VIRTUAL learning has been around in Malaysia for a while but it has taken a pandemic for us to realise that having the right infrastructure earlier would have better prepare us for a more seamless education continuity.
However, as schools were forced to close overnight, many had to quickly find a way to manage and cope, according to CEO of HELP Education Services and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Mental Health and Well-Being) of HELP University Dr Gerard J. Louis.
“Because of this unprepared rush, we realised that people have varying levels of capabilities when it comes to utilising virtual learning,” Dr Louis pointed out at a recent virtual forum. “This has caused various problems and disruptions in the adaptation to online learning successfully.”
Thus, it is critical that education institutions remain vigilant and be prepared for the future, moving forward.
This has led to a group of education expert at the virtual forum titled “Education Trends and Challenges in the New Normal: Importance of Seamless Learning Through Quality Tech & Audio” to agree that education institutions in Malaysia should invest in quality audio visual (AV) systems to ensure a seamless learning experience while remaining competitive in an evolving landscape.
Centered on highlighting the latest trends and technology in virtual and hybrid learning, the forum which was spearheaded by Shure – a leading global manufacturer of audio equipment – was made up of Dr Louis; Associate Professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia Dr Mas Jaffri Masarudin, and Lim Ming Wei, Market Development Manager of Concept Audio Sdn Bhd, an authorised distributor of Shure in Malaysia.
“It is high time that the Malaysian education system should put more emphasis to invest in good infrastructure,” stressed Dr Mas Jaffri. “It is imperative that we future proof our institution so that if another calamity hit us, we are ready to face it.”
She added that the experience with this pandemic is like a proof of point that Malaysia should start investing in technology, especially at the higher education level.
Effective virtual learning system
Having the right technology infrastructure in place for virtual and hybrid learning will help both the public and private education institutions in Malaysia to stay ahead and attract top students and academia – both local and foreign.
In addition, deploying an effective virtual learning system goes beyond selecting the right hardware.
“At the end of the day, selecting the right AV technology solutions should be factored on simple deployment, flexibility and scalability in today’s fluid environment, and seamless compatibility with leading collaboration platforms,” Shure’s r sales director (Southeast Asia) Eric Ong remarked.
The forum was also held in tandem with the launch of the Shure Microflex® Advance™ MXA710 Linear Array, Microflex™ MXN5-C Networked Loudspeaker, and MXA Network Mute Button that were recently launched in late 2020.
These globally available products enable Shure to offer the complete audio signal chain – from microphone to DSP (digital signal processing) to loudspeaker – as part of the Shure Microflex Ecosystem for Audio Conferencing.
“Shure offers a complete solution in one place and its conferencing audio ecosystem is flexible across audio system architectures in all room types and ensures end users will experience a high-quality, more unifying AV conference experience across an enterprise, regardless of location,” Ong concluded. – July 16, 2021
