Having to move to a school classroom is now out of fashion. The advancement of technology has allowed us to train academically very well from anywhere in the world where we are. That is why here we are going to talk about everything related to the virtual classroom.
Let us also remember that the pandemic made this much more entrenched because people could not leave their homes due to COVID-19. The good thing about this is that the virtual classroom is here to stay, but it also has advantages and disadvantages that make this way of teaching possible or not.
What is a virtual classroom?
We know that everything nowadays is not the same as it was many years ago. Virtual classrooms are already being used. We are talking about one of the educational modalities very different from face-to-face classrooms, completely independent or complementary to how education was previously taught.
The virtual classroom emerged from incorporating information and communication technologies (ICT). Today, it is taught in many universities, labor organizations, and schools. Different forms of collaborative work are taught in this space, forming a scenario in which learning is acquired through web resources.
ICTs open up many possibilities for innovation, and in this way, formal learning and teaching processes can be improved. By this, we do not mean that when these new technological tools are incorporated into educational practices, there is no guarantee of real improvement.
In fact, it can be said that there are indications that what happens sometimes is the opposite, that the inclusion of ICT in educational training practices works to reinforce what are the dominant and already established models in terms of teaching instead of modifying them.
What is a virtual learning classroom?
When we talk about a virtual classroom, we refer to the digital environment where knowledge exchange can take place, making learning possible. In a few words, we refer to the space (within the e-learning platform) where students and teachers have the possibility to share any content in real-time, where they can also share queries, some doubts, and evaluations to be made to the participants.
Now, the good thing about this is that it has no physical or temporal limits. The student can access it whenever they can and whenever they want to take the classes without having to move somewhere. It can also be used for education or as a complement to a face-to-face class.
What is a virtual classroom for?
Virtual classrooms are made to be able to develop classes, as they are one of the most important cores of the training platforms. It can also be used so that there can be contact between the students and the teacher. We can say that it is the perfect place to ask questions, propose activities, and solve doubts that will not only be posed to the teacher, but you can also learn from other learners.
So we can say that global classrooms are one of the ways that allow interaction because they have the tools that make this possible. We refer to forums, videoconferences, or chats that are important for students to communicate easily and directly with teachers.
We have already seen that it allows great interaction between teachers and students. In addition, it also has tools that allow class materials to be uploaded and created and enable the trainees’ progress to be monitored throughout the course.
So we can say that with a global classroom, you can teach your classes without any complications. In this way, you can host a large amount of content so that students have easy access and can download it (by modules or topics).
Advantages and disadvantages of a virtual classroom
We know that all things in life have their benefits, as well as their disadvantages. That is why the virtual classroom is no exception. We are going to talk about some of the advantages of this new way of teaching classes.
Goodbye to geographical barriers
We are talking about the virtual classroom as a great tool that allows many teachers and educational establishments to access knowledge anywhere in the world. It also allows students to share their knowledge with other cultures, quickly breaking down any barriers in terms of communication, location, and time.
Saving time and money
Here it is important to emphasize that more can be done with less. With this, we can say that there is the possibility of being able to economize on material resources, such as printing, sheets, and notebooks, because you can have all that content online. It also means that you can save a lot of time just because you can have a connection from anywhere in the world and at any time, as well as https://www.wowessays.com/ saves you time and money making great essays for you cheap and fast.
So we can say that you can learn without having to move from where you are, as well as you will not only be able to reduce expenses, but you also have the opportunity to add hours to invest in other important tasks to you.
Audio and video sessions
Virtual classrooms have the great advantage of being able to offer material in different formats. You will have the possibility of providing video and audio so that you can say goodbye to monotony, and new members will be able to access the recordings whenever they want.
Flexible and differentiated learning
We are talking about offering a very suitable solution to facilitate the assimilation of knowledge without falling into some demotivation. Students with more difficulties can acquire more confidence and security in what they can achieve, as they can access the material anytime.
However, they also have the possibility of being able to learn from the supplementary documents and have the support of a tutor or their peers collaboratively.
Continuous interaction
The student will always have the information of the schedules in which they will have the activities with the teacher to be able to make consultations or tutorials, which allows group cohesion.
Responsibility for learning
Technology and other tools allow for order in documents and availability. Students will be able to access all this whenever they want. That is why students who do not know how to organize themselves will find a much more flexible way of learning in the virtual classroom.
Now, we have already seen all the benefits that the virtual classroom can bring. Now it is essential that we also talk about the disadvantages. The truth is that we have no reason to deceive you, but the truth is that we are not going to talk about things that are considered a threat because the truth is that they are solvable.
The role of the teacher
The role of the online teacher is very important, regardless of whether it is a global classroom, such as a virtual campus or a platform that provides distance learning. By this, we mean that the teacher must be qualified and must have the requirements of controlling the technology, creating materials that are digital, or being a good counselor in that environment.
With this, we can say that if the teacher is not familiar with e.learning training, trying to be in a remote classroom can end up being something very negative.
Technology
Here we have the handicap of technology and the bad connections that can be suffered from the Internet. That is why students must have the technological resources that allow them to access virtual classes. As well as that, they can attend in a normal way and without any risk of internet or platform crashes.
You have already seen what a virtual classroom is, the inconveniences that this can bring, and the comforts that this new way of teaching can offer. Now we are going to talk about the tools you must have so that you can fulfill all the objectives for your good training.
Tools of a virtual classroom
It is important to know that in order to participate in these virtual classes, we must have all the necessary tools. Here we are going to mention adequate ones so that there can be good results and, in this way, make all the students fall in love with the classes.
- Audiovisual content and materials for the different subjects.
- An agenda of activities and events.
- An internal messaging system for two-way communication between students and teachers.
- Discussion forums so that all activities can be carried out.
- Chat so that students can ask questions to the teacher and thus be able to interact.
- Several tasks and activities. Both those that are uploaded and those that can be downloaded directly by the student or the teacher.
- Tests and exams that allow developing a topic or configurable self-training.
- Certificates or diplomas that students can download.
- Forums, assignments, and exam grades.
- Videoconferencing for work sessions, webinars, or tutorials.
- Course or student progress reports.
Tips on how to create a virtual classroom
The first thing to know is that in order to create a virtual classroom, the first thing to have is all the necessary logistics to be able to use distance education. That is why we are talking about the computer, the webcam, the headset with a microphone, the smartphone or tablet, and the internet connection. After we have all this, we will be able to have the respective class.
Examples of virtual classroom
Today there are a lot of platforms to teach virtual or global classrooms. Some are good, and others are considered the worst. In the same way, the remote classroom can be done with great comfort and quality; you must integrate a series of qualities closely linked to the platform with which you decide to start giving distance classes or receive them as a student.
evolCampus is a virtual classroom that has been designed for people who can use it with great agility. It likewise offers some useful solutions, asynchronous and synchronous, as any online class needs. These are the following:
- Bulletin board that allows you to send messages or report on exercises and activities and allow communications.
- Calendar so that all activities, videoconferences, or any type of event that may be necessary can be scheduled.
- Discussion forums where group activities can be taught.
- Internal messaging to share any rules, information, or files with teachers or students.
- Chat for students and teachers to interact.
- Videoconferencing (Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other providers).
- Tracking reports of students, teachers, and activities.
Thanks to all that we said before, a good educational activity can exist. It allows the dialogue between the student and the teacher to be excellent.
