The panel at Technology Meets Pedagogy in Higher Education was unanimous on this point. “The simpler, the better,” one participant stressed. “Nobody wants to look like an idiot in front of 150 students.”

Standardisation with Flexibility

Most universities now aim for a baseline level of standardisation across teaching spaces. Whether a lecturer is in a small seminar room or a large lecture hall, they should find familiar interfaces and predictable systems. This prevents wasted time troubleshooting and gives faculty confidence that “it just works.”

At the same time, flexibility is essential. Specialist disciplines often require bespoke setups, whether in medicine, physics, or the arts. Balancing standardisation with adaptability remains a key challenge for technology teams.

Tech as an Enabler, Not a Burden

Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around. When systems are overly complex, teaching suffers. Faculty may avoid using powerful tools simply because they take too long to set up, or because the risk of failure in front of students is too high.

As one panellist explained, “Our academics come to us and say: this works for me, or this is too complicated. The more simple we can get it, the better.”

Lessons Learned

The conversation revealed an important truth: in higher education, successful technology isn’t about having the most advanced kit. It’s about designing systems that are intuitive, reliable, and tailored to real teaching needs.

Simplicity doesn’t mean stripping away capability. It means putting the power of technology within easy reach of every lecturer, every time they walk into a room.