Innovative Classroom Interconnection Platform for Teaching in Large University Groups

The rapid increase in demand for higher education in developing countries remains a constant concern for decision makers who must address many organizational and teaching quality issues related to managing large groups of students. A recent study at the University of Lome showed that managing large groups, while taking into account their socioeconomic background and learning environment, requires in-person courses on a campus with well-equipped classrooms similar to smart classrooms, providing better conditions for both teachers and students. According to various studies, smart classrooms are becoming the preferred solution for teachers and learners to address demographic changes. In this paper, we propose a smart classroom interconnection platform for teaching large groups of students. The platform combines videoconferencing, lecture recording, and audience management technologies. It can integrate artificial intelligence resources, which are increasingly discussed in teaching materials. This solution aims to extend a classroom’s capacity to other classrooms across a university campus, thereby maintaining teacher-learner and learner-learner interactions. It consists of a main classroom (MC) and several remote classrooms (RC) linked together by a communication medium, with technical staff and tutors operating in two modes (unicast mode and full broadcast mode). It provides educational tools and learning spaces to allow numerous learners to access high-quality higher education and helps teachers effectively use pre-recorded video materials and improve them.