When the administration
at Sheridan College decided to build a new wing of flexible classrooms in its
Brampton Campus, they turned to Advanced,
Canada’s premier AV and IT integrator, to install new “classrooms of the
future”. The AV experts at Advanced
implemented 20 classrooms with new computers, wireless microphones, document
cameras, movable podiums, and up to six commercial-grade projectors in each
room. And because technology is only as
good as the people using it, they made sure that every room has identical
controls and can be used with very little training.
“We’ve been working with
Sheridan College for over 12 years now, so they knew that we were capable of turning
their new wing of classrooms into interactive classrooms of the future,” said
Mark McPherson, Vice President at Advanced. “Sheridan wanted to create a flex
classroom environment that would provide students and professors the ability to
interact and lecture in various ways, and we integrated AV solutions that let
them do just that. We installed complete video and audio solutions that provide
students with the chance to learn in a uniquely-designed, state-of-the-art
classroom.”
Sheridan came to Advanced
with a flexible classroom design that differs from the traditional,
podium-in-front-of-class layout, and allows professors and students ultimate
mobility and access to technology when presenting.
“We knew we had a design that was different from
anything else being done in college classrooms, so we needed an AV integrator
that could take our idea and make it a reality,” said Trevor Hanekamp, ICT
Architect at Sheridan College. “That’s where Advanced came in. They presented
us with a proposal that offered an innovative and budget-conscious AV solution
for our flex classrooms. In the end, they turned each of these classrooms into
hi-tech multimedia facilities, and the professors and students couldn’t be
happier with the new easy-to-use flex classrooms.”
For the initial project, Advanced partnered with
Just Add Power to install AV equipment in a total of 20 classrooms, including
19 flex classrooms and one room designated the college “Co-Lab”. The flex
classrooms include up to six NEC commercial grade projectors, and every
upgraded classroom features Dell computers and AverMedia 350+ Doc Cameras. Audio components include Extron DMP 44 LC
Digital Matrix Processors, Extron Power Amplifiers and Shure wireless gooseneck
microphones. Because every room uses an identical control panel, educators can
easily teach a class in any of the rooms, making scheduling much simpler.
Each flex classroom is
designed to accommodate network-connected mobile podiums, allowing educators to
present their lessons from any area of the room. Sheridan also wanted to eliminate traditional
bulky equipment racks from the classrooms, so Advanced designed and installed
an innovative equipment racking system mounted to the ceiling, taking up no
more space than one ceiling tile. The state of the art in-ceiling rack houses
the wireless microphone receivers and digital sound processor for each
classroom, eliminating stray wiring while ensuring that the valuable equipment
is secured at all times.
The Co-Lab is a six-projector
room that consists of the same video and audio components as the flex
classrooms and features a podium that allows educators to control four video
sources simultaneously. The Co-Lab is
equipped with two modes — classroom and team — that allow for different methods
of presentation. Classroom mode lets
educators present their lessons on the main projector screen, while team mode
allows for projected content to be distributed to six separate areas of the
classroom, perfect for group work.
“This really is a
one-of-a-kind AV setup,” said Wayne Derby, Vice President of Engineering and
Technical Services at Advanced. “Very few educational facilities in North
America have deployed AV solutions that provide both professors and students
such accessible, mobile and easy-to-use equipment. Sheridan put a lot of
thought into what they wanted for their new wing of rooms, and they decided
that they needed a top-of-the-line template that they wouldn’t have to change
every semester, and would be very simple to use. Typically, when you integrate
this kind of equipment, you have to devote a lot of time to system training.
With this project, minimal training was required, as their system is so
innovative. In the end, they couldn’t have been happier with the result.”
Sheridan is so pleased
with the work done by Advanced that they are standardizing the design for every
new classroom that is built throughout the three campuses. Since the initial
project, Advanced has installed 5 more flex classrooms in other areas of the college.
The college is hopeful that the latest technology utilized in the new
classrooms will better facilitate remote learning capabilities for students who
cannot attend classes in person.
Photo #1
– The projectors in the Co-Lab can be used by the entire class or by individual
groups.
Photo #2 – The mobile podium allows professors to
move around the room as they lecture.
Photo #3 – The in-ceiling rack houses the
wireless microphone receivers and digital sound processor for each classroom.
About Sheridan College
Founded in 1967, Sheridan
College is one of Canada's premier polytechnic institutes and is dedicated to
exceptional applied learning and graduate success. Sheridan is a leader in
providing skills-based educational programming that integrates theory with
application, preparing students for careers in visual and performing arts,
business, community services and technical fields. Sheridan serves close to
17,000 full-time students annually at its campuses in Oakville, Brampton and
Mississauga, Ontario.
About Advanced
Advanced is a leading audiovisual and collaborative
communications company working with corporations, government agencies,
healthcare, and educational organizations throughout Canada and beyond.
Dedicated to innovation in technology and services, Advanced has a strong set
of businesses aligned to meet today’s needs. The company offers
presentation and videoconferencing solutions in addition to complete integrated
systems, visual collaboration systems, rental and staging services, repair, maintenance,
and value-added integration services including design and engineering,
installation and audiovisual consulting. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario,
Advanced also has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, London and Sudbury with partner
offices located in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. To learn more visit www.advanced-inc.com.
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