Member Article

Empowering students with collaborative learning

Students find the learning process easier when working in groups and collaborative learning spaces empower students to do just that. Technology in classrooms has advanced to a point where collaboration has a much higher degree of interaction. The days of static lessons and ‘slideshow fatigue’ have been replaced with virtual whiteboards, real-time student input, and an environment geared more toward problem solving than note taking.

To make sure all education classrooms are working in the most interactive way possible, wePresent has compiled some top tips to create a collaborative learning environment.

’Flip’ the classroom

Students are better than ever at teaching themselves and the modern classroom has to adapt to this way of learning. Schools should ‘flip’ the classroom, meaning students learn outside the classroom at their own pace then demonstrate that knowledge to their teacher and peers during class time. Technology is supporting this way of learning, and utilising these technologies such as wireless gateways, interactive touch displays and students own devices make it easier for a class of students to connect and share information.

Encourage personal devices

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is quickly becoming the norm and many schools are saving time and money with BYOD smart classrooms. This means students are no longer limited by out-dated or non-functional classroom technology but can use the devices they carry with them every day. Often a student’s tablet or mobile phone will retain enough storage for whatever they might need. As a result, technology in classroom settings has adapted and this means operation of a virtual whiteboard can be operated with a mouse, a stylus, or just a finger, and is no longer limited just to the lecturer.

Become smarter

Interactive touch screen displays and ‘touch boards’, are becoming the standard in many classrooms, literally putting the presentation at the fingertips of the teacher. In fact, the best classroom technology doesn’t just work with personal devices students bring in, but also works with the newest and most interactive technology available to the teacher. Collaborative technology should not only tie the presentation to the technology, but the students as well.

Change the seating plan

And it’s not just the technology in classrooms that should change; it is also the teaching style. Rather than rows of students, all staring in the same direction, today’s classroom should embrace the same collaborative environment that modern teaching technology aims to create. Students in the modern classroom might work together in teams, such as in designs for smart, TEAL, or SCALE-UP learning spaces, and the infrastructure in place should reinforce this.

A better experience means better grades for students, more engaged learners and less stressed teachers. Every school, college or university would benefit from collaborative learning technology using a wireless gateway.

Technologies to help collaborative learning:

wePresent WiPG-1600 - £538.00

The wePresent WiPG-1600 wireless presentation gateway is a cost effective solution design specifically for classrooms. It offers all the functionality educational environments require and more, such as support for up to 64 concurrent users, teacher / moderator control, wireless multi-touch control for touch displays and interactive whiteboards, and plug-and-play installation.

SharePod - £230.00

wePresent’s SharePod device allows any additional HDMI source such as PC’s, Macbooks, document cameras or dvd-players to wirelessly connect to a wePresent environment. The SharePod can be paired with any wePresent wireless presentation system, enabling seamless collaboration from HDMI sources in classrooms.

Availability: The wePresent WiPG-1600 and SharePod is available now through local resellers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by wePresent .