Remote learning reshapes education tech development

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While the pandemic created chaos as schools scrambled to keep students learning remotely through lockdowns, two years later some of the innovative solutions to this challenge are bringing new benefits to classroom teaching

WHEN THE COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced people to adapt to working and learning remotely in their homes, extra creativity was required to ensure students still had access to education. Not only did Sydney-based maths teacher Holly Millican find new ways to teach and keep her students engaged, but she learned lots of new tricks that she continues to use in her classroom today. The Year 12 extension math teacher, who was named Rising Star of the Year at the prestigious Australian Education Awards in 2021, is no stranger to using tech in teaching. Back in 2019, Millican received a Learning Edge Teaching Practice Award at Google HQ in Sydney – the award was a joint initiative of the NSW Department of Education and Teachers Mutual Bank in partnership with international giants YouTube and Google.

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“The last couple of years have proven interruption to learning can be caused by many factors. Tech which brings students together is essential for keeping them from falling behind”

Martin Moelle, BenQ Australia

Remote learning solutions transcended classroom teaching A key change to Millican’s teaching methods during the pandemic that were difficult to maintain on the return to the classroom was the creation of online subgroups according to students' ability. Online teaching meant she could see which students were struggling with a particular concept and which were ahead of the curve, and she could then pop them into their own online ‘rooms’. “When you are in the classroom, you usually have one board or display up the front and one for yourself. You can use resources to allow some students to continue on ahead while you help others catch up, which we certainly did.”

However, she explains that the balance teachers walk is in ensuring students who are struggling get enough support to grasp the concept being taught, while making sure the students who understand it well do not get bored and disengage. This usually means appealing to the majority and finding space to meet the other students’ needs around the sides. “With these separate online rooms, I could observe, teach and help them all at the appropriate level without it being distracting to the rest of the class.” Millican says she also quickly noticed that the separate online rooms were encouraging students to work together in a way they hadn’t before.

Virtual teaching tools boost engagement in the classroom When Millican returned to the classroom, she was eager to keep up the more modular approach to teaching. Thanks to BenQs EW800ST and EH600 Smart Projectors, this has been made possible. “I can now set up my lesson on the main board for the majority, hook one projector up to my laptop and the other wirelessly to an iPad and provide modified lessons for those who are struggling and those who need a more enriching task. We’ve been able to keep up the collaborative work this way as well, which is rewarding to watch. It lets me spread my teaching around a little further too.” Millican says virtual teaching has delivered a variety of new technologies that have made it onto the permanent roster in schools. “We’ve really embraced the richer, more interactive and engaging resource options out there that can help learning,” she tells The Educator.

For BenQ, Millican was the perfect candidate for its tech, given her well-earned reputation as a technology leader and advocate in the education space. “After several positive interactions at local events, we identified Holly’s unique teaching position and her desire to source new technology to tackle the post-pandemic changes and continue the promising aspects that a more remote style of teaching presented,” says Martin Moelle, managing director at BenQ Australia. He says portability and flexibility were key considerations. BenQ’s Smart Projectors offer an all-in-one solution that operates in a very similar way to other technology currently used in the classroom.

“Technology post pandemic is continuing to empower teaching flexibility implementation and building on it with powerful and effective collaboration devices”

Martin Moelle, BenQ Australia

Because the Smart Projectors have an onboard Android system with video conferencing capabilities, the possibility of another remote learning or fragmented scenario was much more manageable. “Overall, we wanted to help increase engagement and create a classroom technology environment that was not only adaptable but easy to implement,” Moelle says. He explains that the technology was adapted during the peak of the pandemic to bring students together through platforms like video conferencing and cloud whiteboarding.

“Technology post pandemic is continuing to empower teaching flexibility implementation and building on it with powerful and effective collaboration devices. “The last couple of years have proven interruption to learning can be caused by many factors. Tech which brings students together is essential for keeping them from falling behind,” Moelle says. Remote learning to have lasting impact on tech development Remote learning has strongly highlighted the need for students to be more efficiently connected across spaces that foster cross-platform visual collaboration. “Cloud whiteboarding in particular has been an invaluable tool when it comes to effective teamwork and positive outcomes. Students and teachers being able to access, share, participate and engage at the same time bridges those potential voids, no matter where the student may be," says Moelle. “Utilising existing technology that schools may have in the classroom is also vital. A modular approach can help schools and businesses save significantly when it comes to budget time."

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By March 2020, a total of 1.5 billion students across 165 countries – or 87% of all students worldwide – had been affected by COVID-19 school closures

Source: PwC; UNESCO

Global impact of COVID-19 on students

How COVID-19 has influenced perceptions of Australian schooling

of Australians surveyed support a rethinking of the way we ‘do’ school, with students given the option to take some classes online

76.6%

agreed the shift to remote schooling during COVID was successful

56.7%

Nearly half of survey respondents had improved perceptions of teachers’ work as a direct result of COVID-19

9 in 10 people said it was important for students from low socio-economic households to be provided with access to laptops and other devices to complete schoolwork at home

Source: Monash University December 2020 survey: The Impact of COVID-19 on Perceptions of Australian Schooling

How COVID-19 has influenced perceptions of Australian schooling

of Australians surveyed support a rethinking of the way we ‘do’ school, with students given the option to take some classes online

76.6%

agreed the shift to remote schooling during COVID was successful

56.7%

Nearly half of survey respondents had improved perceptions of teachers’ work as a direct result of COVID-19

9 in 10 people said it was important for students from low socio-economic households to be provided with access to laptops and other devices to complete schoolwork at home

Source: Monash University December 2020 survey: The Impact of COVID-19 on Perceptions of Australian Schooling

How COVID-19 has influenced perceptions of Australian schooling

Source: Monash University December 2020 survey: The Impact of COVID-19 on Perceptions of Australian Schooling

of Australians surveyed support a rethinking of the way we ‘do’ school, with students given the option to take some classes online

76.6%

9 in 10 people said it was important for students from low socio-economic households to be provided with access to laptops and other devices to complete schoolwork at home

Nearly half of survey respondents had improved perceptions of teachers’ work as a direct result of COVID-19

agreed the shift to remote schooling during COVID was successful

56.7%

Before the pandemic, the predominant technological focus was on interactivity using devices like interactive flat panels. By using the cross-collaborative features as well as 'connect anywhere' platforms like cloud whiteboards, Moelle says further developments will continue to ensure that remote learning environments are as easy and efficient as possible. “Another positive development from remote learning is ‘bring your own device’ adoption. With many students taking home devices from school or simply using their own personal devices, there has been a continued requirement for cross-platform compatibility – devices are no longer necessarily from one ecosystem, meaning flexibility is paramount.”

“We've really embraced the richer, more interactive and engaging resource options out there that can help learning”

HOLLY MILLICAN, Year 12 Extension Math Teacher, South Grafton High School

“Technology post pandemic is continuing to empower teaching flexibility implementation and building on it with powerful and effective collaboration devices”

Martin Moelle, BenQ Australia

“We've really embraced the richer, more interactive and engaging resource options out there that can help learning”

HOLLY MILLICAN, Year 12 Extension Math Teacher, South Grafton High School