International. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has always been at the forefront of using technology to enhance the educational experience. As an early adopter of class capture, the university has continually sought solutions that increase student and faculty engagement.
That visionary approach led her to Pearl Nexus, an Epiphan classroom capture solution that made it possible to scale video capture across campus.
An enterprise-grade solution
After a pilot program in 2018, UNLV detected major gaps in its current hardware. System failures, outdated technology, and a lack of integration with their AV infrastructure drove the search for a premium and scalable class capture solution.
The team needed seamless integration with Panopto for content management and Crestron for classroom integration, while ensuring remote management and cost efficiency.
Pearl Nexus Meets the Requirements
After careful evaluation, UNLV selected Pearl Nexus. The solution offered everything they needed: seamless integration with AV infrastructure, robust remote management through Epiphan Edge, and a streamlined facility that allowed more than 200 units to be deployed in classrooms and research spaces in record time. The simplicity and speed of installation were remarkable: each device took less than 10 minutes to set up.
Pearl Nexus integrates directly with Panopto and Crestron, creating a smooth and easy-to-use AV experience. Teachers' interaction with technology is minimal, allowing them to focus on teaching.
"We chose Pearl Nexus because it ticked all the boxes: ease of operation, proper formatting, and management from the cloud," Frank Alaimo, Manager of Classroom Technology Services, UNLV.
Results: greater participation, more time available and less maintenance. The adoption of Pearl Nexus significantly improved the experience for students, faculty, and the AV team. Students feel more engaged, as the ability to rewatch recorded lectures improves comprehension and retention.
As Safiyaa Bintali, a student at UNLV, puts it: "Capturing in classrooms allows me to be much more present when I am in class. I can participate, and if I really need to review something, I can always go back and review it online. It has certainly had a positive effect on both my learning and my grades."
For their part, faculty regained valuable time by directing students to recordings for review, allowing them to address deeper questions during tutoring hours.
The AV team also benefited, with fewer maintenance issues and no time wasted repairing unreliable equipment. This allows them to focus on other projects and work with greater peace of mind.
"I don't want to focus on technology; I want to focus on my students. I love that the system just works in the background," Debra Biordi-Fusaro, Professor, Accounting, UNLV.
Setting a new standard
UNLV became the first institution to fully standardize the use of Pearl Nexus, transforming the way it manages and extends class and content capture across campus. The university's partnership with Epiphan and standardization with Pearl Nexus have set a benchmark for class capture technology in higher education.
