Going Virtual – Six simple steps to onboard your institution to Virtual Classroom
The recent directives from the UGC constituted panel to make it clear that all educational institutions must do everything in their capacity to ensure continuous and uninterrupted operations of the institutional activity, especially instruction and assessments. Even more specifically, they point to the need to use virtual classrooms to continue instruction. This is absolutely essential considering the challenges to admissions and placements posed by a shifting and uncertain academic calendar; and also the changing preferences of students.
This post is to help all educational institutions get a broad perspective, and be wise with their decisions on adopting virtual classrooms.
1. Know your students
Although virtual classrooms are a solution easy to suggest, institutions must first ask themselves if their students are equipped with necessary infrastructure to attend virtual classrooms. This is much less a matter of administration or reputation than it is about being cautious on provoking the digital divide debate. This requires a thorough understanding of the geographical spread of the institution’s students. Although it is utopian to cater to all students, being able to assert that eighty percent of students can benefit from virtual classrooms is a good starting point.
Although virtual classrooms are a solution easy to suggest, institutions must first ask themselves if their students are equipped with necessary infrastructure to attend virtual classrooms. This is much less a matter of administration or reputation than it is about being cautious on provoking the digital divide debate. This requires a thorough understanding of the geographical spread of the institution’s students. Although it is utopian to cater to all students, being able to assert that eighty percent of students can benefit from virtual classrooms is a good starting point.
2. Ask your teachers
The current crisis has divided the teachers based on their tech-savviness. There are those who are naturally taking upto ideas such as virtual classrooms and there are others who need help in understanding the basics of setting up an online meeting. For the institution, it is essential to ask their teachers about how prepared they are, and what their strategies for teaching online are. This helps the institutions in at least two ways. The first is to assess the preparedness of teachers to use virtual classrooms, but most importantly, the second is to have an idea about the issues they foresee in teaching online.
The current crisis has divided the teachers based on their tech-savviness. There are those who are naturally taking upto ideas such as virtual classrooms and there are others who need help in understanding the basics of setting up an online meeting. For the institution, it is essential to ask their teachers about how prepared they are, and what their strategies for teaching online are. This helps the institutions in at least two ways. The first is to assess the preparedness of teachers to use virtual classrooms, but most importantly, the second is to have an idea about the issues they foresee in teaching online.
From our experience, we understand that one of the major concerns of teachers is about managing the schedule, and managing the allied activities of the classroom such as marking attendance or conducting quick in-class assessments. There may be more, but the institutions must have these inputs so that the solution they deploy addresses the true problem they have. The simplest and the most elegant solution is one that is teacher centric irrespective of their tech-savviness.
3. Plan your educational goals
Going with the popular trend in the use of virtual collaboration tools, it might be easy to fall into the trap of choosing one of those that is more suitable for webinars. Institutions must ask themselves if the goal is to feed to their marketing pipeline and do webinars for an external audience, or whether it is to focus on the learning needs of their students, the curriculum completion targets and managing the challenges presented by the current situation. If so, it is an imperative that institutions understand the nuances between collaboration tools and how they are different from virtual classrooms. In simple terms, virtual classrooms are a natural fit into classroom affairs and facilitate learning and allied activities that teachers intend to perform, unlike collaboration tools where the control on technology is shared by all (or most) participants alike.
Going with the popular trend in the use of virtual collaboration tools, it might be easy to fall into the trap of choosing one of those that is more suitable for webinars. Institutions must ask themselves if the goal is to feed to their marketing pipeline and do webinars for an external audience, or whether it is to focus on the learning needs of their students, the curriculum completion targets and managing the challenges presented by the current situation. If so, it is an imperative that institutions understand the nuances between collaboration tools and how they are different from virtual classrooms. In simple terms, virtual classrooms are a natural fit into classroom affairs and facilitate learning and allied activities that teachers intend to perform, unlike collaboration tools where the control on technology is shared by all (or most) participants alike.
4. Considerations for online classroom space
Space is a vital element at teacher’s disposal in planning appropriate pedagogies. The current times have dovetailed faculty out of their comfort zones and into an online space where teaching is expected to be as effective as it was in the physical classroom. This isn’t easy. There is neither any shortcut nor a quick training program to address the skill gaps of teachers in this regard. But while they adapt to the subtleties of virtual classes and online teaching, we believe teachers must be assisted in controlling other learning related variables that they want to. These include sharing class materials, getting feedback from students, and ability to integrate an online class with off-the-class interactions.
Space is a vital element at teacher’s disposal in planning appropriate pedagogies. The current times have dovetailed faculty out of their comfort zones and into an online space where teaching is expected to be as effective as it was in the physical classroom. This isn’t easy. There is neither any shortcut nor a quick training program to address the skill gaps of teachers in this regard. But while they adapt to the subtleties of virtual classes and online teaching, we believe teachers must be assisted in controlling other learning related variables that they want to. These include sharing class materials, getting feedback from students, and ability to integrate an online class with off-the-class interactions.
5. Assess your options
Educational institutions have discretion here. There are a range of technologies available on the cost and feature spectrum. Institutions must however not make a distressed investment in technology. And by distressed investment, we mean anything that does not allow the smooth running of administration and execution of academic governance. One way institutions go down the wrong spiral is by beginning to invest in a basket of technologies that serve different functions. The larger problem of having to integrate comes much later but would become ginormous and unmanageable when it hits. Instead, any solution that offers to connect and collaborate across functions, with emphasis on virtual classes and classroom management, is the way to go. This may lead to a slight reorientation in the way the institution works but ensures continuity and integrity. Choose wisely.
Educational institutions have discretion here. There are a range of technologies available on the cost and feature spectrum. Institutions must however not make a distressed investment in technology. And by distressed investment, we mean anything that does not allow the smooth running of administration and execution of academic governance. One way institutions go down the wrong spiral is by beginning to invest in a basket of technologies that serve different functions. The larger problem of having to integrate comes much later but would become ginormous and unmanageable when it hits. Instead, any solution that offers to connect and collaborate across functions, with emphasis on virtual classes and classroom management, is the way to go. This may lead to a slight reorientation in the way the institution works but ensures continuity and integrity. Choose wisely.
6. Invest, Commit and Engage
If you have come this far, you would have chosen a technology for doing virtual classes. The next few steps are critical to adopting a transformative culture. Teachers must be oriented to using new technology. There must be a commitment from the institution to the teachers that they are operating in a safe space and that they will get assistance when they need it. On the other side, institutions must be willing to partner with their technology provider and engage with them to innovate and solve any learning problem reported by teachers and students. Together, the technology grows, and so does the institution.
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Camu Virtual Classroom is a proven solution for institutions that have the vision to go digital and are looking for rapid implementation. Rathinam Group of Institutions uses Camu Virtual Classroom.
If you have come this far, you would have chosen a technology for doing virtual classes. The next few steps are critical to adopting a transformative culture. Teachers must be oriented to using new technology. There must be a commitment from the institution to the teachers that they are operating in a safe space and that they will get assistance when they need it. On the other side, institutions must be willing to partner with their technology provider and engage with them to innovate and solve any learning problem reported by teachers and students. Together, the technology grows, and so does the institution.
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Camu Virtual Classroom is a proven solution for institutions that have the vision to go digital and are looking for rapid implementation. Rathinam Group of Institutions uses Camu Virtual Classroom.
