Digital classrooms in offline classes and school LMS in the online one are the new normal for the students in today’s world. These are pedagogical methods of engaging students and teachers in a classroom.
A smart classroom is a type of digital classroom which helps various tools to successfully make teaching procedures visually attractive, engaging, and productive, and make use of the audio-visual senses of students to make education appealing to them. The more innovative methods teachers adapt to impart knowledge, the more success it guarantees in doing so.
Listed below are some essential tools and applications required to make a smart class efficient;
● Mobile device, desktop, or laptop
Students cannot access classes, notes, and materials shared over smart classrooms if they don’t use a digital device. Laptops are preferred because they have more features and adapting capacity than a mobile phone, and are more convenient to carry around than desktops.
● Whiteboards or interactive screens
Interactive screens are the heart of a smart classroom. Unlike traditional classes, teachers don’t use blackboards for conducting smart classes. A combination of whiteboard and interactive screens is used because blackboards produce dust and white board is necessary to use along with a projector. It is much sought after because it helps in presenting screens from other devices, clarified pictures of pages in a book 3D diagrams, and a digital view of practical things which helps students comprehend complex topics.
● Projector
There are two types of projectors, interactive and simple. A simple projector is used to show the content on a mobile phone, laptop, computer screen, or any other whiteboard. An interactive projector can be used on a wall surface and does not require any special white screens. It comes with a pen that can be used to point, draw, highlight and underline information on the screen without making any changes to the original file.
● Digital camera and document camera
A document camera is also known as a visualizer. Teachers use it for projecting complicated documents on screens. It works almost like a projector but has limited functions. Students can use a document camera temporarily in the classroom, but an Interactive Whiteboard can save permanent data too. The users of the digital camera include taking pictures related to the lesson. Its function remains the same, that is to take pictures, but the goal is to enhance the educational process.
● LCD or LED panels
Almost like an interactive screen, LCD and LED panels have a closer resemblance to the television or computer screen. Because every digital learning process involves graphics, video presentations, audio presentations, and 2D and 3D animations, LED or LCD panels can enhance the quality of these graphics.
● Stylus
Without a stylus, there is no use for interactive screens. Students can also get creative with the use of a multimedia pen or stylus to create artworks on their devices considering that their mobile phone, tablet, or laptop is compatible for combined usage. Students can remain engaged in their learning process excitedly.
● Microphone and speakers
Microphones in smart classes are connected to the speakers because sometimes there are over 50 students in a classroom. With social dancing rules, everyone cannot huddle up in the front. The teacher can’t continue speaking loudly for more than half an hour. Since teachers have a lot of other classes to attend, they cannot be sacrificing their voice. A microphone with speakers is the only solution. Instead of confirming that everyone can hear the teacher’s voice, they can eliminate such distractions and focus more on the subject.
● Digital podium
Modern-day teachers and lecturers like to have digital podiums because it has control over every other tool in a smart classroom. Some other components like the public addressing software, amplifier, integrated ups, recording system, etc come along with it.
● Accommodations
A smart class has to accommodate some other applications or software. These include;
- School LMS portal
- Digital library
- Assignment management software
- School attendance management system
- Examination software
- Automatic quiz checking applications
- Feature for uploading study material
Any smart class is incomplete without accommodating the above. Digital classes have multiple functions to perform, besides focusing on the engagement and education quality of students. They should be disciplined, and teachers must keep a track of their assignments for maximized productivity.
