According to the UNICEF-ITU report, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the largest mass disruptor of education in modern history affecting as many as 1.6 billion children globally. As crisis often calls for innovation, the policymakers suggested shifting to remote learning to overcome the problem. However, in a country like India, internet accessibility is a major issue owing to which several students could not benefit from this digital revolution in education. Contrarily, for those who had access to the internet, technology such as a digital whiteboard with an interactive panel made the transition to digital seamless and fun. Now as we witness the reopening of schools a question arising in the mind of parents, teachers, as well as students is this – is this the end of online classes? The answer to this query is relatively simple: hybrid learning.
What is Hybrid Learning?
Before we unravel the benefits for education through hybrid learning, a simplified definition of the concept is important to avoid any ambiguity. Hybrid learning or blended learning is an educational approach that combines tools of online education with traditional in-person classroom methods. It is more than simply shifting half of the class to a virtual setting. Instead, blended learning aims to combine the best of in-person and online learning to create an ideal learning experience.
Technology is inseparable from hybrid learning. This is because in a hybrid class educators teach their students remotely as well as in-person using tools such as video conferencing. However, you cannot conduct a hybrid class by simply turning on the video camera. To make classes more engaging for both virtual and in-person students, teachers will have to employ a digital board for teaching that comes with an interactive panel which is a smart class room solution.
Benefits of Hybrid Learning
Both traditional and online learning have their own set of advantages and drawbacks. What hybrid learning aims to do is combine the two learning models to devise a system without weak spots. The advantages of hybrid learning include: –
- Flexible Learning: Several educational institutions switch to hybrid learning for the flexibility it offers to its students and teachers. In a hybrid setting everything right from the learning schedule and teaching methods, to student engagement with learning material and their communication with the educator and peers is flexible. With an interactive whiteboard in the classroom, this flexibility is further enhanced. This is because, with a smart board, teachers can instantly make use of the learning material online to address queries and have a relevant and interactive session. For the students studying from home, teachers can record the session on their interactive board and share it with the students for reference.
- Synchronised Communication: One common complaint from online classes has been that they lack the intimacy that comes with a face-to-face session. However, with a hybrid learning model, there is real-time engagement amongst the peers and between the educators and the students. Hybrid classes can engage students with team projects, increase interaction with quizzes, and even encourage a deep intellectual discourse. This is better facilitated with an interactive whiteboard that employs audio-visual tools for an engaging learning session. The interactive board by Senses Electronics comes with unique features such as the spotlight feature that allows teachers to cover a part of the screen and highlight the section they want learners to focus on. It can be used for fun classroom activities such as quizzes.
- Freedom in Learning: Those who excel in self-management and thrive in an independent learning setting appreciate this aspect of hybrid learning. They can learn from the place where they are comfortable, make use of the research material available online, revisit sessions at their pace, and discuss learning with their peers. A digital whiteboard with an interactive panel facilitates all these functions with ease. Using an interactive whiteboard teachers can share relevant research reports and study material with students to read before and after classes for an in-depth study of the subject.
- Efficient Resources: A digital whiteboard is a smart class room solution because it has a host of learning resources at its disposal to make classes more interactive. Using a smart board can help educators plan syllabus, schedule classes, prepare for the resources that will be needed in classes and optimise them to their benefit. For students, a smart board comes equipped with audio-visual aids that ease the understanding of complicated concepts.
To conclude, a digital board for teaching makes the transition to hybrid seamless. In the post-pandemic world where industries have to transition to digital to stay relevant, education cannot stay far behind. Schools and colleges can prepare for the hybrid learning model by investing in an interactive whiteboard. Moreover, the reasonable smart board price in India is further promoting its adoption. The digital board price pays for itself when students learn and understand better and teachers are ready to train the next generation for the digital-first world.
