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Growing Use of AV in Higher Education

Colleges and universities across the nation have been using and implementing audiovisual equipment as learning tools for their collaborative education methods. In the next five years, half of all higher education classrooms will be equipped with AV technology, according to a new study. For the past five years, the number of classrooms with AV equipment has doubled every year, and is expected to continue to double annually through 2010.

The study, AV Technology in Higher Education, was conducted by Acclaro Growth Partners, an independent strategic research firm, on behalf of InfoComm International, the international trade association representing the professional audiovisual industry. `We are pleased to see the higher education community embracing AV technology,` said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., Executive Director of InfoComm International. `It is encouraging to see colleges and universities looking at AV as a long-term investment that is enhancing the quality of education, while reducing its cost, eliminating academic bottlenecks, and assisting recruitment efforts.`

The study finds that 75% of the demand for AV equipment in higher education is the result of construction of new classrooms. The total number of higher education students in the US is expected to peak in 2008, resulting in an increase in construction of new facilities. Technology is being integrated in the new classrooms, reflecting changes in education methods, including the increased use of collaborative techniques and project-based assignments. AV is also being used to attract increasingly tech-savvy students, and to accommodate distance learning programs, which expand both the reach and revenues of higher education institutions.