Hogeschool Utrecht - Heuvelman - CTOUCH

Hogeschool Utrecht prepares students for the future with CTOUCH touchscreens

The close collaboration between Heuvelman and Hogeschool Utrecht (HU) ensures that teachers and students can work with uniform learning solutions they can rely on.
Since 2018, HU has also been working closely with the brand CTOUCH, providing teachers and students with audiovisual learning tools with high user-friendliness - today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.

The main location of Hogeschool Utrecht is located in the Utrecht Science Park, consisting of five educational and research buildings that accommodate 35,000 students and 3,500 staff members. For the IT department of HU, it is of utmost importance that teachers and students can rely on educational solutions that function seamlessly. The solution in question? The touchscreens from CTOUCH! At the Utrecht Science Park, 500 (growing to 700!) classrooms are equipped with a CTOUCH touchscreen.

Love at first sound

Let's go back to 2018, when Hogeschool Utrecht was looking for an upgrade of their learning tools: from non-interactive presentation screens to interactive touchscreens. Heuvelman Sound & Vision, Hogeschool Utrecht's trusted supplier of audiovisual tools and dealer of CTOUCH, advised HU to check out CTOUCH at the ISE, the world's leading AV expo held that year at the Amsterdam RAI. There at the CTOUCH stand, it was 'love at first sound' with the CTOUCH Laser Sky, the predecessor of the Riva.
Laser Sky was something new and exciting in the world of large interactive displays: even in classrooms of considerable size, the screen offers excellent sound, thanks to the integrated JBL speakers. Equally exciting for HU: the security features of Laser Sky. As part of the design philosophy, CTOUCH Laser Sky had fully customizable ports and functionalities such as disabling internet access and setting a PIN code. Security by design!
Moreover, Laser Sky was available in various screen sizes with exactly the same user interface. Different sizes could be placed in different classrooms, with the same user experience - a dream come true for standardization procedures! The excellent price-quality ratio and 7-year warranty were also very convincing arguments for HU to take the leap.

The benefits of touch

The installation of the CTOUCH Laser Sky was carefully carried out by Heuvelman. The finishing touch was the application of color-coded cables for different types of connections. This way, not only teachers but also guest lecturers and students have multiple types of connection options.
The biggest challenge was convincing the teachers of the touch functionalities. The start screen of the touchscreen was provided with a manual, and training videos were made. Slowly but surely, the touchscreens were integrated into the lessons. Teachers brought their own devices, connected them, and voilà: the benefits of a touch presentation screen were within reach!

Preparing 700 classrooms for the future

And this love story was not yet over! Every four to seven years, the audiovisual equipment within HU needs to be upgraded. In practice, this means that each year 100 of the 700 classrooms are eligible for the latest AV technology.
It is of great importance that lessons can always continue, regardless of the model touchscreen in the classroom. Making education future-proof with touchscreens with the same user experience, regardless of the technical details, was priority number 1.
The next generation of CTOUCH touchscreens was introduced: the CTOUCH Riva! This user-friendly Riva, with its integrated JBL speakers and excellent writing experience, was exactly what the IT doctor ordered.

The CTOUCH Riva is a huge technological advancement over the CTOUCH Laser Sky, but with the same ease of use, a similar user interface, and security measures. The CTOUCH Riva is also equipped with the EShare application, a new feature, allowing teachers to easily share their laptop screen wirelessly.

Lessons at HU must always be able to continue, and therefore it was not possible to replace all Laser Sky screens with Riva screens at once when it was time to equip the classrooms with new touchscreens. Both CTOUCH Laser Sky and CTOUCH Riva are still highly appreciated by everyone within Hogeschool Utrecht after many years of service.