Education: learnings from the pandemic?

The pandemic forced almost immediate and fundamental change to teaching practices and the structure of education. New technologies were adopted for the short term but questions about the long-term future remain. AV News looks at the ways that the deployment of edtech, driven by the pandemic. could provide the infrastructure for the adoption of the emerging technologies of AI and VR.

“During lockdown, it became clear that mental health and wellbeing is the number one priority for successful teaching and learning. Emphasis on this remains important, therefore we need to maintain high levels of support for students and teachers to maintain educational and personal outcomes,” says Simon Port, Head of UKI & ANZ at Promethean.

He continued: “The pandemic highlighted how many students had access to resources and where they were more limited. Access to technology and infrastructure should be provided so all students can benefit from quality education regardless of geographical location or social-economic background. While standards are high across most areas of the UK and Ireland, we should remain vigilant to ensure equal access to quality learning experiences. While online learning remains an option in individual circumstances, in-person teaching, and social learning. should be prioritised”.

Therefore, Simon Port believes that education technology should always be viewed in a teaching support role: “Edtech should always have a supportive role in teaching and learning; providing teachers with simple and robust tools that they can easily incorporate into their daily practice, so they prepare the children - not the technology. Edtech’s ability to create complex and variable simulations is an invaluable tool in developing complex competencies in students. It can be used to develop project work around the application of mathe- matics to real-world problems, giving a far more valuable learning experience than simply doing sums”.

The pandemic, and in particular lockdowns, enforced changes to education practice over the course of a few months that had previously persisted for decades. But, which of the practices and procedures adopted during the pandemic are likely to be retained going forward, ut which will see a reversion back to the former status quo?

Samantha Bews, account manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions, believes that the pandemic edtech rollout will drive change in the long term: “I think some adaptions will remain like Blended Learning, where many implemented this. Blended leaning allows for greater flexibility and accommodates diverse learning styles. The use of video conferencing solutions allows virtual meetings, collaborative projects, and communication among students, teachers, and parents. The Flipped classroom approach allows students to learn at home either by choice or illness etc. and remains a valuable tool. I do feel the pandemic has allowed Education to drive a more impactful digital footprint and teachers continue to receive professional development in digital literacy and technology integration to enhance their ability to effectively use online tools for teaching and learning.”

Throughout the pandemic and post-pandemic periods the adoption of digital alternatives was always a mixed bag, with varying outcomes. For example, take the case of a school that offered a virtual alternative for parents’ evening, which actually led to an increase in ‘attendance’ from parents! While many schools are still keen to deliver face-to-face services, hybrid services are known to ensure everyone’s needs are catered for and so parents who cannot attend in person can dial in remotely to stay involved.

Undoubtedly, some schools struggled with low attendance post pandemic because it became more widely known that lessons did not have to take place physically inside a classroom. Even though students were encouraged to return to school, reality encouraged adopting a hybrid approach to ensure that students did not fall behind in learning if they fail to attend classes in person. At the very least, it is now understood that if any situation should arise where a school cannot operate in its buildings, online learning can be effective in ensuring children still get an education. We have seen some circumstances where schools have lost power, suffer heating problems, flooding or fire damage and online learning has been a great alternative as a backup that ensures no interruption in learning.

Tech and the curriculum

Post pandemic much discussion has centred on exactly what should be taught in order to make those being educated genuinely useful citizens? A great deal of attention has been directed to the STEM disciplines. But. Is this all we need? Not necessarily: “STEM, humanities, and creative arts are all valuable elements of a balanced curriculum. They should be taught to complement each other, not at the expense of one another. Prior to the pandemic, the arts and creative industries were worth £23.3 billion p/a in turnover (Arts Council England, 2018). Of course, STEM will continue to have a significant focus, but we need to consider how these skills are being taught. It’s important to recognise the value of teaching practical, certified skills training as well as academic pathways that help prepare students for the future.”

Easy access to equipment, that costs a fraction of what it used to, gives young people a far greater ability to develop their ideas and creativity than before. Some technologies can lower the barrier to entry for more technical creative arts and give a greater platform for collaboration and communication for these projects. For example, some leading visualisation and game design software provides free student editions that allow its users to learn and experiment without any considerable financial commitment. On a similar note, modern music software can provide students with the tools to create near-studio quality recordings on a very reasonable budget, with help from good tutoring. Writing and editing software can assist in papers and presentations.

Classroom technologies, such as ‘front-of-class solutions’, give students the opportunity to get hands-on in the classroom and develop practical and theoretical skills. Whether it’s animation or coding, there are plenty of accessible resources for students to use in the classroom and in their own time. Gamification of education also helps to make social learning more appealing in a classroom setting. “Schools and teachers need to be aware of different pathways into learning specialist skill sets, while not assuming that every child needs to only learn industry-specific skills. It’s also important to make sure we teach students certified TVET (technical and vocational education and training) skills as that is where the need is greatest.”

However, the emphasis on STEM subjects is justified because they encourage experimentation and creativity. “As well as this, these subjects can be taught in a way that is more practical which allows children to absorb the curriculum easier. Given the ability to focus on such subjects moving forward will provide students the opportunity to be more hands-on and apply their knowledge to other subject areas within the school – not to forget later on in life.”

Where now for edtech?

So, is education technology simply a disaster recovery mechanism? Is it a platform for hybrid working? Or is it the infrastructure for the emerging technologies of AI and VR? Samantha Bews, account manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions: believes that it can be much more a mere platform for collaboration: “Educational technology plays a crucial role in preparing young people for future work roles by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability needed in a rapidly evolving tech driven world. Edtech provides digital and technical skills, remote adaptions, soft skill development, and online networking exposure. By integrating edtech effectively into education, educators can equip students with the skills and competencies needed to succeed in a dynamic and technology-driven job market.”

But what of the emerging technologies? “VR is probably furthest ahead in its development and integration into existing schools. Alongside this, it is easier for schools to adopt compared to XR and AR which may require interaction with real-life environments and resources. We are seeing VR adoption in real time at the moment, but there is still potential to make even more of it. VR allows students to engage with simulations without the need for heavy, expensive, and complex installations, thereby providing access to those who are in locations or economies that would struggle to access relevant workshops.”

“It is likely that schools will adopt VR headsets first and while some already have, a big budget is needed to do so. Even so, those who have adopted VR headsets have felt a lack of support from the companies they bought the devices from which has made it difficult for teachers to navigate how they can build a lesson around the technology. With the support VR could have the potential to be really successful in a classroom environment – Geography and Science are two subjects which could utilise VR headsets to teach the curriculum at hand.”

Teaching STEM subjects, in particular, with VR can encourage students to be hands-on and in turn more creative with their approach. This can be incredibly beneficial for students who learn better with more active learning. “Likewise, the implementation of technology such as interactive screens increase class participation and involvement which are just some examples of valued skills that can be applied to life outside of the classroom, such as in personal life for building relationships with peers and work life for contributing in meetings or discussions.

Forward-thinking schools are looking at their curriculum and examining how they can offer a wide, more up-to-date, curriculum for children - which includes lessons like coding and gaming. “Coding is important in education globally (not just in the UK), the subject has been part of the curriculum since 2014 and continues to be a massively important part of education. The issue lies in having the resources to keep teachers up to date with the latest software and materials. It can be said that children are more advanced in this area and therefore know more than the teachers themselves. However, in time, we should see a change in these as new teachers are more likely to already have these skills to hand.”

Esports is another avenue which education establishments are beginning to incorporate into their offerings. As Esports rises in popularity amongst the younger generation, we anticipate it to become an industry in its own right, similar to traditional sports like football. Esports is much more than just playing games, there are a variety of career paths for students to choose including sports nutrition, coding, coaching, playing to name a few. As the industry continues to rise in popularity, so will the demand for skills in these areas to fill the jobs needed for it to thrive. Education establishments will need to invest in the technology such as esports equipment, monitors, PCs, peripherals and more to be able to educate these students efficiently. Incorporating Esports into education is a trend we expect to grow in the years ahead.

Ed-tech holds incredible importance in preparing young people for future work roles where workplaces and careers are more reliant on ever evolving technology than previous generations. Teaching students the basics, provides them with leverage to demand higher-paid roles and succeed in these said roles. Whilst it is important to teach young people ed tech, it is also necessary that staff are also literate in the subject.

INSERT PICs with captions:

Simon Port, Head of UKI & ANZ at Promethean: ““Edtech should always have a supportive role in teaching and learning; providing teachers with simple and robust tools that they can easily incorporate into their daily practice.”

Samantha Bews, account manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions: “Educational technology plays a crucial role in preparing young people for future work roles by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability needed in a rapidly evolving tech driven world.”

While it is difficult to put a positive spin on an event that is said to have shortened the lives of 230,00 people in the UK alone, the increased deployment of edtech, driven by the pandemic, has provided the digital infrastructure for the emerging technologies of collaboration, VR, AI and others. The widespread adoption of these new technologies will enhance learning, and subsequently prove advantageous for future work and employment even in the most traditional of institutions.

Globally, there are over 572 million knowledge workers in the world of work has changed accordingly, and while the consensus supports the view that in-person teaching and learning is best, is education really equipping coming generations with the skills they will need in the future?

We look at perhaps one of the UK’s most traditional learning establishments to see how it is changing in the light of new demands with the deployment of mew edtech. Kramer has installed a range of new audio-visual technologies at Charterhouse, one of the UK’s leading independent schools, to create outstanding learning opportunities that prepare pupils for the modern world. Founded in 1611 and located in Godalming, just outside of London, Charterhouse is home to 960 students aged 13 to 18 in a historic 250-acre campus. Notable alumni include British prime ministers and politicians, world-leading scientists and academics, and renowned writers and artists.

Today, Charterhouse’s vision is to become the best coed boarding school in the country. It aims to do so by developing a truly world-class educational experience, with targeted investment in facilities to modernise the learning of its pupils in preparation for their adult lives. However, the school’s legacy lecture theatre, built in the 1980s, was holding back progress. The school needed an advanced audio-visual system to meet modern expectations, ready to be used for teaching real-world, business scenarios like presenting and pitching.

Prime AV, the integrator for the project, recommended Kramer as the ideal technology vendor for the new audio-visual theatre system. Kramer was chosen for the robustness, reliability, and ease of integration of its products, and because the Kramer Control system is sophisticated without being complicated, delivering an exceptional user experience. The Kramer equipment installed included a control keypad (RC-74DL), a room controller (SL-1N), and a presentation switcher/scaler (VP-440X).

In the last school year, the school opened its newly renovated lecture theatre, a modern auditorium with sophisticated AV and presentation facilities. Ever since, the results have been clear: Charterhouse now has an advanced teaching auditorium suited to a world-class campus. Teachers can educate and present in a modern and engaging style and pupils can practise live presentation skills using state-of-the-art AV equipment. In addition, use of the lecture theatre has increased across all student levels and academic disciplines, and Charterhouse is even able to host dynamic speaker events and loan the space through its Community & Partnerships Programme to assist with external educational endeavours.

Chris Hibbs, Director, External Relations & Foundation at Charterhouse, said: “We are now in the advantageous position of having an AV-rich facility that is being utilised by all year groups, across all academic disciplines. Our newly renovated lecture theatre enables traditional teaching environments to diversify, and teaching staff to present and educate in a style that is modern and engaging.” He added: “Pupils are now able to practise live presentation skills as well as receive feedback from peers and through video analysis reviews. This takes them through real challenges and real problems and gives them proper exposure to some of the technologies that they’ll encounter, preparing them for future work.”

Pete Baxter, Senior Vice President of EMEA at Kramer, said: “Technology provides schools like Charterhouse with endless opportunities to teach and learn. But offering a natural experience for pupils, while enabling lecturers to continue with their preferred ways of teaching habits, is far from simple. That’s why Kramer focuses on the development of easy connectivity, top-quality audio and video, and simple content sharing. Our technologies are optimised to the unique modern needs of education - we want everyone to be able to present, share, and engage, no matter where they are. It’s fantastic to see this vision now realised at Charterhouse, and we can’t wait to follow the inspiring progress of its students.”

Artificial Intelligence is sure to impact on education –how should it be used and managed? And do the advantages outweigh the threats?

Taking a positive of AI, it presents a great opportunity as a supportive technology for teachers. There is potential for assistance with lesson plans, creative ideation, topical research and more. But “Introducing AI runs the risk of not knowing if the student is absorbing knowledge - or are they just handing in work that has been created by an AI bot? Sure, schools can look to implement data policies, consent, regular assessments, clear accountability etc, but who would be in charge of ensuring these are all being met?”

Either way, AI is definitely here to stay - so schools and teachers will have to play their part to educate students about best practice and ethical use of AI tools. “We need to educate teachers and students about safe and compliant use of AI, not only to uphold the validity of education and assessment, but also to safeguard against potential legal issues of drawing in copyrighted information. Although lawmakers will have a role to play in setting out legislative safeguards around AI, school leaders and local authorities may consider providing their own guidance to protect teachers in their roles and make sure they are comfortable with its uses.”

But does the issue go deeper than a few students using ChatGPT to knock out an essay running late? Does AI actually pose a threat to all traditional teaching and learning practice? It depends on who you ask! “If used to support teachers, by helping with lesson planning, for example, it will be a very useful tool. Although it shouldn’t be used as a substitute for face-to-face or online teaching. Ultimately, it has its benefits like many other technologies. There is significant value and importance of teachers bringing interpersonal elements and soft skills to the classroom - AI can never replace this!”

Could AI be used to lighten teacher’s workload? For example, AI could contribute towards marking assignments and homework, allowing teachers more time to focus on other things. While AI currently has the possibility to make such a positive impact, its usefulness is limited to certain subjects at this trial stage. However, with every new technology, it brings opportunities and also threats – the main one with AI being security concerns, plagiarism and cheating. Schools will need to be mindful when adopting AI into their practice, especially in early deployments of this new technology. There is sure to be a lot of focus on how to ensure AI is safe and fit for use in the classroom and education as a whole.

To summarise, AI technologies have the potential to enhance education in various ways, they also pose certain challenges and requires careful consideration. Samantha Bews, account manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions “For me, I am not sure this is something that needs to be implemented, it could lead to loss of personalised learning, and reduced adaption to cater for people’s individual needs. Tutoring and face to face support allows for human emotions on relatable topics, bringing greater empathy between students and teachers. In an era where there must be more attention to mental wellbeing, highly publicised in the higher education sector, we should be focusing on building relationships and interactions with real people.

As the edtech industry prepares to return to Bett London next month, Alistair Hayward, Chief Revenue Officer, Avantis Education, shares his thoughts on why AR and VR are starting to come of age in education, and how AV resellers can best capitalise on the commercial opportunity this presents.

Schools around the world are harnessing the potential of AR/VR in a diverse range of ways. While many are putting student engagement theory into practice with experiential learning, others are exploring more innovative ways to integrate AR/VR into curriculum delivery, including using VR headsets with other classroom technologies.

AR/VR technology’s potential to empower SEND students and support SEL (socio-emotional learning) is also being increasingly recognised, giving teachers a powerful tool for behaviour management as well as health and wellbeing.

This makes AR/VR very different to most other edtech. AR/VR is not only truly cross-curricular, but it also transcends the boundaries of traditional teaching and learning to provide a holistic education solution – for every part of school life. So, when schools invest in AR/ VR, there is potential for a much greater return on investment.

“At Avantis, we’ve been part of the market evolution since launching our first AR/VR education solution in 2017. Since then, ClassVR has experienced huge global growth. Used in more than 90 countries and over 100,000 classrooms worldwide, we can see from our own sales trends that AR/VR is starting to become more normalised in education. It still has the ‘fun’ factor for students, but as more schools harness the holistic benefits, AR/VR adoption is increasingly commonplace. The best evidence for this is the USA, where we’ve secured our first district-wide deal to put ClassVR in every classroom.”

The tides are positively turning for AR/VR, and we expect it to become even more mainstream in the next 12 months – especially in European countries where PNRR funding is available. To date, the UK has lagged in this regard, but with a General Election on the cards for 2024… who knows what the future holds?

In the meantime, many schools are using their own budgets and pupil premium funding to introduce AR/ VR, presenting an immediate opportunity for AV resellers, especially those already selling to education.

Augment your portfolio

If you’re already selling to education, adding AR/VR to your existing product range will not only add value to your customers, but it also creates an additional revenue stream with virtually no uplift in resource required. Take ClassVR for example. As a plug-and-play AR/VR solution designed specifically for education, it comes with everything a school needs to deploy AR/VR. Giving teachers the headsets, classroom management portal and a curriculum aligned resource library, this hardware/ software/content combination makes it quick and easy to introduce AR/VR.

“This set-up also makes ClassVR easy to demonstrate. And in our experience, schools that have a demonstration typically always make a purchase, even if it’s just a set of eight headsets to get them started. If your customer base has been saturated with visualisers and 3D printers and are not due for an interactive panel refresh for a few years, bringing AR/VR into your portfolio is an opportunity to generate incremental income from existing relationships”

When pitching AR/VR to your customers, position the technology as a solid all-round investment so schools can tap into a wider range of funding sources. If budget is available for STEAM, AR/VR ticks the box. If it’s to improve inclusivity for SEND students, there’s plenty of use cases to show it works. And the cross-curricular and knowledge retention potential is already well evidenced by its use in global classrooms.

While the market is shifting towards more widespread adoption of AR/VR, bringing it into your portfolio now will still put you ahead of the curve. To better support AV resellers with making the most of this opportunity, Avantis Education is launching a new global partner programme at Bett 2024. The programme will equip partners with the training and support needed to achieve AR/VR sales success, not least access to ClassVR – the world’s leading AR/VR brand for education.

“As an industry veteran when it comes to implementing partner programmes, I can promise that the new Avantis programme brings the best of any accreditation. Partners can expect honesty and transparency, a wealth of sales and marketing support, and most importantly – a firm commitment to building our businesses together.” display solutions on the market to support their new DISCOVER 2 series, and any display on the UK market. In addition to innovative functions, the sustainability aspect is given high priority throughout the entire production and life cycle. This is in line with the efforts of parent company edding to become a climate-neutral company by 2030. We will be attending ISE on stand 5C240 so see you in 2024!

To discuss the commercial opportunity of adding AR/ VR to your portfolio, or to learn more about the Avantis Education Partner Programme, email partners@classvr. com or visit stand NK41 at Bett London 2024.

Avantis Education is the home of ClassVR – the virtual reality solution developed specifically for schools. With ergonomically designed headsets, an intuitive classroom management portal, and a rich content library powered by the Eduverse, ClassVR has everything schools need to bring experiential learning into the classroom.

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