In his blog post, D’Arcy Norman reflects on his work with the Sextant Group to provide audio-visual technology solutions for the University of Calgary’s Taylor Institute (TI) for Teaching and Learning. Integrating hardware into an environment designed for open, well-lit learning spaces posed challenges, as most walls were glass, featured high ceilings, or had retractable walls, limiting mounting options.
The team developed a modular, adaptable audio and visual (A/V) solution using mounted touch displays on movable stands and floor plug-in stations through vendor collaboration. This setup allowed flexible configurations, simplifying display inputs and outputs through network technology managed in a central server room. Students and teachers can easily reposition displays and control visual outputs, from shared views to unique content per display, directly from their laptops.
While D’Arcy and his team effectively executed the A/V solution, I question whether such a complex system was necessary. As a technology institute, it makes sense to integrate advanced tools to provide hands-on experience. However, since classes already engage with unique projects like volumetric holograms, facilitators naturally foster learning with technology.
If assigned to this project, I would have conducted extensive evaluations and shadowed instructors to understand their needs better, offering a different lens through which to view the design challenge. While A/V systems are essential in today’s information world, was such a complex system indeed required? For example, in each photo presented in the blog, a mounted TV or projector can be seen in the background; in one photo, a projector is directed at a frosted glass wall, evidence that more straightforward, more cost-effective solutions could have sufficed as seen in the current setting. Though these alternatives might lack the “wow” factor, they would reduce the challenges of future issues related to maintaining complex systems.
I commend TI for effectively building such a technological accomplishment. However, the setup’s complexity suggests it was likely not without significant issues, which were not highlighted in the blog. This blog may have been a search engine optimization strategy to attract more customers to The Sextant Group. This raises the question of whether the execution and planning were exceptional or simply a budgetary accomplishment.
While the A/V execution is impressive, concerns remain regarding its validity and the justification for its operational costs. Although issues like obsolescence management were acknowledged, future-proofing the technology was not fully considered, as D’arcy highlights the need for an evergreen plan. D’Arcy also highlighted unique classroom applications, but these insights might have been uncovered earlier during the design stage through comprehensive student and teacher consultations, potentially revealing alternative solutions. Interestingly, a similar process is now conducted before booking rooms already outfitted with the technology. This leads me to believe instruction is tailored to fit the technology rather than the technology designed to support instruction. Additionally, the reactive creation of the “TI Learning Technologies Coaches Program,” which trains undergraduates to maintain, plan and operate the system, indicates a lack of foresight in understanding the complexities of managing such a system.