Page 56 - spaces4learning, Fall 2022

spaces4learning ADVERTORIAL
A FLEXIBLE FUTURE
REQUIRES FLEXIBLE
FURNITURE
By Lisa Kaslow and Mira Korber
BEFORE COVID-19 CHANGED OUR WORLD FOREV- ER, people did not have a choice about working from an office or attending a class in school. Universities had a brief fascina- tion with the MOOC—Massive Open Online Courses—as an educational panacea, but student performance in those classes rarely equated to earning a degree. Hopes for the potential of transformative online education were tempered. Pre-pandemic, in-person events dominated occasions for gathering, from busi- ness conferences to university classes. Collaboration and confer- encing in-person were requisite.
Enter a new virus, in a globalized world woefully unpre- pared to rein in a galloping rampage of disease. Since March of 2020, meeting platforms such as Zoom, Teams, and GoToMeet- ing have stood in for office and school facilities with real-time virtual meetings and classes. Sadly, despite being 20% through the 21st century, most virtual online experiences were not inter-
active, especially during peak COVID times. Synchronous and asynchronous alike, “digital learning” exacerbated inequities, swallowed mentorship opportunities, and fractured cohesive in-person social networks where inclusion, collaboration and inspiration fostered positive outcomes.
A well designed office meeting space or classroom creates an experience with live energy where learning, coaching, and mentoring can generate creativity, collaboration, and prob- lem-solving. While many do not want to return to the office or classroom, the hybrid meeting solution provides the flexibil- ity to be virtual and in-person simultaneously. Here is a case study of an organization that rapidly shifted gears during the height of the pandemic and successfully transitioned to a hybrid meeting setup in a newly designed and provisioned conference training center. This case study can serve as a model for educa- tional institutions—especially in higher education—looking to establish hybrid learning spaces on their campuses.
Keller Anderle LLP is a leading, woman-owned law firm based in California and specializes in all types of business litiga- tion. When the entire legal system, including courts, shut down because of COVID-19, their business model had to change over- night. Everything went remote, including hearings, depositions, and mediations, all conducted via Zoom. Before March 2020, all appearances took place in-person, and then they did not.
Kay Anderle, a founding partner of Keller Anderle LLP, be- gan her quest for the perfect hybrid meeting room setup by investigating infrastructure that would support a new mode of
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELLER ANDERLE
56 FALL 2022 | spaces4learning.com