LaSalle College unveils its new generation of FLEX classrooms

After more than a year of online classes, a number of students have developed a taste for—if not a sense of well-being from—learning in the comfort of their own homes. This teaching method certainly offers flexibility and makes it easier to balance school, work and family.

Others, however, couldn’t stand another day without their friends for company, without the high-spirited atmosphere on campus and without discovering a new restaurant on Sainte-Catherine Street. For them, college life is an in-person experience!

These two polar opposite realities are now a part of our new reality...and LaSalle College understood the message!

Our new FLEX classrooms

With the well-being of our students as a top priority, LaSalle College invested in ultra-high-tech classrooms to facilitate hyflex teaching, where both remote and in-person classes are taught simultaneously. The name of the game: provide versatility and flexibility to students without interfering with the quality of teaching offered.

Through the College, 10 FLEX classrooms were already opened for the start of the 2021 academic year. But with the constantly changing needs of students and ever-evolving technological tools, it goes without saying that the College will continue to innovate and improve on what we offer...

The height of educational technology

FLEX rooms enable state-of-the-art hyflex teaching. These classrooms are equipped with only the finest equipment to ensure high-quality learning for all students, whether in the classroom or at home:

• Two video cameras that auto-focus on their target (one at the front of the class and one at the back) so that remote students can see both the teacher and the board, just like those seated in the class;
• Three screens, including a huge one at the front of the class, one at the side and one at the back, so that the teacher and students in the classroom can interact with those joining online;
• A soundbar equivalent to 8,192 virtual microphones for a perfect audio experience: sound from every corner of the classroom is picked up.

These elements together enable smooth hyflex teaching. Thanks to the cameras and unbeatable sound quality, online students will feel like they’re actually in the room. In short, the experience is second to none!

Unrivalled simplicity for hyflex teaching

Despite their considerable technological sophistication, these classrooms are extremely simple and user-friendly, both for students at home and for teachers, who can focus on delivering quality education. It was essential that these classes be equipped with software that wouldn’t require any human intervention once started. This is why they’re connected directly to Teams, the software used by LaSalle College for online teaching.

This compatibility with Teams makes it possible to deliver an unparalleled e-learning experience. Students at home can choose to see the teacher along with the board, the students in the classroom or even the presentation the teacher is sharing with students. This promotes easier interaction, collaboration and participation for all.

A major investment in the student experience

LaSalle College is making real investments in their students’ experience. These 10 classrooms represent a $300,000 project.

It goes without saying that these rooms had to effectively meet the needs of current and future students looking for an experience adapted to their needs and realities. The College did its homework: students and teachers were interviewed about how to create a more pleasant and effective online learning environment. The results made it possible to develop a solid concept and to choose the right technological tools.

More than 100 hybrid classrooms throughout the College

In addition to the 10 FLEX rooms, when the pandemic hit, LaSalle College adapted 100 or so classrooms, equipping them with high-end webcams and speakers.

What’s more, before opening the FLEX rooms, some 20 classrooms were equipped with Crestron technology, which enables hyflex teaching beyond what a simple webcam can provide.