Empowering educators with technology

By Mohammed Sharif, Strategic Business Manager – Video Collaboration, KSA at Logitech

With new COVID-19 pressures urging governments throughout the world to impose further limitations, it’s apparent that businesses must be prepared to operate remotely, or at the very least adapt to the demands of users who choose to engage digitally. This can assist prevent the illness from spreading, as well as ensuring that business and society operate more efficiently while allowing people to isolate themselves from others.

This applies to schools, colleges, and universities just as much as it does to retail, healthcare, or any other industry.

It was exciting to witness how the degree of awareness about the need to utilise technology for remote and distance learning has developed when attending the recent Smart School Summit – Saudi Arabia. The event gathered educators and technology vendors from around the region, and the continued high demand for innovative new technologies to help bridge the gap between students and teachers in remote settings was palpable.

In Saudi Arabia, where almost 37% of the population is under the age of 14, and those under the age of 25 account for more than 50% of the population, the education sector is undoubtedly becoming more prominent. Furthermore, education is an important component of Saudi Arabia’s Human Capability Development Program, which is part of the Saudi Vision 2030.

With or without COVIID-19, demand for remote and hybrid learning will continue to rise in Saudi Arabia, not just for young people, but also for adult education and corporate training. Everyone is keen to pull in the same direction to – in the words of the Human Capability Development Program – “ensure that citizens have the required capabilities to compete globally by instilling values and developing basic and future skills, as well as enhancing knowledge”.

At the Smart Schools Summit, Logitech showcased a number of cutting-edge technologies, including the Rally Bar video conferencing solutions for small, medium, and large rooms, as well as the Logitech Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboard camera for meeting rooms and schools.

Logitech Rally Bar is a collection of appliance and PC-based video conferencing solutions that operate with today’s most popular services like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini have built-in AI and include Logitech RightSense technology and AI Viewfinder, as well as a second camera for computer vision and a built-in microphone. The camera identifies human figures in real time and analyses their location, improving the precision of Logitech RightSight auto-framing and camera control so meeting attendees are always in focus, even if they arrive late or move around. The technology is perfect for professors who are interacting with students online since it allows them to move about freely without having to worry about audio-visual difficulties.

Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboard camera for conference spaces and classrooms, was also featured by Logitech. Logitech Scribe, which is compatible with top platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, feeds whiteboard information into video meetings with stunning clarity, bringing everyone into the same room digitally. The device uses artificial intelligence to make the user invisible so they don’t get in the way of the information they’re creating on the whiteboard.

This type of content sharing has a significant impact on virtual learning and teamwork. It also makes things much easier for the presenter, who can concentrate on the message rather than worrying about whether or not the audience can see the whiteboard.

We’re thrilled to provide these and other solutions to Saudi Arabia’s education industry and support Saudi Vision 2030’s goals.