UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Instructors at Penn State’s University Park campus will see enhanced camera technology being rolled out in classrooms beginning this summer as Zoom also becomes the default resource for instructional recordings.
Penn State University Libraries’ Media and Technology Support Services (Media Tech) and Teaching and Learning with Technology teams are making upgrades to most University Park general-purpose classrooms this summer continuing through fall 2024 semester. Auto-tracking pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera equipment is being installed at or near the rear of classroom spaces with camera controls programmed into Crestron podium systems. The cameras will configure easily within users’ Zoom video conferencing and recording account settings.
In addition, Zoom recording is replacing Mediasite, which is no longer being supported by Media Tech. Instead, Zoom will work through the classroom cameras to enable anyone using the room to self-record lectures and meetings. Zoom recordings made in the classroom will continue to appear within 24 hours in the user’s Kaltura account.
“The new PTZ cameras act like an on-demand videographer,” said Ty Emel, classroom support supervisor at Media Tech. “They intuitively follow the person speaking and moving at the front of the room and automatically adjust camera settings to ensure that recordings remain in focus without the need for separate operator intervention. They return full control of the recording to the user while providing a user-friendly recording experience.”
The cameras add significant flexibility for Zoom event hosts and viewers, such as picture-in-picture viewing capability, and remain in control of the user logged in at the podium, not monitored separately.
Before a camera is used, its tracking option will be turned off by default and the lens will face away from the classroom. In addition, the camera itself cannot record audio, so a speaker will need to use a microphone to have audio included with a recording.
When a user’s Zoom settings are activated to use the camera and the user logs into the podium or turns on the projector, the camera will spin around and focus on the podium. When the user begins recording, a vocal announcement from Zoom within the classroom will declare when recording is in progress or stopped. The camera’s auto-tracking setting can be enabled by each user through the podium control panel’s camera tracking button, which is being added to each podium.
Step-by-step instructions for using the PTZ cameras are available online at https://sites.psu.edu/classroomrecording. For general questions, please email MediaTechSupport@psu.edu