Russian edtech has been growing fast over the past years, as witnessed by variety of solutions developed in the country. One of the latest examples is an immersive online-offline platform for remote courses, which was presented earlier this month by the Moscow State University Business School (MSUBS).
Touting this solution as a “unique digital model” and “one of the most advanced ones in the world” in the field of edtech, MSUBS says that connection, video and sound quality are at the highest level.
“The sound transmitted from lecturers corresponds to the A+ level of the Speech Transmission Index (STIPA), whereas the sound transmitted from students corresponds to the C level” [equivalent to the sound quality at major events and forums, e.g. Davos Forum].
In an exchange with East-West Digital News, the MSUBS press service explained: “Almost all solutions for remote broadcasting are designed for small conference rooms, whereas our system was specifically built for big auditoriums. This required technologies that track sound and movement around the entire auditorium.”
What is more, this “fully autonomous system” can be operated by a lecturer/speaker him/herself without the physical presence of the technical staff.
The hardware components used — Polycom cameras and Shure microphones, Bose audio equipment — are imported. Asked how the solution could be deployed in Russia given the embargo on electronic components, the MSUBS press service said: “While all the software is based on open-source solutions, the system provides a great deal of flexibility as concerns hardware like camera and mics. So if a supplier refuses to provide such equipment, there will be plenty of alternatives, including from Chinese or other suppliers.”
The system, which was developed on MSU’s proprietary digital platform, is already in use as a pilot across eight auditoria of MSUBS.
There are no plans for commercialization yet, “but in the long-term the option is not ruled out,” said the MSUBS press service.
This project was supported by the Volnoe Delo Foundation, which is backed by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska
