Granted, not much good comes out of pandemics or other catastrophes like war. If there is a silver lining at all, it’s that sometimes dire need accelerates the application of technology to fill a void. With so many people forced to work for home for social distancing, teleconferencing technology has proven to be a huge aid in facilitating collaboration and continuing knowledge work without a significant hit to productivity.

If you think about education, it has been particularly hard hit in the past few months. While education has significantly ramped up the use of technology over the past 20 years, much learning and activity still relies on more traditional in-person interaction. In the past few months, schools in St. Louis and across Missouri have been forced to shift to remote learning and scrambled to implement the right processes to manage it.

Fortunately, the technology for teleconferencing systems and remote collaboration is now quite mature and has come down the affordability cost curve dramatically. Facebook recently announced a rethinking of their workforce, where they might allow half of it or more to work remotely from home. In the same vein, schools can think about innovative ways of using teleconferencing to supplement existing learning programs and better respond to extreme situations, whether it's a pandemic or a severe weather event.

Keep reading to learn how.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Invest in a Crestron Conference Room System

Recorded Lectures

Video lectures can deliver quality classroom instruction remotely consistently. What some schools are doing is flipping the learning model. Instead of a live lecture and homework on their own, the homework is viewing the lecture, and the live collaboration is for the homework. This allows for a better understanding of the subject material, and a student can repeat the lecture portions as necessary since they're recorded.

For high-quality recording, schools may need to upgrade their audio-visual capability. PTZ cameras (pan-tilt-zoom) have become especially versatile for these purposes. For example, a PTZ camera can be controlled remotely, so a teacher or professor can do a lecture or class from home. At the same time, a technical professional can direct the camera for professional results. Even a lab can be filmed where the teacher can concentrate on teaching, while the “cameraperson” can be remote and capture all the detail with pan-tilt-zoom capabilities.

Live Streaming

Remotely controlled PTZ cameras can also be a boon for live streaming. Current health concerns may limit attendance at events like school sports and concerts. And even without these limitations, when they go away, not everyone can attend an event. PTZ cameras can capture sports action and individual band members playing in the school orchestra concert. A parent that cannot attend can either see it live or even recorded later. Similarly, many schools have done graduation live-streaming so that relatives that could not participate have been able to participate.

Assemblies and Events

If large gatherings are not feasible in a single location, streamed events can substitute for broad participation. PTZ cameras are ideal for capturing multiple speakers and participants, whether in the same or remote locations. With some coordination, a remote assembly or event can have the professional polish and quality of a TV broadcast, with affordable and easy to use equipment.

PTZ Optics

Elite Technology Solutions works with PTZ Optics, a company that produces superior PTZ camera solutions that are easy to implement and often cost less than less-capable teleconferencing solutions. We can pair these systems with equally capable and cost-effective audio solutions to give your school or institution the capability it needs for modern remote collaboration and learning.

Let us work with you to find new ways your school can use technology for better education. To learn more, call us today at (636) 939-4474 or visit our contact page. We look forward to working with you.