Macquarie law school installs Sennheiser audio systems

Macquarie University Law School has equipped its Michael Kirby Building with Sennheiser audio systems across teaching spaces, including the Moot Court and Active Learning Studios.

The project is among the first large-scale education deployments of Sennheiser's TeamConnect Ceiling 2 and SpeechLine Digital Wireless products, according to the companies involved. Concept AV Australia installed the systems throughout the law school building, which was designed to support in-person, remote, real-time and asynchronous learning.

The 8,600-square-metre facility includes lecture theatres, specialist teaching rooms, academic offices, student study areas and a purpose-built Moot Court. Planned and built during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project was shaped by questions about how classes and courtroom exercises would work for people in the room and those joining remotely.

In the Moot Court, beamforming ceiling microphones capture speech without tying participants to a single position. The microphones track speakers across the room, allowing students and staff to move freely during trial simulations and mooting sessions.

The setup is intended to mirror courtroom practice while keeping desks and benches clear of extra equipment. The Moot Court is used for teaching and for practice sessions linked to international mooting competitions.

Wireless microphones are also available for users who prefer a handheld or lapel option. The SpeechLine Digital Wireless system manages frequencies during setup and can switch channels if it detects interference, reducing the need for manual adjustment by support staff.

Audio data from the ceiling microphones is also linked to Q-SYS PTZ cameras in the Moot Court. The cameras can automatically turn towards the active speaker, creating recorded and remote sessions that follow the flow of proceedings as different participants speak.

Moot Court focus

The Moot Court serves two roles for the law school. It gives students experience with audiovisual tools similar to those used in contemporary courtrooms in Australia, while also supporting teaching sessions that need to be recorded or joined remotely.

Macquarie University Law School has presented the building as part of a broader teaching model combining traditional classroom instruction with collaborative and hybrid formats. Founded in 1972, the law school has long described itself as taking a different approach to legal education.

The same audio approach extends to three Active Learning Studios in the building. In those rooms, ceiling microphones capture discussion from student learning pods, while a desktop charging dock provides a wireless microphone for instructors moving around the space.

The studios were designed to support the law school's Problem-Based Learning approach, in which students work in smaller groups on practical scenarios. The audio system allows those discussions to be recorded or joined by remote participants without relying on fixed microphone points at each table.

Adrian Caltabiano, Customer Solutions Specialist at Concept AV Australia, said the design brief reflected the pressure on universities to support several forms of teaching at once. "Flexibility was key," Caltabiano said. "The AV systems had to support traditional approaches to teaching while also being agile and adaptable enough for students to participate remotely, in real time and through the university's capture and replay platform. All of that flexibility also had to be easy and intuitive for students and staff to operate."

User response

A central part of the project was ease of use for staff and students entering rooms without technical help. The aim, according to the law school and its suppliers, was to avoid systems that required specialist intervention before classes could begin.

David Manna, Technical Officer within Macquarie University's Faculty of Arts, said the equipment has worked consistently since installation. "Everything is performing really well, day in and day out," Manna said. "Students and staff using the rooms find the AV technology easy to use. They enjoy being in these spaces day after day."

For Concept AV, the installation was also a notable contract because of the building's scale and profile. The integrator linked the response from users to the choice of equipment and the way the rooms were configured.

"The Michael Kirby Building was a landmark project for Macquarie University and also for Concept AV," said Andrew Squillaciotti, Operations Manager at Concept AV Australia. "We're pleased to have delivered a complex project that students and staff find easy to use. I'm proud of what our installation team achieved, and I'm confident that with technology partners like Sennheiser, we can continue to deliver positive outcomes for Macquarie University and our other clients."

The Michael Kirby Building is named after former High Court Justice Michael Kirby and was built on the foundations of the original law school building. At its centre is a timber atrium, around which sit the specialist teaching rooms now fitted with the new audio systems.