Page 28 - spaces4learning, January/February 2020

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HIGHER ED TECHNOLOGY
An LED video wall wraps around an exterior-facing corner wall of Oregon Health and Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute.
Photos Courtesy of Oregon Health and Science University
rendered traditional signage unreadable. After evaluating display technologies at a local expo, a decision was made to install an LED video wall that wraps around an exterior-facing corner wall.
“The video wall allows the institute to tell the story of the science occurring in the building and change our message as the science changes,” said Allen Tomlinson, director of Mar- keting and Strategic Communications at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
And in a 200-seat auditorium located on the building’s main floor, a four-screen-by-four screen LED video wall with very fine pixel pitch was installed for scientific presentations and to share data. Before upgrading to the new display tech- nology, presenters often experienced difficulty getting rooms dark enough to show the very subtle variances that need to be emphasized, such as the delicate contrast between different cells. Now the images are sufficiently bright with accurate enough color to present under normal room lighting.
The auditorium video wall also provides the Knight Cancer Institute with a tool to engage the public. It will be used throughout the year for the institute’s busy schedule of events, including an international conference and a series of commu- nity-facing presentations called Knight School. “We’re also planning on using the video wall as a backdrop for some TED Talk-style presentations that will allow our scientists to inform the community about the work they are doing,” Tomlinson said.
3) Appealing to Gamers, Too
Perhaps the most leading-edge use of audiovisual experiences to lure tomorrow’s students is the rise of esports on college campuses. In recent years, scores of U.S. colleges have estab- lished varsity-level gaming teams and the National Asso- ciation of Collegiate Esports (NACE) was founded. Its first convention was attended by 139 colleges and universities.
As much as esports is for participants, it’s also a spectator activity, requiring a tech-enabled venue that makes watch-
ing gameplay engrossing. In 2019, Full Sail University, a media-arts college in Winter Park, FL, opened The Fortress, an 11,200-square-foot competitive gaming arena. The $6 million venue seats up to 500 spectators and is, by nature, an AV-rich facility. In addition to the gaming stations on which teams compete, fans follow the action on a 36-by-11.5-foot LED video wall, the largest of several displays. There is also an awe-inspiring circular LED display, 24 feet in circumference and arrayed in a halo above the competition dais.
“What sets this apart from both other esports venues being built on campuses and commercial esports arenas is that it’s designed to accommodate spectators and act as an educational facility,” said Bennett Newsome, Full Sail’s esports strategist. “We can support events like invitational tournaments, but it’s also a complete classroom environment.”
Indeed, the nature of today’s audiovisual technology is such that it can play multiple roles on campus. Using AV, college and university planners can create digital canvasses that support different missions — perhaps the most import- ant of which is to connect with incoming students and the community. In addition, weaving modern AV solutions into the classroom experience exposes students to new modes of collaboration that will serve them well in the workforce.
Ron Cramer, a technology consultant at the University of Wisconsin, explained at EDspaces 2019 that feedback from alum- ni and local corporations about the skills students need coming out of school has influenced the application of technology. “We’re using AV technology that can help students become more effec- tive at communicating and team building,” Cramer said. “This is the kind of environment we want to produce for them.”
Dan Goldstein is chief marketing officer for AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association. AVIXA represents the $231 billion global commercial AV industry and produces InfoComm trade shows around the world. For more information, visit avixa.org/higheredAV.
A video wall in the Knight Cancer Institute’s auditorium provides the brightness and color accuracy needed for scientific presentations.
28 JAN/FEB 2020