As various factors increase the demands on students, educational leaders are tasked with designing a new learning paradigm.
To retain the greatest value, it’s important to hang onto a few standbys. Components like on-the-fly questioning or networking and friendship are invaluable. But, at many schools, it’s time for tech upgrades that pivot to realities like social distancing, hybridized coursework, online learning, and work from wifi.
Virtual Class, Real Value
In virtual classrooms, schools can provide a meaningful education for the twists and turns of the future—without sacrificing academic rigor or relationships.
And with education able to determine quality of life for entire families, it’s vital that schools can demonstrate tuition value upfront, too.
For instance, over the course of the past decade, survey results continue to show that Americans can’t agree if college is worth it. People still attend or expect their children to attend, because of career considerations. And at younger levels, American students are well behind East Asian and European students in reading, science, and math.
Those taking loans, paying tuition, or sending their own kids look directly at the value of a particular school system. Campus life and classroom achievement are equally important.
Refocused on Learning
Where students or parents see crowded classes, limited resources, low engagement or student safety issues, even the most dedicated faculty can’t save the whole school.
Instead, since a virtual classroom is accessible from anywhere, the constraints of campuses—and commutes—give way to lectures, presentations, or group activities that include the first-person interactions students need.
At the same time, younger students’ parents can work from home, while children attend school virtually. Students who travel for work or with family can still attend classes, allowing crucial continuity. At the college level, students can work and manage their own time, creating essential lift for career.
When students and parents see that school platforms integrate with their lives, the focus returns to academic, technical, or trade skills.
Like the best technology, a virtual campus exists in service to the higher goals of education or work preparedness. A seamless union between class and classroom empowers faculty to reach students with superlative lesson presentations and personal availability.
To learn more about how virtual classes foster educational value for students and parents, download Meeting Students Where They Are: Replacing Classrooms and Campuses with Virtual World Technology.
