Virtual Classroom is a part of online education that makes the process of learning more impactful and interesting. The hype of e-learning has gained unexpected popularity in the last decade mostly because it bridges the geographical gap between a learner and a teacher. But, if we want to shift the entire process of education on an online platform, a situation we are experiencing due to COVID-19, we have to improvise a lot. Online education is not very useful if we only present a pre-recorded lecture to a class or show them a PowerPoint presentation. These primitive methods make the learning process monotonous and students lose interest. So, today we are going to discuss all virtual classrooms and how they can create a better learning platform with increased engagement and interactivity.
Virtual Classroom: In Simple Words
A virtual classroom is an online environment where students and teachers can interact on a real-time basis and enjoy a wide range of perks. Virtual classrooms have gained popularity since the lockdown and it is not going off the hook anytime soon. A virtual classroom is more than just a video conferencing app as it tries to build a simulated environment to give learners an experience similar to offline learning mode.
For example, a virtual classroom has a feature called a whiteboard where the teacher can explain any particular topic in real-time. There are also options like raising your hand if a student wants to answer a question or raise a doubt. Virtual classrooms have become very famous due to their high flexibility and minimal requirements from both students and learners to access them. Some of the mandatory features of a virtual classroom are a digital whiteboard, video conferencing facility, video recording, instant chats, sharing files, participation control, etc.
Features in Virtual Classrooms
Since we gave a hint of the features earlier in this article, let’s discuss in detail the must-have features in a virtual classroom.
High-quality video streaming: Online high-quality video streaming is best suited for teaching a class of hundreds or even more. In the case of a class with fewer learners, video conferencing is an alternative choice. Whichever it might be, the main idea is to build a platform that will run smoothly and that the learners can interact with the educators on a real-time basis.
Instant messaging: Sometimes it might create a disruption in the learning process if too many students start asking queries in the classroom at once. In times like this, instant texting comes real handy as someone else other than the educator can also answer a doubt which improves the quality of learning and makes the classroom more active and engaging. Instant text is also advantageous for those students who suffer from poor network connections and cannot follow the video streaming uninterruptedly.
Digital Whiteboarding: The educators are most likely to prepare study material for the class which they explain in due course of time. But, if a student is facing any difficulty understanding a topic, whiteboarding helps the teacher explain it by writing or drawing. It makes it easier for the students to understand the pre-made content in a better way as it gives the authentic feeling of a physical classroom.
Participation management: Participation management includes several features that make sure no commotion or disruption takes place in a class. For example, the raise hand feature allows the participants to raise their hand when they want to speak instead of unmuting all at once. Similarly, if there is any background noise from any learner’s microphone, the host can mute all participants to avoid disturbance.
File sharing: It is important for educators to share important study materials among the students. This can be done by integrating a cloud storage system with the virtual classroom. Using these systems, the students will be also able to submit assignments and access materials whenever they want.
Video recording: Video recording is a feature that one is not able to enjoy in offline classrooms. So, with the advent of virtual classrooms, it has a feature of video recording the live meetings. Whenever you feel like rewatching to understand any doubts or take notes, you will be able to access it.
End-to-end encryption: In a virtual classroom, a particular number of students and educators have access to it. To make sure all the learners are authorized and that no foreign participants are present in the classroom, end-to-end encryption is important.
Benefits of Virtual Classroom
Virtual classrooms have a wide range of benefits that are not possible for students to experience in offline mode. For example, virtual classrooms increase engagement and interactivity both among students and between a learner and an educator. There are features to create chat rooms and also participate in the class through instant messaging. So, the students who earlier felt shy to speak up in class are also becoming more active and responsive.
Content variety is another big advantage of virtual learning platforms. When an educator is teaching in an online classroom, he or she can use a wide variety of content to make the class fun and interesting for students. For example, nowadays 3D demonstrations are becoming popular in online classes and also gamified challenges which makes the learning process much more curious and engaging.
Bridging the geographical distance between a learner and an educator is done impressively in virtual classrooms. E-learning was introduced to solve this crisis but it is mostly about going through pre-recorded content and submitting assignments. This works to some extent for additional courses. But, teaching a classroom on a daily basis where participants can interact with each other like an offline class is successfully carried out in virtual classrooms.
A comfortable learning space is provided via a virtual classroom. This is the biggest difference between conventional e-learning courses and a virtual classroom. For example, if you take up an online course, you watch the videos in your preferred time and you solve questions and submit assignments. But, you have to go through this entire process alone. In the case of a virtual classroom, the teacher teaches the entire class together and you can get your doubts clarified in the class itself. Moreover, the instructor can also give you questions to solve in the live classroom, and by that, the performance of individuals can be understood in a more transparent way.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, virtual classrooms are a boon for the Gen Z kids especially when most of the world is shifting to a remote-working environment. If you are an educator, trying to comprehend which method will be best to teach your class or how to get started with a virtual classroom, you can give it a read. Moreover, one should also explore different types of virtual classrooms like rotation type, flexible type, fully online type, etc. And, if you are looking for a more detailed discussion regarding Virtual Classroom Integration, feel free to reach out to the Team of Xornor Technologies with your queries.