EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (January 2010) – Eden Prairie-based Video Guidance, the leading visual communications provider in the Upper Midwest, has designed an integrated distance learning program for Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU) located in Bloomington, Minn. The distance education learning center, which is one of the most technology-advanced classrooms in the state, aims to enhance instructional teaching capabilities from remote locations.
For more than 65 years, NWHSU (www.nwhealth.edu) has been an international leader in natural and integrative health care education, patient care and research. When university president, Dr. Mark Zeigler, first came to NWHSU in 2006, he dreamed of using sophisticated visual communications systems to connect consultants, faculty and other specialists from around the country – and the world – to the classroom. In 2007, the university first contacted Video Guidance, regarded as the region’s visual communications industry leader.
The university wanted to create a theater of instruction with peer institutions, sharing faculty and guest lecturers. Thanks to a new building addition, a sizable classroom space was about to become available.
“The integration services team at Video Guidance did a fantastic job of listening and learning about our unique requirements for a large distance-education classroom,” said Dr. Charles Sawyer, senior vice president at NWHSU. “They designed a high-end, technology-enhanced classroom that offers all kinds of new distance-education possibilities. We had very specific needs and they totally nailed it!”
The remodeled 135-seat, 2,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art classroom, is equipped with full video conference capabilities. Four huge screens tower over the classroom, providing high-definition projection of instructors located offsite. The two largest 12-foot-wide screens drop from the ceiling facing the students. Two other 3’x5’ screens face the podium at the head of the room so the instructor can view content without having to turn around. Each wired desk space features individual laptop workstations with WiFi access and ergonomic seating.
In addition, the classroom features an Extron touchpanel control system – a high performance, 3200-watt audio system, featuring Community loudspeakers and Custom Da-Lite Cinema Contour projection screens. To capture all educational presentations, lectures and video conferencing, the classroom also features a MediaSite recording system, designed by Sonic Foundry of Madison, Wis. The recording feature is the first time Video Guidance has interfaced MediaSite with videoconferencing. “It’s space-age,” said Sawyer.
The new classroom, called the “Integrity Management Smart Center,” was funded with a donation by Keith Maule, CEO of Integrity Management, a chiropractic consulting firm.
NWHSU offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education, including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The university provides leadership to develop collaborative and integrative health care models that prepare students for successful careers and encourage lifelong learning in service to the community. NWHSU has nearly 900 students on its 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.
Video Guidance’s unlimited applications are being used in countless new ways to connect people creatively. The company works with other education and healthcare organizations to provide real-time, interactive visual communications in rural areas with access to experts and specialists.
Founded in 1999, privately held Video Guidance, Inc. (www.videoguidance.com) provides conferencing, telepresence and audio visual technologies and services that facilitate natural, visual communication. Video Guidance’s 2008 year-end results grew an impressive 21 percent over 2007. Strategic alliances include Conference Plus, Tandberg (OSLO: TAA.OL), Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM), LifeSize, On Stream Media Corporation, Radvision (NASDAQ: RVSN), VBrick, and Accordent.
Video Guidance was also twice named to Inc’s. 5,000 list of the nation’s fastest growing private companies in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the company has been among the Top 100 of the fastest growing regional companies in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and recognized by The Business Journal as one of the “50 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies” in the Twin Cities metro area. Last year, Video Guidance received the “Grant Services Partner of the Year” honor from TANDBERG for helping organizations create teleconferencing solutions in telemedicine and distance learning in underserved rural areas.
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