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Posted: 12/15/20

TAMIU Adding New Equipment, Technologies to Ensure Effective Remote Learning this Spring

 

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While students spent much of the semester logging onto Blackboard, Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) online learning platform for accessing coursework, recorded lectures and pending assignments, TAMIU’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition for both students and faculty at the University.

With the introduction of TAMIUFlex, OIT staff members focused on creating a clear plan that would create a digital bridge from the University’s traditional lecture halls and classrooms to students who chose to participate in remote learning, explained Miguel Munoa, associate vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer.

“Before the Fall semester, the OIT Instructional Services Team quickly developed and implemented a comprehensive plan to significantly improve the streaming capabilities of these learning spaces and ultimately address these concerns,” said Munoa.

These updates included facilitating spaces where remote learners would be able to view, hear and replay the interactions taking place in learning spaces traditionally built and configured for in-person instruction.

The total project investment of over $250,000 specifically focused on the improvement of three key areas, including video camera upgrades, audio capturing capabilities and high-quality lecture recording, he noted.

“By the start of the Fall Semester, the OIT team was able to complete the upgrade of 24 existing large lecture halls designated as TAMIUFlex venues with Logitech Rally Plus UHD 4K conference cameras. These cameras have long-range 4k HD video capabilities which can render a very close-up clear image of the lectern, whiteboard, and the audience areas of the lecture halls,” Munoa said.

The newly-installed cameras also included microphones capable of focusing and capturing the faculty members and students within the large rooms as they were speaking, amplifying their sound while minimizing additional background noise.

Additionally, the University also equipped 20 smaller traditional classrooms with compact Logitech HD conference cameras and Yeti microphones to achieve a similar effect.

“The combined enhanced audio and video capabilities in these 40 learning spaces across campus have facilitated a considerable improvement over the standard built-in computer microphone and web cameras that these rooms were previously equipped with,” Munoa explained. 

Using ECHO360, OIT staff members were able to capture and record the live lectures. This system captures, stores, and streams HD-quality recordings of all lectures, including automated audio transcription and captioning.

During the upcoming Spring 2020 semester, OIT will increase the number of classrooms using these emerging technologies to continue enabling remote instruction, Munoa emphasized.

“Based on the positive experiences our students and faculty have reported in these instructional spaces, the OIT team is now focused on the Spring term and expanding these upgrades to an additional 20 rooms,” Munoa concluded.

For more information, contact the Office of Information Technology at 956.326.2310, email hotline@tamiu.edu or visit https://www.tamiu.edu/oit/.

Registration for TAMIU’s Wintermester and Spring Semester 2021 is underway now. Classes begin Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.

For more on the University’s story, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu, follow its social channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.