Mid-State Technical College is one of 16 regional colleges within Wisconsin’s Technical College System centrally located in the state. The school serves four major cities with campuses in Adams, Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids. Mid-State boasts a 95% graduate employment rate within six months of graduating, credited to the state-of-the-art technology on campus and faculty with professional experience.
The Challenge
In 2018, Mid-State set out to standardize the classroom technology design with new hardware and software. The goal was to streamline the startup process for instructors at the beginning of each class, and to provide a similar experience for the students no matter what classroom they were in. With four campuses to manage, streamlining would better support the instructors and overall student experience. With aging equipment needing a refresh, Mid-State looked towards Newline for its new in-classroom technology.
Mid-State adopted WolfVision Cynap, a collaboration and wireless presentation system, to power most of the classroom technology. A display was still needed to project the lectures and provide interactivity with the content. The instructor input was an important factor in choosing the right interactive solution as well. Over 200 instructors tested Newline’s RS Series for functionality and compatibility.
The Solution
Mid-State staff loved the size of the 86” Newline RS Series displays, and its seamless integration with campus-wide software. The non-proprietary design is compatible with WolfVision Cynap while maintaining interactive functionality. The durable construction and affordable price made it easy for Mid-State to update many of their classrooms at once. The RS Series superior touch experience makes it a top pick for higher education classrooms. The seamless writing capability and responsiveness to touch enhance lectures and increases student learning retention. Other great features include integrated wireless casting and 4K Ultra-High Definition visuals.
The Results
Upon installation, Mid-State Technical Support saw an immediate decrease in Help Desk tickets for in-room technology. With minimal training, instructors were happily using the RS Series panels in conjunction with the WolfVision Cynap software. The team even coined the phrase, “If it’s blue, it’s good to use,” to explain how easy it is to power on and use the panels. Newline displays are currently in close to 90% of their classrooms.
Even after two years of integration, Mid-State faculty and staff appreciate the responsiveness and efficient support from their Regional Sales Representative, Patrick, and the entire Newline Technical Support Team who constantly provide world-class service to Mid-State and all customers. Faculty and staff that needed support via email, phone, or in-person received quick responses from technical staff on the Newline team. Additionally, an online knowledgebase and video tutorials were (and still are) available free of charge for faculty and staff who wanted to better understand how to operate their Newline display at their own pace.
