Our current education system was developed during a time when most people were farmers, and it was only slightly modified during the industrial revolution. This model of education model has been tested in recent years, and now due to the pandemic, is being forced to change.
There lies an opportunity ahead for us to lay the groundwork for changing the lives of millions of people around the world through distance education.
English education is an area in which distance education can make a big difference. English is now the accepted global language for international business, trade and politics. Over the last few hundred years, English has spread through an analog model — teachers had to be personally trained, accredited, and then sent to parts of the world where English wasn’t a native language.
Nowadays, most young people in the developing world prioritize learning English, and it is seen as an essential tool in the global marketplace.
This analog model has its limitations, however. You need physical infrastructure, such as schools, for both teacher training and the subsequent teaching of English by these trained teachers. Remote or underdeveloped areas might lack these resources, in addition to being hard to reach. In order to take education to the next level, let’s explore a new digital model powered by Lark.
While much of focus in implementing new collaboration tools like Lark have been directed at helping organizations and businesses move forward during this pandemic, the same tools can have an arguably bigger impact on distance education.
Many of the problems that organizations face in regards to remote working also apply to distance learning. Stable video conferencing, real-time document editing, an integrated calendar, and automated generated meetings notes not only help organizations strengthen productivity when working remotely, they also help educators and students achieve better results.
In the business world, video conferencing allows for meetings between remote teams, which is important because up to 93% of communication is non-verbal. In the world of education, the strength of having smooth video conferencing capable of hosting up to 100 people allows educators to expand their reach.
We’re not just talking about a video you can upload for others to watch, but a real-time, interactive lesson. A one to many premium education model enabled by technology — wouldn’t that be incredible?
During a video call, teachers would be able to mute their students during lectures and allow questions to be raised in real time in the corresponding group chat. Each class would have its own group chat, where students can discuss lessons or help each other with questions if the teacher isn’t available.
In-call translated subtitles can lower the language barrier for students who are non-native speakers.
Teachers can put class materials in a public folder for the students to read before classes, or assign as homework. In short, the seamless integration of all these collaborative tools allows students and teachers to become more actively engaged in the distance learning process.
The potential for distance education is boundless, especially when combined with the proper technology. It is up to us to make the most out of these tools, and leverage them to enable millions of people to learn around the world. The tools are already here, the rest is up to us.
Lark is the perfect all-in-one remote learning solution. Try Lark for free today by clicking here!
