Investing in Classroom Tools
Solutions that offer all these attributes can help ensure consistently positive experiences for educators and students, thus promoting use of the technology and enhancing the educational return on investment. Investing in Classroom Tools.
Flexibility Matters
The wide variety of designs for educational spaces has historically led to different technologies being deployed depending on the size and even the subject matter of each room. From standard classrooms and science labs to auditoriums and cafeterias, the flexibility offered by the latest education technologies is now making it possible for each room to feature the same solution and make operations more consistent and manageable for instructors and staff. This can be particularly impactful for classes that meet in different rooms or educators who move throughout the day, guaranteeing consistency for all students.
Plus, post-pandemic hybrid learning environments are still an essential component of the higher-ed education curriculum specifically. Flexibility is key to ensuring that, should students need to dial-in remotely, it’s possible to do so with the solutions already employed throughout the school. Colleges and universities especially should be considering solutions that can tie hybrid conferencing into the same system as signage and screen sharing in-person to make hybrid learning more simple.
Depending on the specific solution deployed, collaboration technologies may provide virtual meetings, screen sharing, live annotation, recordings, voice assistants and more. While different instructors and topics may leverage each function to different degrees, having a stable set of capabilities in every space offers them the freedom to develop enhanced lessons as they see fit.
Plan for the Future
The technology trends in classrooms are constantly shifting, and staying up-to-date is essential to prepare students for technologies they will likely use in future careers. Subsequently, schools that invest in technologies such as wireless screen sharing and device agnostic capabilities are setting themselves up for long-term success. Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions regularly updated and upgraded, deliver long-term confidence. They make it easier to ensure ongoing compatibility with future protocols or platforms.
For the near future, it’s vital to meet students and educators where they are, which currently involves mobile internet devices, instant sharing, and simple virtual collaboration. Solutions that enable students to screen share their projects to a room’s TV and make live annotations can raise engagement and excitement, while the same functionality empowers teachers to leave the front of the room without interrupting a lesson’s flow. Some systems offer additional functions such as centralized access to an entire display network for power control, campus or district-wide messaging and digital signage, and even software updates or maintenance.
Maximizing the effectiveness of any classroom investment requires careful consideration of all the available options and benefits. Through education magazines, online publications, trade shows and the help of local custom integration experts, decision makers and buyers can often gain first-hand experience to evaluate which classroom technology best fits their needs. As educational institutions and leaders continue to explore new possibilities and opportunities, technology will evolve to support their efforts and improve educational outcomes.