Educational and training experiences have had to evolve at an incredible pace over the last couple of years. The pandemic has pushed a shift into the cloud landscape at a much faster rate than most facilities were prepared for. 

For instance, the Tulsa Technology Centre, one of the oldest and largest public school districts affiliated with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, needed to make some significant changes in recent years. The facility offers full-time career training, part-time classes, and custom education for regional and local partners across 11 campuses. 

When lockdowns struck, the IT department quickly learned it needed to embrace remote learning opportunities. Fortunately, the school was already implementing Microsoft Teams. With Microsoft's help, and the right devices from Yealink, the facility was able to make a rapid transition into the world of remote work and education. 

Here's what happened when Microsoft and Tulsa Tech joined forces.

Moving into a New Era of Work and Education

The practical skills and vocational training opportunities offered in a huge range of Tulsa Tech's courses meant hands-on demonstrations were still necessary during the pandemic. Embracing the right digital tools was the only way for Tulsa Tech to ensure it could continue to support its learners.

While Microsoft Teams technology was already in place for the team, Tulsa Tech decided it needed to invest more into its new technology. Originally, Teams was introduced as a replacement for Skype for Business in February 2020. Skype had previously been the primary choice for the team's instant messaging, and Teams was intended to replace this functionality. 

When Spring Break turned into lockdown, Teams quickly became the hub for the entire educational environment. In-person staff and administrative meetings shifted into Teams, and soon, the school found itself questioning the scalability of its phone system too. The on-premises solution wasn't suited to a distributed work environment, and the IT team relied on creating a patchwork of workaround strategies, like forwarding calls to home and cell numbers. 

Eventually, a shift to Microsoft Teams Phone was introduced. Using Direct Routing, Tulsa Tech continued using its existing local provider while leveraging the benefits of Teams for features like presence awareness and simplified management. New phones were also introduced from Microsoft partner Yealink. The Yealink MP56 provided users with a 7-inch touch screen with a Teams-tailored UI, hands-free speakerphone, and noise-proofing technology.

Creating Remote Learning Spaces

Microsoft Teams Rooms were introduced soon after Teams Phone. While the company evaluated a range of potential hardware vendors to bring the rooms to life, they decided to stick with the functionality offered by Yealink. For lab and classroom spaces, the MVC940 system was chosen, with a mini PC and native Teams experience. 

Because Tulsa Tech needed different levels of classroom coverage, various other tools were also implemented. The MVC940 Teams Rooms System was ideal for the primary classroom, complete with Wi-Fi-connected devices which could be carried into working spaces for demonstrations. 

For smaller collaboration spaces, the faculty chose the Yealink A30 MeetingBar. This tech provided an integrated microphone, camera, and speakers in an all-in-one system. Plug-and-play deployment was ensured through Teams Rooms on Android.

Around 130 of the 220 classrooms across Tulsa Tech's campuses are now equipped with the MVC940 Teams Rooms technology, and the IT team is constantly rolling out new devices. During the height of the pandemic, the ability for remote students to join classes from anywhere was a lifesaver for quarantined learners. Users could simply log into a Teams meeting where they'd see the students and teacher and participate as if they were in the classroom. 

Unlike other schools in the area, Tulsa Tech didn't even see a dip in enrolment or achievement throughout the pandemic. The benefits weren't limited specifically to the lockdowns either. According to the educational team, even without a pandemic, there's always a chance for some students to be unable to attend class. Having a Teams Rooms system installed in the classroom means anyone can still attend a lesson, no matter their situation.

Fast, Efficient, and Affordable Hybrid Learning

Commenting on the outcomes of the Microsoft Teams technology, Tulsa Tech highlights the speed and simplicity offered by the ecosystem. Instructors were already familiar with Teams for meetings, so adding classrooms to the mix took very little time or training. Because Yealink meeting devices were so easy to use, teachers could get up and running in a couple of clicks. 

Making the decision to switch fully to Teams, as well as Teams Phone and Teams Room has even had a significant impact on the facility's bottom line. Tulsa Tech was already in the process of upgrading its phone system – a process it had received a quote of around $750,000 to accomplish (without the inclusion of new handsets). Using Microsoft Teams Phone and Yealink cost 66% less in total. 

Standardizing on Yealinks Teams phone and meeting room devices also reduced management costs while enhancing IT productivity. With simple configurations and remote provisioning tools, new meeting rooms and phones were fast and easy to deploy. Newly connected Yealink devices even enrolled automatically in the Yealink management platform, receiving the latest firmware configurations as they emerged. 

Yealink's management server saved the whole team a lot of time in deploying firmware updates, managing Teams devices, and even monitoring for potential issues. 

Looking Ahead with Tulsa Tech and Microsoft

The IT staff at Tulsa Tech believe the potential of Microsoft Teams is limitless. The school already partners with high schools in around 13 different school districts for vocational training and has recently begun setting up Teams Rooms leveraging Yealink technologies in those spaces too. This ensures students can attend lessons anywhere.

This extends Tulsa Tech's reach and gives students more opportunities to engage in additional learning. Here, Tulsa Tech has also opted for a Yealink device (the MeetingBar A30) for convenient and all-in-one collaboration. Microsoft Teams Rooms with the right hardware can also support endless new students in future. While many of the training programs in Oklahoma require a number of in-person, hands-on training hours, there are many that don't. 

These programs include classes in IT, insurance, real estate, and other professional training options. Tulsa Tech still believes the core of its unique offer is in exceptional hands-on training. However, making online learning opportunities available will allow it to expand it's reach to a wider range of learners going forward.