University at Buffalo Mixes Old School Tech with New LED Displays
A Radiance LED wall enables UB faculty to share content that is clear no matter where a student sits in the classroom.
Photos courtesy of Dennis Reed Jr., University at Buffalo.
The University at Buffalo (UB), one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in New York state was looking for a solution to enhance its classroom and campus dining display technology. The research institution draws 32,000 students annually with a wide variety of sought-after programs for medicine, pharmacy and law. UB chose Radiance LED to create highly effective and engaging learning environments.
The Tech Decision
After discussions and demonstrations of direct view LED technology with UB’s integrator, the decision was made to update the display technology in the Natural Sciences lecture halls on campus.
Housing some of the largest lecture halls on campus, NSC 201 and NSC 225 have seating for upwards of 350 individuals. With such a large space, the university needed a visually impactful solution that allowed the students to have a clear view of the instructional materials from every location.
Chris Clune, director of IT Customer Service, explains, “We wanted to create a more innovative way of instruction. Chalkboards and dry-erase boards were a big factor to how our faculty liked to teach so we needed a way to incorporate them into some of the more modern aspects of instruction.” Brice Bible, UB’s vice president and chief information officer, echoed a similar sentiment saying, “We wanted to create a learning experience in which site lines were not an issue and that could easily be synchronous with our distance learning initiatives.”
‘A front door to the campus’
The nearby One World Café was also in need of an engaging display solution. Integrating a visual messaging system that delivered pertinent student information was high on UB’s priority list. Designed with the vision of creating a highly visible “front door” to the campus, this active student hub is a central point for meeting and studying along with a rich tapestry of international food options.
The new 16ft by 9ft display at One World Café has become very popular for all visitors. Set in an open space, the LED wall displays important announcements to the students with top quality visuals for university programs, sports games, special events and messages from the president.
Incredible Clarity and Color on a Massive Scale
“The new displays really allow us to make the most effective use of our instructional technology resources. These new instructional design capabilities have provided a really effective tool for faculty.” – UB VP & CIO Brice Bible
When all was finished, the staff, faculty and students were enamored with the new Radiance LED VX Series displays. The massive 32ft by 9ft central display in NSC 225 showcases course content in amazing detail from every seat in the lecture hall. Complementing this space, the 28ft by 8ft display in NSC 201 displays live, in-class notes from the professor, as well as supplementary sources with incredible clarity and vibrant colors. Complete with student microphone installations, both have the ability to show dual content sources and create an environment that allows a constant focus on student success.
A Perfect Mix of Old School Tech with the New
Bible describes the new setup in saying, “The new displays really allow us to make the most effective use of our instructional technology resources. These new instructional design capabilities have provided a really effective tool for faculty.”
Clune agrees, stating, “These new spaces are truly dynamic learning environments, complete with the ability to display document cameras, PowerPoints, content sharing from personal devices, etc. With the faculty’s chalkboard content on the screen, the clarity makes it as if a student in the back row were at the front of the class. Thanks to the Radiance LED walls, we’ve mixed the old school with the new.”
The rooms’ large displays allow remote students to feel more integrated into the in-person class. Remote students are also more easily seen by students in the room. Microphones placed at the tabletop allow for in-person students to be clearly heard by the remote audience.
Photos courtesy of Dennis Reed Jr., University at Buffalo. This article originally appeared in CS sister publication MyTechDecisions.com.
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