As COVID restrictions begin to lift the world is slowly going back to normal. However, be it for work or learning, hybrid setups aren’t going away anytime soon.
Even with students getting back to school, we have now seen how school systems are better prepared for remote learning, spurring a ton of different hybrid and remote learning permutations. With this unprecedented way of doing school, are the technologies we’re using effective enough for a seamless remote learning experience?
Let’s go and Ask Dux!
In this episode:
The Early Days of Remote Learning
We’ve first seen remote learning when the world locked down two years ago, and school stopped. It was then that both my kids were sent home with their laptops, and I realized how unprepared the school system was.
They threw all the technology—they were using Google Classroom, they have free tools, and free apps. The teacher had a word document for their activity every day with links to different apps. And while there’s tech, it’s not sufficient. It’s all disconnected.
And what’s even more alarming was how unsecure it all was, because some of the teachers were just using free tools out there. It was not their fault, they were just trying to make it work, but everything was all over the place.
Two Years Later: What Has Changed?
Today, it’s improved in some ways where they had a better hold of technology to use. Meaning, it’s more in a single platform. For example, my kids’ school system now uses Google School and Google Classroom where it’s more streamlined. Another school system around here use Microsoft and Microsoft Teams.
But I do think there’s still a way to go. For example, things like exams. When they do remote examinations, it’s an open book because there’s really no way for teachers remotely to ensure that the students aren’t cheating.
So, there is still a lot of room for growth and improvement, but in the last two years, a lot of efficiencies and improvements have been made.
Use Case: Corporate Learning
Our marketing team here at AvePoint has learned firsthand about some of these tools. We recently enrolled in a marketing bootcamp seminar (Professors G’s class), and it was great. They did a fantastic job in connecting the dots, not only while in the classroom, but even outside the classrooms.
They would have a Slack channel, and we use Teams to talk about homework and what’s coming up, and we would get email updates of the on-demand recordings. I think that integrated experience—the before, during, and after—is very beneficial and where technology can truly augment and support.
Three Trends in Learning
We’re seeing three big trends that’s going on in learning, regardless if it’s K through 12, higher learning or corporate learning.
- Having a single platform for learning, testing, and continuing education is critical because we can get relevant data and insights around the different phases of learning.
Let’s say, as a student, I took the first two tests, and I did well. On the third test, I did not do well. Imagine having a feedback mechanism to the teacher that says, “Hey, I don’t know what’s up with Dux, but he bombed his third test.” So, maybe you want to talk to Dux.
That can only be made possible if all the pieces of information aren’t scattered through different apps.
- On-demand and bite-sized learning is also crucial.
Sure, we can take our one-hour and our whole day courses, but imagine if we’re on a subway going home and we want to refresh our memory or learn more. Do a quick search, be it a video or a conversation or a chat or a workbook, any type of content that’s related to the topic you’re looking for can be surfaced.
- Assisted learning through AI.
Imagine you’re in a virtual classroom setting. You’re in a Teams, for example. You’re asking, “Hey, I’m working on this homework, and I don’t know what the Pythagorean theorem’s all about.”
As soon as you ask that, instead of waiting for another person or a teacher to answer, imagine if there’s a bot monitoring behind the scenes who would provide you with references. Maybe not the answer. It may say, “That’s your homework today, but here, let me give you a clue.”
Or maybe you’re asking, “I’m stuck with this problem. What should I do?” A bot would say, “You know what? Dux from last quarter had the same issue and this is what he did.” Assisted learning in an intelligent way.
Teams for Education
A lot of school systems are now using Teams because not only does it integrate the calling and the chatting, but it also has a special version specific to education where each team is set up as a classroom. Plus, there’s capabilities like OneNote for note taking and video recording so you can watch on demand.
And the good news is, we here at AvePoint extend that capability. We have a technology called AvePoint EduTech where we take the learning and the testing—and the training part for corporate learning—two steps further so that it provides more advanced capabilities to what out-of-the-box Teams can offer.
AvePoint EduTech and Examena
AvePoint EduTech and our Examena, our testing platform, has AI-enabled proctoring capability to help facilitate safe and fair testing. Let’s say students are taking the test: our technology can lock down the machine. It has a timer, so you can’t flip browsers and go to other apps. You can only take the test during that time.
And while you’re taking the test, through Azure cognitive services (which is a Microsoft technology), you and your environment are being watched. It watches your eyeball and where you’re looking at as you’re taking the test.
Now this is not good news. When I was telling my kids about it, they’re like, “No, we don’t want that.” But that’s a great way versus having a physical person proctoring and watching the camera across 50 students as to how they’re taking the test.
So that’s just the amazing thing with what technology can provide. And this is not just for students. There’s a lot of potential for the modern workplace, too, with these digital technology.
Episode resources
Teams for Education: Microsoft Teams: Online & Remote Classroom | Microsoft Education
AvePoint EduTech: EduTech: Microsoft 365 Based Education Solution | AvePoint EduTech
AvePoint Examena: Deliver Online Exams | Examena Online Examination System | AvePoint EduTech
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