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USC Moves to Hybrid Remote Learning with Help from Tech Partners

In the era of COVID-19 and with shutdown orders still in place across much of the nation, the need for remote communications capabilities has never been greater. In addition to transforming the workplace, virtual learning models have also allowed important education and training to continue successfully and safely.

For the University of Southern California, located in Los Angeles, the understanding is that this new way of learning is something needed even beyond COVID-19. 

To maximize efficiency for its students and staff as they head into a new academic year it has made several necessary technology upgrades to support a hybrid and distance learning approach.

The University announced partnerships with Audinate, an AV solutions provider, conferencing solutions providers Creston and Shure, and a host of others to make these new learning possibilities a reality.

As part of their upgrades, they have invested a reported $2 million in new audiovisual technologies so that over 200 classrooms now have hybrid set-ups.

The hybrid learning approach provides for a mix of students both present physically in the classroom and those viewing the learning sessions in real-time, remotely.

For this upcoming semester, they are giving students and teachers the option to learn and teach from a distance or in-person in light of the current pandemic.

To ensure clear, audible, and reliable connections for the learning, they needed network solutions and tools monitored in real-time.

Using Audinate’s Dante – a network protocol, digital media can run throughout the campus and remote learning space with ease. It can distribute hundreds of channels of uncompressed digital audio via standard Ethernet networks—all with near-zero latency and perfect synchronization.

Joe Way, USC Director of Learning Environments, commented on the implementation, saying, “I wanted to ensure we were as cloud-based and software-based as we possibly could be. By using Dante Domain Manager, we’re able to ensure we have complete observability, control, and security across the network. And we’re able to utilize it both with the scheduling system we have and with individual instructor preferences. For the most part, faculty will be able to walk in at their scheduled time, and the room will be ready for the way they want to teach. With things like Dante’s audio routing at our fingertips, we can set it all up ahead of time.”

With the instance of remote work and distance learning quickly becoming the de facto, it’s essential to be future-ready. This pivot to a hybrid approach by USC certainly positions them well.

“We are in a situation where we would be ready to have everyone back on campus or go entirely remote,” said Way. “We’re also ready for a hybrid scenario, where multiple rooms might need to be linked together and have a single presenter broadcast to each location. Regardless of what it looks like, we know we’re going to be able to offer students the very best learning experience possible.”

Edited by Maurice Nagle