Hoosier IT company creates ‘Classroom of the Future’
JASPER, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — As schools throughout the country transition to e-learning, Jasper-based Matrix Integration has developed what it is calling the “Classroom of the Future.” The IT infrastructure company is partnering with Cisco to develop the system it says will not only serve schools right now, but years down the road as well. Matrix says the system provides a safer environment inside schools for both students and teachers, as well as improved collaboration for students participating in e-learning at home.
Reggie Gresham, vice president of sales and marketing for Matrix Integration, tells Inside INdiana Business the “Classroom of the Future” provides numerous benefits for students, teachers and school districts.
“First with the schools, it’s a huge benefit because parents are looking for ways to get their kid to the right school with how they collaborate with their business as well, their personal job that they have,” said Gresham. “So if a school district is a little bit behind on their technology, parents are pretty much pulling out of that district and maybe moving to a different district. So it allows the schools to be a little bit more competitive.”
The company says the system could save districts up to $7 million in state funding by keeping students in the districts.
The “Classroom of the Future” includes the use of WebEx and TelePresence software to not only provide a secure environment for students learning from home, but the capability for teachers to stay engaged with their students around the classroom and not confined to their desks. Matrix says teachers have the ability to share content with both in-classroom and at-home students and even pre-record lessons for on-demand viewing.
Matrix Integration partnered with Mooresville Schools to pilot the system, which Gresham said allowed the district to maintain its COVID-19 safety protocols with students returning to class and improve e-learning for at-home students.
“Setting up e-learning has been a huge challenge for districts all over the country,” Jake Allen, assistant superintendent of Mooresville Schools, said in a news release. “I feel like we got a huge head start by working with Matrix Integration and Cisco last school year. We discussed all of our challenges as well as our ideal outcomes, and together we developed a robust remote learning system that was implemented within weeks, with plenty of room to grow.”
Gresham says the “Classroom of the Future” model is not limited to just K-12 education. He says other industries could potentially utilize the system as well.
“We have some opportunities we’re working on in the healthcare arena right now to where doctors are able to collaborate with patients and the most unique one we’re working on is in financial institutions to where they’re not seeing customers come into their building anymore; they’re having them drive up the traditional ATM and being able to interface with them through the ATM machine that’s there,” said Gresham. “We coined it ‘Classroom of the Future’ but it definitely an be utilized in a lot of industries.”