When schools and colleges at all levels shifted to online-only mode after the pandemic, educators who earlier conducted only in-person classes found themselves struggling with ways to make the lectures and learning sessions interesting and capture the attention of their students.
There are various video conferencing applications in the market today but educational institutes need to use an application that is user friendly and has features that make the job of teachers easy. These video conferencing applications provide users with — pre-recording or live streaming features to stream learning lessons, interactive video conferencing, screen sharing and more. There are several potential features and advantages of these video conferencing applications that could be of great use in education, discussed in detail below.
USEFUL FEATURES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING APPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
In addition to the convenience these video conferencing applications for online learning offer, educators and students alike can benefit in multiple ways:
- Education material sharing: Instead of simply sending files over emails to students or putting them live on the website, video conferencing applications have file-sharing options that give teachers and students the ability to share documents and files in real-time.
- Single platform for participants: Students can feel isolated due to social distancing norms, and distance learning culture. Video conferencing applications provides a single platform to facilitate interaction by bringing people together to interact and connect without worrying about social distancing norms. This unique feature enables users to connect and learn from all over the world, making interactions between local students as well as international students.
- Session recording: This feature allows participants to record the lectures or learning sessions for future reference. It is beneficial for high school and college-going students who are using online learning applications. This gives students an additional means to help with revision while preparing for exams.
- Screen sharing: In addition to uniting students and teachers, video conferencing applications also offer screen sharing for users. This feature allows educators and presenters to share their live screens to present their documents and help students and learners take references.
- Interaction and collaboration: The greatest benefit of video conferencing apps is their ability to allow user interaction and collaboration in real-time. This could help students stay motivated and engaged during the entire learning experience.
USE CASE FOR VIDEO CONFERENCING IN EDUCATION
Let’s explore the potential purposes of video conferencing applications for learning sessions:
- Lectures: Students can participate in lectures remotely and teachers can give lectures to the entire class. They can also share reference documents on-screen for students and peers.
- Closed group learning: Another use of video conferencing in the classroom is to conduct small group discussion sessions. As these can be a great way to connect remotely, especially for students working on group assignments and projects.
- Conferences and meetings: Video conferencing applications are a great alternative to in-person meetings. Institutes can host these sessions to connect students and teachers for a one on one doubt clearing sessions or to connect with parents and guardians for review meetings.
For many institutes and colleges, shifting to an online education model was a nightmare. They had to figure out how to connect with students and other teachers remotely and find a workable solution that works for both the stakeholders. If you are an educational institute and looking for a remote learning platform for your students you can try NextMeet CORE. It enables users to interact, collaborate and learn in an immersive 3D environment. It has unique features such as customized 3D avatars, screen sharing, video conferencing, file sharing, audio and video player. It has a customized 3D environment that captures real-life classroom settings in a 3D virtual world.
NextMeet is among the best video conferencing applications providing you with a similar user experience as it gives you better control over your audio and video. You can also record your videos and share pictures at the same time
