After nearly three years of remote learning due to the pandemic, higher education institutions in the Philippines will resume face-to-face and full face-to-face instruction starting from the second semester of this academic year. While this is a step forward, it also presents challenges for institutions and educators as they prepare to teach students returning with a new mindset in the classroom.
The shift to remote learning has exposed millions of students to a deep integration of technology into their curriculum that may reset their expectations for the future. According to the 2022 State of Student Success and Higher Education Engagement Global Study by education technology company Instructure, maker of the Canvas learning management system (LMS), 70 percent of students surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region were significantly more likely to want to use more technology in face-to-face classes,87 % of Filipino students surveyed want to integrate more technology into in-person classes.
If we look beyond the pandemic and look to the future of education, it is critical that institutions not simply return to pre-pandemic face-to-face classes, but instead take this opportunity to re-examine and improve how they deliver classroom face-to-face—meeting Classrooms where students demand accessibility and flexibility, and more importantly, technology such as LMS can enhance their learning experience.
As institutions, educators, and students prepare to return to school, here are three ways LMS technology such as Canvas can ensure high-impact in-person learning in the post-pandemic classroom. Christopher Bradman, General Manager and Vice President of Sales, Asia Pacific, shared the following:
Better accessibility and flexibility
Improving accessibility is one of the most effective ways to increase student engagement in face-to-face learning environments. In a world where students have access to gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, students often feel uncomfortable when they have learning materials tailored to their unique needs, such as amplified audio or sound, closed captioning, and the use of screen readers. Excited or motivated, or translated support.
For example, closed captioning can help students sitting at the back of the room understand lesson content when they are far away from the speakers. Translated material can also help multilingual learners in the classroom.
Institutions partnering with an LMS like Canvas can more easily differentiate between learning paths, even in face-to-face classes. Students gain autonomy to access taught content, whether they need to return or continue their studies.
For example, a student who is staying up late trying to support a family may find it helpful to have access to video transcripts and the option to re-watch videos through the LMS if they are tired and need to process content at their own pace. Likewise, if a student is ill and cannot Classes, they can relive the day’s lessons through the LMS mobile app and continue learning when they come back. If face-to-face classes allow students to use technology to easily access materials from anywhere, whether they are simply absent or need to transition to remote learning for any reason, such as disruptions caused by weather, social unrest, or natural disasters, then no student will be left behind .
Provide voice and choice
In addition to designing accessible materials, educators can use an LMS to bring new strategies and instructional practices into the classroom, providing students with flexible options to help them understand how they learn and achieve their academic goals.
Of course, students need guidance and guidance. For example, why limit the class to writing an essay on Filipino literature when some students might be able to create a fantastic video project that demonstrates this learning goal? With Canvas, students can record their video or audio assignments, or submit their paperwork in the system, and pull them up later for more interesting discussions.
They can use Google or Microsoft tools to complete assignments in class, or they can use emoji and buttons to provide visual representations to students who cannot read and ask them to follow up on lessons. They can also create deeper conversations by posting their thoughts on the platform. This provides a voice or venue for students who may be too shy to speak up in class to proudly display their work. It encourages students to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways, such as typing in answers, taking photos, or uploading videos.
An in-person classroom with this platform provides opportunities for students to explore interests, define themselves, and navigate their lives.
promote empowerment
By integrating technology into face-to-face classes, students can use whatever tool they choose to do what they want. The experience is personal, and because it is personal, they are motivated by their passion to learn more, do more, and take action.
Likewise, educators are motivated to take charge of their teaching styles and to creatively develop more dynamic, flexible, and personalized learning experiences for students.
LMS platforms provide features that allow educators to manage multiple classrooms, schedule assignments, and evaluate student performance through a personalized dashboard. It also provides a content management tool that enables them to create and publish their own material, providing variety and keeping students engaged by connecting to popular interactive teaching content.
With intuitive features and hundreds of integrations, using an LMS like Canvas as a centralized learning hub means all online learning tools are connected in one place, and teachers and students are virtually connected. Teachers can focus on creating engagement and motivation during the teaching process, while students focus on learning content, not technology.
In March 2020, higher education faced one of its greatest crises ever. Over the next few months, institutions and educators responded swiftly. Leveraging digital tools and resources has long been the way to improve course delivery and meet the changing needs of students and educators.
If we look to the post-pandemic future, the lessons of the past year should drive us forward. Instead of going backwards, higher education institutions should leverage the lessons and innovations of the past year by continuing to use technology as a consistent foundation for face-to-face learning.
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