Why Collaborate?
Collaborative spaces in education trickled down from corporate “flex/open workspaces.” They were designed based on the understanding that interactivity and collaboration in small groups produces stronger solutions that would have not been reached individually and encourages sharing of research for enhanced learning. Further, it encourages trust building, communication, practical learning/ application, acceptance and enhances problem solving skills.
These rooms are relatively inexpensive, usually not exceeding $6,000-$10,000 for the entire space.
Collaborative Learning: Support for the Expanding Trend
Collaboration affects personality: increases openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, trust, interactivity and stability
Teamwork strengthens community bonds, socialization and communication
Collaboration increases measures of achievement in educational settings (assessments)
Where is the Collaboration Space going?
Educational clients are moving toward pre-packed, expandable, scalable and future-proof systems. The more flexible with regard to space, users, time to access and connectivity, the more useful, efficient and effective the space will be.
Aside from education, the huddle space began in flexible office spaces in corporate environments- for the same reason explained above and will continue to grow in this market. The definition of a huddle space seems less defined in this market because individuals are using them for smaller meetings and video-conferencing collaboration as well- which is not what they were original designed for, but the flexibility, again, is what makes them so useful and in demand. The healthcare market has also seen an increase in demand for small collaborative spaces with videoconference capabilities.
Benefits: Why HuddleVU?
The HuddleVU is perfectly designed with educational users in mind. It is intuitive to use- just plug in using colored cables and press the corresponding colored button. A very durable, made of steel constructed table box that won’t break under high use- built with kids and adults in mind. Both HDMI or VGA connections are available with other options in development- and if they break, they are easy to replace as there are no proprietary components. The table box offers customizable keystone snap in inserts as well as power outlets. Sold in well-priced, easy to install packages for 3-7+ users with or without Flex Control option. Packages can also be customized to individual school or room requirements. There is no need to worry about security or reliability issues- the HuddleVU system is completely hard-wired and doesn’t contain any pucks or additional equipment that can disappear. A true compliment to the BYOD movement, the HuddleVU does not require downloading of additional software applications onto personal devices. It needs no loading time, access to wifi or programs at startup, allowing for immediate connection and quick start of presentations, communications and sharing. The HuddleVU can be incorporated into existing furniture or can come completely installed into FSR’s own furniture. Contact FSR for more information.