Aug. 9, 2021 - The next chapter in AV just got an overhaul! Imagine being able to control devices, equipment 24/7 from anywhere. Sounds good? What if I also said this same control can be done wirelessly? Now we're talking! Hall's R&D team has been hard at work coming up with innovative solutions for the Education space. We've addressed some of the challenges associated with distance learning for both teachers and students. Beyond the bandwidth, and the need for a mute button, teachers cited many learning obstacles. Tell us if you can relate to any of these

1. Constant Distractions

Distractions are a major source of teacher and student frustration. Background home noises, parents interrupting, dogs, cats, birds…. the cacophony is too much some days. Some ways that can help students/teachers cope is having a digital agreement stating that certain hours during school should be free from interruption. Likewise, teachers should block their calendar accordingly, and slot times for those deliveries, and other vendors to distract them.

From a technology standpoint, a lot can be done to minimize and reduce noise in virtual classrooms, as well as an in-person learning environment. Many conference and audio controls have noise-canceling features that can easily take care of most of the ambient noise.

2. Isolation

Another big obstacle is the isolation feeling from both the teaching and students side. Students are really struggling with the socialization stemming from distance learning. Isolation can erode a student's motivation to learn. Group projects, collaboration, and class discussions have all but vanished leaving behind students just wanting more engaging classroom experiences. By scheduling face time with students, and activities in the virtual classroom to help foster communication, teachers can see a remarkable improvement in their students' enthusiasm to learn.

Teachers are struggling too, citing that the collaboration between colleagues is challenging. This is one area where technology resources can absolutely help. Beyond Zoom rooms, and cloud collaboration, being able to connect and engage with students and colleagues is critical. Keeping students engaged virtually, and in person, is one of the most cited challenges of learning. Educators need to present lessons on whiteboards to students and need a simple solution to allow students to see that dynamic content presented from any wired device and deliver it with high-quality audio as well. To encourage collaboration and the learning experience, we must outfit Educators with modern technology that captivates students, keeps campuses safe, and lets teachers control their classrooms with ease. It needs to be simple to use without any programming required or technical assistance. Learn more about Hall's Smart Interactive Classroom solutions.

3. Motivation & Accountability

"What's my motivation?” and "why do I have to do this (school assignment)?” are the catchphrases of 2020. They are right up there with "You're on mute!”. Many parents are battling with getting their children motivated to go to online school. Shoot! That's still the case some days with in-person learning scenarios. So how can teachers and parents get students motivated to learn? Maybe the answer is gamification. Apps and resources that are gamified have proven to be more engaging and interactive in independent environments.

Accountability is a whole other fight. Based on my own experience, I constantly overhear my daughters' teacher having to engage with other students regarding missing homework and reminding students to turn on their cameras as well. Teachers can build a sense of community in their online learning environment to combat this isolation by creating activities that spotlight a student of the day/week. Let them talk and discuss family events and activities during class time. Activities like this can really bolster student engagement.

4. Technical difficulties

Lastly, are technical difficulties. We've all experienced the glitches on working from home too! Developments in EdTech over the past year have made distance teaching a lot less challenging, but there are still issues that crop up. Hall's got you covered here. Issues like remote access, controlling in-class technology, and legacy equipment are all areas where Hall's got you covered. We've also got Higher Education campuses covered with things like Lecture record and capture technology, and auditorium solutions. Let's face it, technical difficulties are what sends most of us over the edge and can really throw a monkey wrench in our day. Let us help with proven solutions for all types of learning environments.

Written by: Brandy Alvarado-Miranda