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Education equity key in a hybrid learning future

By Tracy Burrows, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 20 Jul 2021

With digitally enabled hybrid learning likely to play a role in the future of education, it is important to ensure education equity for all learners, whether they are in the classroom or attending classes remotely.

This is according to Molly Schmidt, education marketing expert at Logitech, who was speaking ahead of a webinar on enabling hybrid learning. With remote learning expected to continue playing a role in post-pandemic education, Schmidt says it is important to ensure all learners have the same experience in the classroom as they do remotely.

Learning must encompass more than simply sharing notes and broadcasting lessons, she says. “Education should also address children’s social and emotional health – when they are seen and heard clearly, they feel more connected. Therefore, they need to clearly see and hear the teachers and their fellow students. Years of research shows that children perform well when they feel good about what they are doing, and when they can engage, communicate and collaborate.”

Schmidt says this is important for learners and students of all ages. “Education is social and emotional for all ages, from preschool through to higher education where the stakes get higher – such as for courses that involve lab work or high stakes assessments like college readiness exams,” she says.

Schmidt notes that most cameras, mics and speakers built into laptops and cellphones do not deliver high enough quality visuals and sound to give learners the experience of being in a classroom. “Logitech believes every student should be seen and heard, and see and hear clearly, and this demands good quality webcams and mics, with headsets designed to eliminate distractions. At a good price point, Logitech allows students to be both seen and heard,” she says.

Teachers should also be equipped with digital systems that support them both from home and in the classroom, with digital whiteboards, whiteboard cams and Rally Bars that optimise the video conferencing experience. “Logitech has been partnering with educators around the world throughout the pandemic, to guide them on remote learning technologies to best support education equity and empower hybrid learning,” she says.

Schmidt and Dr Stanley Mpofu, CIO at the University of Witwatersrand, will discuss the future of education at a webinar hosted by Logitech, in partnership with ITWeb, this week. For more information and to register for this event, go to: https://www.itweb.co.za/webinar/logitech-enabling-hybrid-learning/index.html.

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