Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit: Enhancing Hyflex Learning in Higher Education

Three higher education institutions test the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit.

General Information

Approximately 70% of higher education students prefer hybrid and flexible (hyflex) course formats over in-person attendance, prompting institutions to adapt to new trends. Hyflex learning requires high-quality video technology that enables learning in spaces of all sizes, shapes, and purposes. In an interesting initiative to facilitate the implementation and use of hyflex learning, three higher education institutions—Georgetown University, the University of California (UC) Berkeley School of Optometry, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District—tested the new Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit.

The three institutions were already familiar with Logitech solutions, from Logitech Rally Bar video conferencing systems to the Logitech Scribe whiteboard camera, so piloting the new Rally Camera Streamline Kit aligned with their initiatives to develop and expand hyflex learning environments. The advantages they discovered are important for any faculty or university seeking to enhance the modern teaching and learning experience.

Profiles of the Institutions

Georgetown University
Founded: 1789
Website: https://www.georgetown.edu/
UC Berkeley School of Optometry & Vision Science
Founded: 1923
Website: https://optometry.berkeley.edu
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Founded: 1957
Website: https://www.fhda.edu/

Solution

With pre-configured wireless buttons that allow users to direct the flow of instruction, the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit simplifies and enhances hyflex learning. A single Ethernet cable can connect and power the camera up to 100 meters from the audiovisual equipment, facilitating installation, reducing clutter, and providing the flexibility needed to adapt to different room layouts and power outlets.

The Rally Streamline Kit leverages the Rally Camera and integrates with most operating systems, video conferencing platforms, and video capture, making it a complete PTZ video solution for higher education institutions. Designed to maximize the impact of every moment on and off campus, this solution is built to integrate seamlessly and be used daily in classrooms, conference rooms, and other spaces.

Chad Gordon, Technical Director, Georgetown University, stated: "The Streamline Kit was ten thousand times easier to install than other cameras I've used. I really like the wall mount. Whenever there's a wall mount installed, if I want to add a camera, I can use this kit to adapt an old camera or put in a new one. I thought it was very well done."

Challenges

Before using the Rally Camera Streamline Kit, Georgetown University, UC Berkeley School of Optometry, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District faced a series of challenges:

Replacing complex and unreliable audiovisual setups.
Navigating infrastructure limitations.
Seeking alternative solutions to improve student engagement in both in-person and remote modalities.

Similar challenges have arisen across higher education as institutions transform their learning spaces to accommodate hyflex modalities. The Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit offered these institutions an opportunity to modernize their classrooms with a scalable and cost-effective audiovisual tool that could improve ease of use, installation simplicity, flexibility, and teaching effectiveness.

Carlos Barreto, Senior Systems Analyst at Foothill-De Anza Community College District, shared: "When I first tried the kit in our conference room to make sure everything worked correctly, it was ready and running in 10 to 15 minutes, including pairing the buttons and setting up presets. When it was installed in the actual room, the total setup time was between 30 and 45 minutes. I must say it took us longer because we reused the existing cabling from a previous camera."

Institution-Specific Challenges

Georgetown University

The hyflex technology portfolio included difficult-to-use solutions, such as PTZ remote controls and a wall panel known for its complexity and malfunction.
Many buildings had rooms with built-in seating areas and unusual shapes that made optimal space utilization difficult.

Molly Chehak, Director of Digital Learning, stated: "We have many new spaces coming online, and we are renovating and improving older ones. At the same time, we are trying to adapt these spaces to changing pedagogical practices, which includes creating dynamic classrooms that don't really have a front or back."

UC Berkeley School of Optometry

Modernizing older buildings with new technology presented a challenge due to limited access to power outlets and long upgrade lead times. Even when outlets were available, audiovisual equipment was often disconnected to plug in phone or laptop chargers.
The institution was preparing to launch a state-of-the-art telemedicine clinic, increasing the need for a scalable and easy-to-use video solution that could display multiple perspectives.

Matthieu Kaminski, Director of the Office of Initiatives in Learning, stated: "With so many competing priorities, small projects, like adding outlets in older buildings, can suffer significant delays, but this technology allows us to bypass that obstacle completely."

Foothill-De Anza Community College District

The university needed a high-quality audiovisual system that could support hyflex courses for its remote and daily commuting students without increasing complexity or cost.
Speaker-tracking cameras in classrooms created awkward and distracting experiences for both students and faculty.

Jory Hadsell, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, stated: "We wanted a solution that would allow us to configure fixed camera zones instead of automatically tracking speakers, especially in rooms with multiple whiteboards on the same or different walls."

Results

Overall, institutions observed significant improvements compared to existing solutions after implementing the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit in their spaces. These improvements included simplified installation, increased faculty confidence, and a more engaging, accessible, and scalable hybrid learning environment.

Jory Hadsell, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Foothill-De Anza Community College District, noted: "The ease of installation makes it an immediate resource for educators."

Faculty Confidence and Engagement

All institutions found that the standardized and consistent user experience offered by the Rally Camera Streamline Kit improved faculty confidence. One of the biggest hurdles in hyflex learning has been the lack of uniformity in classroom setup, causing frustration among professors who have to troubleshoot audiovisual equipment. With the Rally Camera Streamline Kit, all classrooms maintained the same intuitive interface, allowing instructors to immediately familiarize themselves with the technology in any space.

Matthieu Kaminski, Director of the Office of Initiatives in Learning, UC Berkeley School of Optometry, stated: "Professors walk into the room and know exactly how to use it. That consistency eliminates the frustration we used to have with other audiovisual setups."

Shift in Preconceived Notions

The fluid perspective changes of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit represented a considerable improvement over institutions' previous camera setups, which offered a poor experience. The system's ability to quickly move to different preset locations allowed instructors to seamlessly interact with students in various learning spaces, including a long, narrow conference room difficult to cover with other video systems.

Power, Flexibility, and Interoperability

The kit's single-cable connectivity eliminates power limitations in older buildings, and its flexibility is opening up new ways of teaching and learning across all three institutions. Furthermore, the Rally Camera Streamline Kit's compatibility with Zoom enabled a standardized technological experience and fostered adoption.

Scalability

In addition to technical advantages, the cost-effectiveness of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit makes it a very attractive investment for all three institutions. With its easy installation and reasonable price, this solution allows for the expansion of all three elements with minimal budget impact, eliminating hassle for audiovisual teams, facilitating campus-wide adoption, and providing consistency for students and faculty.

Thoughtful Design

The secure cable management system of the Rally Camera Streamline Kit reduces common technical issues, such as accidental disconnections, further increasing reliability and minimizing classroom disruptions. Powering via a single 100m Ethernet cable saves valuable space at power outlets, allows for long cable runs to accommodate different room layouts, and makes it easier for IT teams to find the optimal camera location.

With its intentional design and user-friendly features, the Rally Camera Streamline Kit solves multiple challenges simultaneously for all three institutions. It frees audiovisual teams from complicated installations, optimizes the use of different campus spaces, and provides faculty with a perfect audiovisual solution, aligning with their commitment to excellence and innovation in education. As Jory Hadsell from the Foothill-De Anza Community College District said:

"The Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit is a revolutionary solution that seamlessly connects remote and hybrid students by simplifying camera management and freeing up faculty to focus on what truly matters: teaching."

- JORY HADSELL, VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, FOOTHILL-DE ANZA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

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