Enhancing the student experience with digital technology

The solution

When the University changed its preferred control technology and teaching platform just weeks before the final high-level design deadline, the pressure was on for Andrew and the Kinly team. Working together, they rapidly designed a working solution integrating technology from a revised mix of vendors.

“We had a really short timeframe to turn our new high-level design into a working system,” says Andrew. “Kinly rose to the challenge and delivered for us.”

With installation and commissioning complete, the Waterside campus welcomed its first students on schedule in September.

Students immediately see the difference. In class, they no longer get frustrated watching lecturers battle broken projectors.

Instead, lecturers upload teaching materials in advance to the University’s virtual learning environment. Then, as class starts, they simply open their laptops, connect to the AV platform and class materials instantly appear on digital screens. As a result, students get more value from their contact time.

“It’s more enjoyable for our lecturers, who can focus on teaching,” says Andrew. “But it’s fantastic for our students who benefit from the more engaging, collaborative teaching style our platform supports.”

The platform has transformed how Andrew’s team works. Every morning he runs a remote maintenance check, sending out commands to the AV equipment across campus. His team then fixes any potential issues, ensuring the equipment is working – long before students and lecturers arrive for classes. The combination of control platform and well-installed equipment has also boosted overall reliability. "We've just got far fewer technical issues to deal with now," says Andrew.

The result

The new digital screens allow the University to avoid a cost of over £100k a year simply for replacement projector bulbs. And the control platform lets Andrew's team remotely turn off or dim the screens overnight in areas of buildings that are not used 24/7. “This saves us around £17k a year in electricity costs,” says Andrew.

The University’s new videoconferencing rooms enable more effective meetings. But that’s not their full potential. In future, they could support the delivery of classes beyond the Waterside campus. For example, to partner institutions worldwide. By avoiding the need for lecturers to travel, this will save costs and cut the University's carbon footprint.

“Kinly has helped us deliver our vision," says Andrew. "Their installation team went above and beyond to hit deadlines. They are simply the best set of engineers I’ve had on site in my 10 years at the University.”