It might take some time for students to gather in a classroom like how it used to happen before, as the pandemic has brought many new norms to our life. Although none of us thinks that the lecture halls would vanish in the future, we expect tomorrow’s classrooms to be a bit different from today’s. “It is imperative that the educational institutions employ cutting-edge audio-visual technologies such as advanced visualization, stereoscopic imagery, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and higher-resolution devices that will help them create a more stimulating learning environment in the long run,” says Rishubh Nayar, Director, Christie Digital Systems (India) Private Limited. A global audio-visual, content management, and image processing technologies company, Christie Digital offers a complete range of high-quality AV solutions for business, education, the entertainment industry. In an email interaction with Higher Education Digest, Rishubh Nayar talks about the wide adoption of pro-AV technology in recent years, critical trends of digital classrooms to follow in 2020-21, and many more.
What are the most significant changes you have seen in educational technology in the recent past?
There have been significant steps made to modernize higher educational institutions in India. As the second-most populous country in the world, education is an important factor in the nation’s development. Today, educational institutions are spread across many domains that are run by the private, government and autonomous bodies. Not only has there been an increasing demand for educational technology, but pro-AV technology has also been widely adopted in recent years. The deployment of Pro-AV technology is beginning to shape the way we teach, learn and inspire, for such solutions are designed to offer flexible, innovative techniques that improve both performance and learning outcomes, and can introduce exciting new revenue streams and opportunities for all. Pro-AV technology is now acknowledged as an integral part of the infrastructural requirements of educational institutions, and many of them are stepping up their game in this area.
What works well in educational technology? What can be improved upon?
From a Pro-AV perspective, visual technology is commonplace in current educational institutions and an essential tool for lesson delivery. From basic 3,000 lumen projectors and interactive boards in classrooms to high-brightness projectors or LED walls in auditoriums and video conferencing tools that foster greater collaboration among institutions, these technologies have certainly worked well. What can be improved upon is the quality of the displayed visuals and reliability of these technologies? With the introduction of laser projection and LEDs with smaller pixel pitches, these technological tools are getting better with time.
What would you like to see educators do differently when it comes to technology?
It varies between vertical markets, but I believe that medical institutions have the broadest scope for modernization. It is imperative that they employ cutting-edge audio-visual technologies such as advanced visualization, stereoscopic imagery, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and higher-resolution devices that will help them create a more stimulating learning environment in the long run.
What are some of the most innovative technologies in Ed-Tech right now? What are the key trends of Digital Classrooms to follow in 2020-21?
Laser projection is undoubtedly one of the most innovative technologies of our time, and it has become a gamechanger because it offers longer-lasting brightness, lower maintenance and improved colour and contrast over lamp-based models. Laser projectors are here to stay, and the education market is certainly one area that will benefit from laser projection. Unlike conventional displays that have a size limit (unless a large canvas is available), the switch to laser projection is a one-time investment which can help educational institutions achieve visuals that are many times bigger, sharper and brighter than conventional displays, and at affordable prices.
Post-COVID-19, what are the opportunities Christie Digital Systems India sees in the Indian education market?
Education is one market which remains unaffected by COVID-19. We have new IIT and IIMs that are getting inaugurated, and there are opportunities for Christie in these premier technical and management institutions, which we are actively pursuing. Our education solutions bring learning to life on campus – from the smallest classroom to the largest lecture hall and everywhere in between. With Christie’s wide range of visual display solutions, our customers from this market can find the right technology for their needs – no matter space.
What is your advice to the educational institutions who are looking for a technology partner?
Educational institutions need to work with an organization that is committed to collaborating with them and possesses the right tools and resources that are needed to achieve the intended goals. It is also essential for both parties to work towards having a feasible business framework that focuses on the educational institution’s short term and long-term needs.
About Rishubh Nayar
Rishubh Nayar is the Director for Christie Digital Systems(India) Private Limited. He has over 12 years of professional experience in the areas of account management, market and channel development, business analysis and sales.
Rishubh undertakes the important role of promoting Christie’s advanced visual solutions to numerous clients and business partners throughout India and South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) nations. Under his astute business acumen and hard work, Christie has attained market leadership for high-brightness projection and display solutions in India, with many of its products showcased in high profile events and installations across major corporates and PSUs in India.
In December 2019, Rishubh was chosen for the inaugural “40 Under 40” listing by renowned ProAV trade publication InAVate APAC, which celebrates the contributions of committed and talented individuals from the AV industry who are aged below 40.
Rishubh is a postgraduate in Management Studies from the Alliance Business School in Bangalore.