Closing the Engagement Gap

While the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, it leaves a number of difficult questions in its wake. Educators are left to face some of the hardest challenges of all. With students in-person, at home, or a combination of the two, teachers are left to figure out how to navigate this new landscape.  

Engagement has always been one of the foremost issues in any classroom, and that’s truer than ever now. Teachers around the world are turning to technology to help capture the imagination of their students, leveraging new and existing solutions in creative ways. Here are some of the top tools educators are using to turn the post-pandemic classroom into a new learning opportunity.

Not long ago, Virtual Reality was firmly the stuff of Science Fiction. Now a number of commercial VR technologies are on the market, designed for everything from gaming to healthcare. As an educational tool, VR has nearly limitless potential. ClassVR, an educational VR company, lets learners go hands-on with a human heart or walk around an 18th-century sailing ship. No matter where your students are physically, VR technology unites them through experiences. They can take a field trip to the bottom of the ocean or meet up to collaborate in Virtual space. Education-centric VR devices such as ClassVR are designed with ease of use and classroom experience in mind; a centralized control system ensures your students are on track and engaged. Most manufacturers also offer pre-built lesson plans that take full advantage of their proprietary technology – watch in wonder as your students are transported to new and wonderful worlds before your very eyes. 

2. Distance Learning Tools  

With students now attending class from a wide variety of locations, it’s important everyone has access to the same information. It’s doubly important everyone remains engaged with the topic at hand – and with some learners at home, and others in the classroom, it can be difficult to balance their needs. Traditional lessons may be presented on a whiteboard or chalkboard and be supplemented by paper handouts. Perhaps a lesson might feature a video shown on a projector or require students to interact with learning aids. Unfortunately, none of these methods are suited to remote learning.  

Technologies like the Smart Learning Suite resolve this issue by offering all those same tools in a digital space. Educators can deliver lessons – including premade modules– directly to student’s devices, no matter where they are. They can bring a subject to life with images, video, or sound embedded directly into the material. Fully customizable games and activities offer a way for learners to both unwind and absorb content simultaneously. Additionally, students can engage with information on their own terms, as they are able to pause and replay at will.  The Smart Learning Suite also features the ability to observe students as they complete activities and offer feedback in real time. Technology like this represents the future of classroom participation; it creates a digital environment that’s safe, engaging, and exciting.  

 3. Augmented Reality 

Augmented Reality, or AR, refers to the technique of layering a digital interface over a simultaneous image of the real world; think of the global craze Pokemon GO for one of the most well-known examples.  

Outside of entertainment, AR is finding a role in business, healthcare, and, of course, education. This powerful tool enables students to visualize and “touch” abstract or challenging concepts. For example, they can create a complex geometric shape, bring it into “3D” space, and examine it from all angles. They can enlarge a bacterium by 1,000% and observe its biological processes. They can see how a simulated feather might float to the ground in Earth’s gravity – and then repeat the experiment on the Moon.  

As they interact with learning material in the AR space, students form processes, develop hypothesis, and come to their own conclusions. These kinds of teaching aids are crucial for making up lost ground and closing the engagement gap created by COVID-19. 

Highly versatile, dynamic, and easy to use, AR platforms like Z-Space bring today’s lessons into the future and create experiences students will never forget. 

4. 3D printing  

Although relatively new, 3D printing has transformed the way many businesses and industries operate. Now, it’s becoming clear that this technology can have just as much impact on student learning. While the focus on 3D printing revolves around their ability to create objects, much of their value in a scholastic setting comes before that. Students can use computer programs such as TinkerCAD or Autodesk MAYA to shape their projects, a process that teaches them fundamental skills found in engineering, architecture, and industrial design. Likewise, they learn real-time problem solving, spatial awareness, and the logistics of manufacturing.  The skills required for a successful print are applicable from anywhere, if you have a computer – students at home can design their creations, send a print command, and have their finished work waiting for them when they return.  

The applications for these amazing machines are nearly limitless –a student could design and print a complex molecule for a biology class, or a model of an Egyptian sarcophagus for History.  

With many students learning from home all or some of the time, quality is critical when it comes to your communications technology. Poor audio or video can be very distracting, especially when it causes students to miss out on material all together. Cameras and microphones specifically designed for videoconferencing can make a huge difference in fidelity and engagement. Products like the Zoom Certified Unite 50 4K camera from Polycom feature a 120° field of view optimized for classroom spaces. It can be combined with any existing microphone, or an application-specific model.  Without audible, consistent instruction, students struggle; make sure you’re being seen and heard loud and clear.  

The education landscape is changing, largely due to powerful new tools like these. Contact Visual Sound today to learn how to deploy the latest technology to your classroom.