Learning Spaces Technology Classroom Standards

The Learning Spaces Technology team ensures that CU Boulder’s teaching and learning spaces are equipped with current technology relevant to supporting the academic mission of the university. These spaces need to complement the teaching mission, have a common user experience, and evolve over time as the requirements of teaching and learning change. Support operations are a key element of ensuring the successful use of these spaces for both faculty and students.

Ultimately, the classroom experience is evaluated on the basis of human perception:

• Can a participant adequately see the presented content from anywhere in the room?
• Can a participant hear the presenter (and other participants) clearly?
• Can the presenter easily operate the AV system?
• Does the classroom function in a consistent manner?
• When an issue arises, is it addressed so as to limit impact on the presentation?

Our learning spaces standards take into account the faculty and student user experience as well as industry-defined standards for commercial AV systems from the Audio Visual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA)*, Federal Information and Communication Technology standards (ICT) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations.

*AVIXA is the trade association representing the professional audiovisual and information communications industries worldwide.

Minimum Requirements 

By utilizing these standards and designing systems for each space, LST is able to create a common user experience across supported teaching and learning environments while providing systems that are supportable at scale. The user experience is summarized by meeting the following requirements from any seat within the room:

• Ability to see the presented content clearly
  • (AVIXA V202.01:2016 Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual Systems)
  • (AVIXA 3M-2011 Projected Image System Contrast Ratio)
  • (AVIXA RP-38-17 Lighting Performance for Small to Medium Sized Video-conferencing Rooms)
• Ability to hear the audio of the presentation and the instructor’s voice clearly
  • (AVIXA A102.01:2017 Audio Coverage Uniformity in Listener Area)
• Ease of use for instructors by providing a common user experience between learning spaces
• Standards to ensure robust system support related to hardware, architecture and connectivity
• Compliance with ADA and ICT accessibility standards to the greatest extent possible.

Technology Standards for Learning Spaces

The technology standard for Learning Spaces in its simplest form is the OIT-determined minimum level of technology required in a classroom to meet the above established expectations and includes the components below, depending upon classroom size.

Additional functionality above and beyond the minimum level of technology can be designed and installed to enhance a classroom to meet specific needs of academic programs and may include “extras” such as recording, streaming, participant microphone systems, etc.