subject: Changing Technological Trends in Classrooms [print this page] Technological innovations have constantly helped us in progressing and evolving into a more educated and informed society. Classrooms much like any other life domain is being continuously influenced by new technology. Institutes of higher learning now employ more and more technology in order to better educate their students and give them an enhanced learning experience. Investing in high end education aiding equipment is not cheap. Before installing the latest equipment, the educational institutes can do a trial run with the help of audio equipment rental services to ascertain their usefulness. All the innovative equipment should ideally be tested out before its actual installation to confirm its performance and use.
Some emerging trends in classroom technology:
Better Audio Visual Systems
In most classes, the teachers as well as the students make use of audio visual aids to complement their lecture. To ensure that the video and audio is clear and intelligible to everyone present in the class, schools and colleges are now installing high end digital HD video and surround audio systems.
Good colleges want to differentiate themselves from the ordinary by installing the latest technology in classrooms. This gives them an edge over their competitors. The classrooms in a new medical college in Athens, Georgia boasts of large 16:10 aspect ratio screens and a Tandberg HD video conferencing system, along with separate audio systems, one for speech and the other for program materials. This is just one example of how high tech equipment is being used in advanced classrooms.
There are also special microphones and audio systems used to keep disturbance at a minimal level, and the class rooms are acoustically treated to filter out ambient noises. These types of high end technology are seldom found in educational institutions, as the cost of setting up this advanced equipment is very high. Institutes can look at audio equipment rental companies that provide such equipment on rent to test their efficacy, benefits and drawbacks. Doing this will help institutions in making wise investment decisions.
Capturing the Class on Video
These days, some college classrooms are equipped with the option of video capturing live sessions for storing them for future reference. Such classrooms are installed with high end video cameras. The decreasing prices of video cameras and the ease of storing data are contributing factors to this trend. There are certain challenges in video capturing a classroom session such as presence of ample lighting. Such classrooms besides having good lighting systems will also be required to have acoustically sound environment to ensure that the lecture is audible.
The cost of setting up the equipment and making the environment amenable for their use can be pretty high. Colleges and other educational institutions can consider the option of renting these equipments from video and audio equipment rental companies for temporary use like important seminars and events. Especially as the technology in this field changes by the day, it only makes good sense to make use of equipment rental service wherever it is cost effective and viable.
