A classroom video conferencing system needs four things: a PTZ camera that can follow the instructor, microphones that pick up both the teacher and student questions, a display large enough for the back row to read, and a computer running Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or your learning platform. Most hybrid classrooms connect the camera and audio over USB to the classroom PC.
Classroom video conferencing equipment list
| Component | What to use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor camera | Tracking PTZ, 12x zoom or more | Follows the teacher across the front of the room |
| Room/student camera (optional) | Wide or second PTZ | Lets remote students see the class and who is asking |
| Microphones | Ceiling array or table mics, plus a wearable mic for the teacher | Covers student questions; the lav keeps the teacher clear while moving |
| Speakers | Ceiling speakers or the audio device's speaker | Remote students must be heard by the whole room |
| Display | Projector or 75-98 in display; second display for remote students | Content for the room, faces of remote learners |
| Content capture | Document camera or whiteboard camera | Shares handwritten work |
| Computer | Classroom PC or instructor laptop | Runs the meeting or lecture-capture software |
Cameras: tracking the instructor
Instructors move. A camera with presenter tracking or presets saves the class from watching an empty whiteboard.
- AVer CAM570: 4K dual-lens PTZ with built-in audio tracking and 36x zoom; works with Teams, Zoom and Meet over USB.
- AVer PTZ310UV2: 4K60 12x PTZ with USB, HDMI, SDI, IP and NDI|HX3 outputs, good when the same camera feeds lecture capture or a recording system.
- Logitech Rally AI Camera Pro: dual-camera PTZ with 15x hybrid zoom for large spaces.
- Poly Studio E60: 4K PTZ with 12x optical zoom and presenter tracking.
Mount the instructor camera on the back wall at roughly eye height so it looks at the teacher, not down at the students' heads. Read more in auto-tracking conference cameras and AVer auto tracking and presets.
Audio: the part most classrooms get wrong
Remote students consistently complain that they can't hear questions from the room. Plan for both sides:
- Teacher: a wireless lavalier or headset mic, fed into the PC audio path. See wireless presenter microphone systems.
- Students: a ceiling array such as the AVer FONE700 (ceiling speakerphone plus DSP hub, daisy-chain up to 4) or table mics on seminar tables.
- Echo control: use a single audio device with echo cancellation for the call. Hard classroom surfaces echo, so add soft treatment if the room rings. See how to reduce echo in a conference room.
If students still can't be heard, a simple rule helps: repeat each question before answering.
Typical classroom layouts
| Room | Seats | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar room | 12-20 | Video bar or PTZ + table mics; one display |
| Standard classroom | 25-40 | Tracking PTZ at back, ceiling mics, projector + remote-student display |
| Lecture hall | 60+ | 2+ PTZ cameras, ceiling mic zones, DSP, audience mics; see auditorium video conferencing |
How to set up a classroom for a video call
- Place the instructor camera at the back of the room facing the teaching wall and save presets for the board, desk and wide room view.
- Connect the camera and audio device to the classroom PC by USB (use active USB extenders for runs over 16 ft; see conference room wiring).
- In Zoom, Teams or Meet, select the PTZ camera and the room audio device as camera, mic and speaker.
- Put remote students on a display the teacher can see from the front.
- Run a test call before term starts. Our test checklist covers what to check.
Platform notes for schools
Most schools run classes in Zoom, Microsoft Teams (often with Teams for Education) or Google Meet through Google Workspace for Education. USB cameras and mics work with all of them, which is why a PC-based classroom is usually more flexible than a dedicated meeting-room appliance. Lecture capture tools such as Panopto or Kaltura can use the same USB camera and audio.
Equipping several classrooms? Share the room sizes and seat counts and we'll design a standard kit you can repeat.
Related guides
- City Council Meeting Streaming: Equipment and Setup
- K-12 Hybrid Classroom Setup: Cameras, Audio and Displays
- Seminary and Religious School Classroom Video Setup
- Church Live Stream Audio Setup: Mixes, Mics and Sync
- Medical School Simulation and Teaching Room AV Setup
- Google Meet for boardrooms: equipment and setup
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