Meeting Owl and more!

Meeting Owls

In the last few years extension has upgraded some of its meeting rooms with new technology. From larger and brighter flat panel monitors to smaller and faster in room computers. The biggest change for 2 of our rooms is the Meeting Owl.

This all in one speaker, microphone and camera allows everyone at the table the opportunity to face the 360-degree camera and gives the online audience the face to face experience that was missing from a one directional webcam. And all the extra work of framing in the speaker is done by the Meeting Owl!

We had such good feedback that we ended up purchasing one for the ELT loaner program. One of the unique use cases we have seen with the Meeting Owl was when Extension Health and Nutrition Educator Kelly asked if it would work for recording focus groups interview responses.

“The Owl is a useful piece of equipment for meetings and focus groups, enabling visibility of all in the room when on conference calls. When used in conjunction with Zoom, you are able to get a visual of everyone in the room, can record the meeting, and get a transcript of the meeting. Must have internet access or mobile HotSpot, so using it in remote areas a challenge. I used the Owl for focus groups and could see everyone in the room and hear what they were saying. It is relatively small and less obtrusive than a video camera yet serves the same function. “

Another team that has found use for the Meeting Owl is the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. After using it in our shared conference room, they they ended up buying one. Now it travels across Minnesota with them for all their regional meetings.

Non-Owl Equipment

The ELT Loaner Program has lots of other equipment you can borrow for occasional use or as a try-before-you-buy. Some of our most popular items are the iPad video kits (recently updated), laptops, slide advancers, iClickers, and projectors.

If you are interested in checking out the Meeting Owl or any of the other resources we offer you can make a request or ask a question and we would be happy to consult with you on your needs!