Located in Tai Po, Hong Kong, EdUHK is the largest tertiary institution for teacher education in Hong Kong. It is renowned for its diverse academic and research programmes that nurture future educators. EdUHK sits atop a 12.5-hectare campus, and caters to over 7,600 students, as well as more than 1,700 staff and faculty members. 

 

 

 

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) faced difficulties in delivering high-quality hybrid learning experiences due to outdated audio setups in their classrooms. The original setup had only one microphone, which required people to pass it around, leading to inefficiencies and disruptions. Audio delays and technical issues further hindered the ability to maintain dynamic dialogue between in-person and online students, affecting overall engagement and learning outcomes.

 

 

 

To address these challenges, EdUHK installed Sennheiser's TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) microphones in their new e-learning Pedagogy Space (ePS). The TCC 2's TruVoicelift technology and automatic beamforming ensure clear speech intelligibility from every corner of the room. Its 28 inbuilt omnidirectional microphone capsules can scan the room and automatically identify the speaker's position, providing consistent audio coverage. This setup eliminated the need for passing microphones, reduced technical issues, and allowed flexible classroom configurations without compromising audio quality. Additionally, the TCC 2's compatibility with conferencing platforms like Zoom simplified hybrid learning setups, enabling teachers and students to focus on teaching and learning in a well-equipped environment.

Digital learning activities have always been an integral part of teaching innovations at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). With the challenges posed by the pandemic, there has been a pressing need to cater for the huge increase in demand for high quality hybrid learning. EdUHK realised there was a need to equip their classrooms with better audio solutions to enhance the hybrid learning experience and Sennheiser's TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) was the answer they were looking for. Installed in EdUHK’s new e-learning Pedagogy Space (ePS), the TCC 2 elevates the quality of teaching and learning experiences for both staff and students.  

 

The ePS is a new concept introduced by Prof Tsui Kwok-tung, Professor (Practice) of Department of Curriculum and Instruction at EdUHK. Prior to the renovation, the original room was a Learning and Teaching Lab for in-service and pre-service teachers. However,  its effectiveness was limited by its audio set-up. With only one microphone available at any one time,  people had to raise their voices or pass around the microphone to ask questions or deliver presentations.

 

The ePS incorporates both face-to-face and online learning in a synchronous class. However, audio delays and technical issues can stifle conversations and cause both online and in-person students to disengage. Prof Tsui felt that it is vital for the ePS to fulfil two requirements: first of all, it should enable teachers to create and maintain dynamic dialogue between in-person and online students; secondly, it should support different classroom settings. Be it a class, lecture, group discussion, or conference, there should be flexibility in the layout without affecting the audio quality. All in all, audio quality is crucial to the success of the ePS.

 

 

 

Mr Chow Lap Tak is EdUHK’s Computer Officer at the Office of the Chief Information Officer. He was responsible for the AV systems in the upgrading of the ePS. Sennheiser’s TCC 2 was the first thing that came to his mind when he understood what the ePS needed. He had used TCC 2 before, and knew its powerful versatility.

Hong Kong Education University Website