Modern, easy to use audio visual equipment with identical controls for every room.
North Rhine-Westphalia University for Police and Public Administration (HSPV NRW), with over 12,000 students is the largest institution of its kind in Germany, offering 6 bachelor degree programs and a separate master’s degree (MPM Master of Public Management). Five of these are categorized as General Administration or Pension Insurance, and the sixth is for the Police department. All theory is taught at the University, combined with practical training which takes place at the student’s respective places of work. HSPV NRW headquarters is located in Gelsenkirchen, with other study locations in Aachen, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Duisburg, Hagen, Herne, Cologne, Mühlheim an der Ruhr, and Münster.
Audio visual equipment in more than 200 classrooms of different sizes has been upgraded, transforming the existing rooms into state-of-the-art learning spaces. The requirement was for uniform provision of modern, easy to use equipment with identical controls in each room, with BYOD (bring your own device) capability, plus options for online learning, and room-to-room streaming. Centralized remote management was required, together with excellent levels of service and support.
A decisive criterion when choosing the media technology was the BYOD capability, as students are increasingly bringing their own electronic devices into the classroom. It was also important to be able to offer a system that does not require the use of dongles or an app to be downloaded. It should definitely be a technology that can be used for all common devices, regardless of whether iOS, Android, Windows or Mac, and should enable maximum ease of use in the classrooms.
Thomas Schröder Head of E-learning - HSPV NRWOn-screen display of digital content materials of all types, together with physical content.
There was also increasing demand from the lecturers for the ability to both record and stream lectures, in order to maintain social distancing both during and post-Covid-19. This also allows students to attend classes remotely if required.
HSPV NRW does not use large auditoriums or lecture halls, and most teaching is carried out in small groups of around 30 students. WolfVision’s all-in-one multi-functional Cynap wireless presentation and collaboration systems and VZ-8neo Visualizers were selected for Course Rooms and Course Room Plus classrooms.
In these rooms, foil-based overhead projectors were replaced by VZ-8neo Visualizers, which communicate with the Cynap systems via USB. The document cameras are mounted on motorized, height-adjustable lecterns which can also be used by people sitting in wheelchairs.
Using Cynap systems together with VZ-8neo Visualizers enables high-quality on-screen display of digital content materials of all types, together with physical content such as documents, objects, and other items during lessons. In-room equipment is kept to a minimum, and lecture recording is possible in individual rooms if required, where microphones and dome cameras are available. H.264-coded recordings are stored locally on the Cynap unit, and then files can be transferred to a USB stick.
According to my observations, many teachers very much appreciate the fact that the HSPV NRW now has state-of-the-art media technology equipment. The university is growing and more buildings will be added. Our successful new media technology concept should also be used there – improved by the current experience.
Thomas Schröder Head of E-learning - HSPV NRWEasy-to-use BYOD capability using Cynap Core
In the smaller Group work rooms and TSK rooms (social skills training) which are designed for approximately 10 people, WolfVision Cynap Core Systems are used. BYOD was once again, a very important consideration, and students are increasingly bringing their own laptops, smartphones, and tablets to lectures, instead of pen and paper. The University wanted to avoid using ‘easy-to-lose’ dongles or the the necessity to install apps or additional software, and Cynap/Cynap Core’s ability to support app-free, dongle-free wireless connectivity for all iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, and Chromebook devices is a key advantage.
In total, 191 Cynap units with HDBaseT Out option were installed together with 188 VZ-8neo Visualizer systems. In the smaller classrooms, 49 Cynap Core units were installed. WolfVision is extremely proud to be involved in this major project, and looks forward to providing support and advice to this outstanding educational institution for many years to come.