In March 2020, schools across the US scrambled to set up remote learning environments, working to accommodate students as they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, schools struggled as students and staff acclimated to the new remote learning environment, including overcoming technological challenges on both sides. Since then, however, schools have not only adapted to remote learning technologies, they have thrived with their integration. By modernizing AV technologies within educational institutions, educators have afforded students and faculty a significant amount of flexibility in learning methods and collaborative environments.

In the process of preparing for remote learning environments, AV professionals worked to fine-tune classrooms to suit the needs of both students and faculty. At The College of New Jersey, for example, the technology department has installed an audiovisual suite that allows the speaker to move about the room, while cameras track and maintain focus on them. Additionally, this system also supports up to a dozen lavalier mics, meaning educators can bring in guest speakers and panelists alike to aid in education.

The increased emphasis on AV in education has also had logistical benefits for schools, as well. As schools research and collaborate on the best AV technologies and implementations, they develop consolidated standards that are easy to adopt and cost-efficient. For IT departments, these factors are crucial, as departments work with limited resources while scaling technologies across multiple remote learning environments.

Joe Way (UCLA), Lisa Stephens (SUNY), and Jimmie Singleton (BizDev Strategist @ CDW) discuss how to design collaborative learning environments

Outside of learning environments, educational institutions have also leveraged AV technologies for remote collaboration. In Colorado's Academy School District 20, administrators worked with providers to create a robust audiovisual experience for district meetings. The solution not only had to improve the quality of the remote experience, it also had to be usable without need technical proficiency. This successful implementation has led to a bolstered interest in how AV technologies can be implemented throughout the school system.

As educational institutions modernize their AV technologies, they bring themselves forward into our interconnected world. Institutional knowledge and programs, once geographically limited, now have the ability to share that knowledge globally through remote learning. While often overlooked, AV technologies also support inclusiveness in remote learning by accommodating numerous backgrounds. If a student is disabled, immunocompromised, or financially disadvantaged, as a few examples, remote learning can greatly alleviate the challenges involved.