AVIXA CEO David Labuskes discusses the importance of audiovisual (AV) technology in higher education
Labuskes made the comments during a recent keynote session at the OEB Global 2017 conference in Berlin earlier this month.
The cross-sector conference, of which AVIXA was a sponsor, focuses on the latest developments in learning, with insights and best practices from leading organisations in the field.
AVIXA, taking part in OEB Global for the first time, used the event to continue its new strategy to help further increase awareness of AV solutions in various user markets.
Connected world
During the session, Labuskes explained to delegates that audiovisual experiences were important not only as a way of drawing the best students to their institutions, but also for improving their learning outcomes.
“Your next new class of students has grown up in a world that’s totally connected,” Labuskes told the packed room. “They live their social lives in the palm of their hands. They speak in images rather than words. They access content when and where they can. How will you convince them that you offer a unique environment to best realize their learning potential? Don’t simply answer ‘technology,’ because that’s already the old answer. Today’s connected students are looking for meaningful, impactful, integrated experiences. Audiovisual solutions enable that.”
Labuskes was followed by Dr. Piet van der Zanden, Education Expert AV-IT in Learning Spaces at Delft University of Technology, who explained how the right combination of pedagogy, space and technology create exceptional audiovisual experiences for students and staff. He encouraged the audience to foster interdepartmental collaboration when designing education spaces to maximize the impact of those AV experiences.
Just prior to an engaging question-and-answer session, Jan Zwanenberg, Digital Architect at AV integrator JNV, and Peter Janssen, AV Domain Specialist at Utrecht University, shared with delegates the recent AV systems renovation at Utrecht University. The school is outfitting 290 lecture rooms with a new, flexible, standard AV configuration. It’s based on the latest 4K resolution technology to ensure a modern, immersive experience, and it’s built to be managed centrally by Utrecht University’s 12-person AV support staff. Zwanenberg and Janssen described some of the driving factors behind the renovation: ensuring lecture halls offer a uniform AV experience, meeting the same technical requirements throughout the university, and making efficient use of the existing space while still creating a modern, engaging learning environment.
“Our conference debut at OEB Global was a great success,” said Labuskes. “We appreciate the participation of all our insightful panellists and everyone who joined us in Berlin. The conversations were excellent, and I look forward to future events in Europe where we can further demonstrate the power and benefit of AV experiences in achieving positive outcomes.”
Speaking after the event, Astrid Jaeger, OEB’s Conference Director said, “We were pleased to have AVIXA as a sponsor and would like to thank the association for their excellent contribution to OEB’s agenda. The panel led by Dave Labuskes was highly engaging and much appreciated by our audience, contributing a wealth of ideas for them to consider.”
For more about the role audiovisual experiences play in higher education, visit www.avixa.org/higheredAV.
