This presentation deals with the requirements and challenges associated with the creation of the hybrid learning environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has exponentially increased the demand for highly flexible AV spaces where instructors, in-room students, and remote learners can synchronously emulate the traditional classroom experience. Unfortunately, there has been a general over-reliance and misuse of technology to achieve. Indeed, the foundational factors that go into creating a successful hybrid learning space are often ignored. Northern Virginia Community College undertook an effort to analyze this challenge and identify the factors that inform proper AV design for hybrid spaces. This inquiry was achieved through rigorous analysis, modeling, and testing of both hardware and design best practices. The result has been the formation of a design philosophy and engineering approach that addresses the challenge of distance, synchronous learning, pedagogical adaptability, and the quest to create a sense of connected-ness and community between instructors, in-class students, and distance learners.
The intent of this presentation is to provide AV professionals in higher education with practical options for design of classroom spaces and their hybrid AV systems. These options are generally product-agnostic and are oriented toward cost-effective deployment.
