The Classroom of the Future: Advances in Remote Learning

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by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.

classroom of the future K-12 learning technologies

Over the last two decades, technology has gained wider acceptance in the classroom. Since the pandemic, when teachers and students have been abruptly forced apart, tech solutions from video calls to virtual classrooms to online learning platforms have leapt into widespread use and become a lifeline for education this term—a topic we wrote about in a previous blog post.

But as we look toward the next school year and beyond, will these advancements remain a stopgap measure for connecting with students and delivering instruction during unusual circumstances; or has the way children learn been changed forever? The following are some key innovations in digital learning that are likely to be part of K-12 education for a long time.

Learning Management Systems and Virtual Learning Environments

In higher education, Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Virtual Learning Environments (VME) have been widely adopted and used regularly. In the last decade or so, the expansion of these systems into primary school classrooms has seen consistent growth, made ever more critical by full-time remote learning.

VLE and LMS are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t exactly the same. An LMS is a platform mainly for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses.

A VLE takes the LMS one step further by adding resources, activities and interactions within a course structure and providing educators with the different stages of assessment. Many VLEs can assess comprehension, be adjusted to the speed at which students learn, and employ personalized approaches customized to any learning style. Using interactive lessons and gamification, these systems are often geared toward younger students by engaging them in ways familiar from other online games and media. Some examples are Blackboard Collaborate, Schoology, Edmodo, ClassDojo, and Google Classroom.

Interactive courses

Interactive learning is ubiquitous—from LeapFrog learning systems for children as young as two, to the Duolingo language app. But what Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman is doing with the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder expands these boundaries of exploration and discovery. Based on extensive research in education, PhET Interactive Simulations creates free immersive math and science experiences through a game-like environment. Each simulation requires feedback from users, so they are constantly refined to ensure that the lessons are engaging students and aiding comprehension.

Hi-lo curricula and online learning comprehension

Hi-lo materials are defined as resources that provide highly interesting subject matter and engagement but at a lower reading level. Publishers such as Capstone, High Noon Books, and Saddleback Educational Publishing offer mostly physical hi-lo books and learning materials but are also starting to create more digital options. Online learning solutions for struggling readers allow students to work at their own pace and in many cases, teachers are able to gauge student comprehension throughout the process. Pinpointing and focusing more discussion on problem areas highlighted as students progress through the material is much more challenging in a physical classroom of multiple students learning at different rates.

Virtual Labs

A virtual laboratory is just as it sounds – a digital simulation of an actual laboratory environment. While nothing quite compares to working in a real-life laboratory, the software— whether powered by 2D animation and videos or Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)—can feel quite realistic. These applications allow students to complete lab experiments and better understand concepts and theories through enhanced real-world settings (AR) or completely simulated conditions (VR). Companies such as Labster, PraxiLabs and others are innovating in this space, creating virtual labs that can be accessed separately or included within an LMS. The possibilities are endless, ranging from familiar simulations of high-school dissection labs to entirely new experiences like operating rooms and the International Space Station.

Online learning now and in the future

One of the greatest challenges for remote learning is the digital divide. Not every student has access to laptops, tablets, or Wi-Fi at home, though school systems have been working hard to fill the gap. For example, Boston Public Schools have distributed over 31,000 Chromebooks and more than 2,600 Wi-Fi hotspots during its three-month shutdown. Meanwhile, the Austin, TX Independent School District has deployed 110 school buses equipped with WiFi to neighborhoods and apartment complexes identified by need. Online learning platform providers are also developing smartphone apps that can be used offline in order to level playing field.

While this new era of online learning may be rushed and very sudden, it is providing valuable insight and experience for supplementing in-classroom instruction, lasting remote learning potential, and perhaps asynchronous work in the future.

KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (formerly Cenveo Publisher Services) is your source for PreK-12 content development and digital solutions. To find out more about elearning and how we can help you build your digital portfolio, download our free report or email us at info@kwglobal.com.