rate and the movement of the tracking cameras are nausea-inducing," explained Molly Chehak, director of digital learning at the Georgetown University Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. "So, physically located buttons address the needs of the lecture capture use case."

These leaders have found that the simplicity of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit encourages faculty buy-in. For example, the Rally Camera Streamline Kit is useful for faculty who often write equations or diagrams on expansive lecture room boards. By simply placing some of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit's preset buttons along the length of the board, faculty can keep the tools they know and prefer while capturing their full presentation for remote and asynchronous students.

The broad interoperability of the solution is proving helpful as well. Many institutions use Zoom not only for classes but for staff meetings. The Rally Camera Streamline Kit seamlessly integrates with Zoom, allowing users in the pilot project to integrate it without missing a beat.

Kaminski noted, "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."

The full results of the pilot project will be published in a case study, complete with feedback from AV and technology leaders and faculty who have used the Rally Camera Streamline Kit in various campus settings.

Future-Ready Approach

The Rally Camera Streamline Kit heralds a new generation of edtech focusing on ease of use, scalability, and tailored design. With solutions like this in place, colleges and universities can now bridge the gap between remote and in-person learning, exploring new horizons of education without forgetting the practical concerns that govern the business of a modern institution.

Notes

1. Nick Morrison, "If Students Had Their Way, Hybrid Learning Would Be Here to Stay," Forbes, May 27, 2022. Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.↩
2. Wylie Wong, "Classroom Modernization Projects Support HyFlex Learning," EdTech: Focus on Higher Education, August 17, 2023. Jump back to footnote 2 in the text.↩
3. Michael T. Nietze and Charles M. Ambrose, "'Colleges on the Brink,'" Inside Higher Ed, February 5, 2024. Jump back to footnote 3 in the text.↩

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Gaurav Bradoo is the Director and Head of Education Products and Portfolio at Logitech.