Future of Education: Interactive and Collaborative Learning Environment

Learning spaces where students work together at large tables, connecting with both each other and the teacher. Multi-location learning where groups of students at different locations follow interactive courses. Or even a step further: virtual classrooms where each student can be in a different place and the educator in yet another.
Do these scenarios sound like scenes from a sci-fi movie?
In today’s world of technology… probably not.
The traditional way of teaching, featuring teachers/professors reading out loud a syllabus, is almost a thing of the past. The future of our education lies in Collaborative learning spaces, multi-location learning, adaptive learning systems and virtual classrooms. The main purpose is more dialogue & interaction between students and teachers. The role of real-life educators remains crucial, but he or she should embrace the latest educational technology.
Using a wide array of information exchange tools and a focus on connectivity and interactivity, the collaborative way of learning is designed with modern students in mind – students who have grown up with mobile technology and absorb information through them quickly. These students are entering a very different working world than their parents’, and new educational methods will prepare them for the digital age.
Technology – a click away
Today’s world is fast-paced, and innovative products seem to pop up every day. Education has also evolved rapidly in the past few years, and technology plays a large role in these changes. So much information comes at students from so many angles that identifying and absorbing the valuable parts of that information is more difficult than ever before. Technology has evolved, and so have the methods students use to learn. More people than ever are connecting to educators and taking classes remotely. While some of these solutions are fantastic and offer a great way for students to telecommute, there are others plagued with problems. Students and instructors shouldn’t have to squander their education time learning a new interface or device or troubleshooting issues.
Embracing BYOD and the New Classroom
Collaborative learning solutions are for much more than providing a platform for sharing visual materials and making note-taking easier. With seamless BYOD support for a customized application, teachers are no longer limited to the traditional lecture-style classroom, and students have access to a more robust learning environment & information. Collaborative Learning integrates classroom displays and connected devices and embeds them in the network, so students can connect to classes from anywhere. This new type of learning experience offers students the ability to learn more comfortably and share their resources with peers. Fostering collaborative efforts in the educational realm is indicative of the new workplace – more of today’s employees are choosing to work remotely and on-the-go, so having this experience earlier in the classroom makes adapting to modern work styles part of the educational process. Students learn their trades and hone their skills while adapting to new ways of sharing ideas and connecting with peers. Embracing BYOD means students can engage with their own devices and still collaborate and share content. When students use their own devices – devices which they are extremely familiar with – one step of difficulty is removed, and learning becomes seamless & effortless.
Augmented and virtual reality – Keeping up with the trends
Virtual and augmented reality technology is making huge waves in the business, marketing, and entertainment industries, but these technological advances present huge opportunities in the world of education. Using advanced forms of visualization, educators can offer more robust, hands-on, practical skill-building activities. Students today will enter the workforce with far more hands-on experience than previous generations. But learning doesn’t have to be relegated to the classroom. With the proper security of content, education can meet the students where they are. The roadmap provides technology that enables both virtual and remote classrooms. Training simulations and working in 3D spaces for research and development are becoming increasingly common sights, and we geared the Collaborative Learning Platform for preparing today’s students to handle these tools in the working world.
In a nutshell, today’s technology-driven generation requires new ways of teaching: more interaction, participation and engagement instead of long monologues from teachers standing in front of the classrooms. With advanced visualization technology, intuitive application platforms, BYOD functionality, and classroom collaboration solutions such as wePresent, ClickShare etc. are helping prepare a new generation for the digital age.
About the Author:
Ramya Chatterjee, Director – Sales (Visualization & Entertainment), Barco India is an industry leader with over 16 years of experience. Ramya heads the company’s sales division in the South Asian market with a view to enhancing and streamlining its P&L functions and tapping India’s enormous business potential. In the course of his illustrious career, he gained hands-on experience across industries in Audio Visual (AV), Information & Communication Technology (ICT), IT hardware/software and Office Automation (OA) technologies. He is frequently invited to lecture at professional institutions to share his expertise in sales, marketing, and technology.