The all new interactive method by which students and teachers can exchange idea, learn and imbibe new teachings that too with real time connectivity is what we know as Virtual Classroom. This teaching method isn't downloadable or doesn't even come on a CD but is being made possible since the coming of VOIP. Voice over IP technology allows students and their teachers to speak with each other in a virtual classroom setup from work, home or anywhere else.
So what really happens in this type of classroom?
Physical classrooms have both the students and the teacher in the very same room. However, in a virtual classroom, the teacher and students are facing computer screens at their respective locations. Each of them is able to speak and listen with the help of the microphone and the computer speaker. The virtual classroom is uncannily similar to what our usually classrooms but here.
- A student here must raise their hand to pose a question by clicking with a button.
- The computer screen will have a whiteboard of its own which the teacher can use to draw and write upon just like a real whiteboard.
- The education received is a form of e-learning and webcasting.
- The social interaction remains the same except that one can chat or video chat as well.
What are the advantages of such online meetings?
Virtual classrooms have advantages of their own.
- They offer flexibility and incomparable convenience. One can easily gain access to a classroom like this from work, an internet cafe or even form home. All one needs is a stable internet connection.
- Both the student and the teacher will not have to waste their precious time in getting to the centre where they teach and learn respectively. The virtual classroom is right in your comfort zone.
- In a virtual classrooms et-up everything is almost the same expect that one learns the course using their computer screens.
- Even if one fails to attend a class, one can make use of the recorded sessions to catch up. One can listen and watch the whole session whenever they feel the need to.
Some parents are often not so sure about virtual classrooms and that apprehension is natural. The online classrooms have video, text and audio interaction so students can pose questions in whichever way they feel comfortable during or after the class as they please. Text interaction is mostly preferred by the students mainly because they can chat without interrupting their teacher. The teacher can then take the question and answer the same. This in fact works better in the virtual world than in the real world because in the traditional world the student would have to stop the teacher during their flow of speaking or have to ask the question on their mind later whenever the teacher takes a long pause.
A big advantage of this virtual classroom is that one can record the session with video and audio inputs. With each session with you all time, one can distribute these to students. The recordings shall act like a great help to those students who need the recording. Recordings allow students to learn during the live class and make notes later.
Parents would also be glad to know that online tests are also conducted in order to see how the students are grasping. This helps in testing the child's abilities and also sees how much of the topic they have understood. With this adaptive learning strategy, the student gets a feel of actual classroom study where they would have to give tests after certain periods of time. The online test shall exactly give the teacher an idea where the student is lagging and will help them to improve the students ‘scores.
There are many advantages for the teacher as well. Teachers have the power to monetize their online course recordings and sell it to other students who need video or audio help with the topic. Even in a live class, one can direct others to other paid videos to help them in their learning process.
How to start studying in a virtual classroom?
Of later, many virtual classrooms have come up. A collaboration of teachers are realizing the potential of virtual classroom teaching and are working towards making that a reality with a few resources. All one needs is a teacher willing to sell course that they teach over the Internet. The student shall require a 1Mbps connection or more to enjoy clear video.
Online education is fast booming in the form of MOOC. The massive open online course systems are really working wonders and are continuously proving to be more beneficial for both the student and for the teacher as well. Virtual Classrooms really does help and has and will continue to help thousands of students worldwide.
