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April - 2015 - issue > Career Guide

Virtual Classroom: The Next Big Thing in the Education of Tomorrow

Waheeb Ulla
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Waheeb Ulla
Ubiquity of Technology is a common abstract that has been witnessed lately with regard to the rising advent in the field. Electronics and Software have currently taken over in big ways that directly or indirectly have an impact with the activities of today. It is not a surprising fact that technology forms the spine of every function in the IT and Business Sector. This base is what motivates educational institutions to develop relations with the industry to make students aware of the trends. Contrary to the primitive methods in teaching, there is a proliferation of technology, computing and programming in the Education Sector. Many institutions have overtime evolved from their primitive shell and are giving into the vibe of technology that helps in catering to the industry demands by producing a well-equipped workforce.

A reckoned aspect of the recent times in the higher education sector is the commencement of smart classes through "Virtual Classrooms." Just like in a real-world classroom, a student in a virtual classroom participates in synchronous instruction. This means that the teacher and students are logged into the virtual learning environment at the same time. Many schools and businesses have rolled out virtual classrooms to provide synchronous distance education. The creation of the virtual classroom has made it possible for learners to harness the features of the Internet to create meaningful and constructivist learning environments. In this regard, physical classroom features have been transferred into a virtual classroom with enhanced features. Unlike a physical classroom, a virtual classroom is learner-centered. It gives the learners the flexibility of attendance at their convenience. The features that are prevalent in the virtual classroom include tools such as the online calendars, online help guides, online grading books, examinations and quizzes as well as emails, instant messages, chat rooms, discussion boards and file transfers. Virtual classroom software applications often employ multiple synchronous technologies, such as web conferencing, video conferencing, live-streaming, and web-based VoIP to provide remote students with the ability to collaborate in real time. To enhance the educational process, applications may also provide students with asynchronous communication tools, such as message boards and Chat capabilities.

A virtual classroom not only delivers course materials to the learners, but also provides a live, contextual and interactive environment for them. In addition, teachers can control the learning and teaching process as they do in the traditional classroom. However, there is no one, fixed way to implement a virtual classroom. There are many mechanisms that can be employed to implement a virtual classroom as done by educators. Teachers and pupils who normally had difficulties in controlling their teaching and studying acts gradually found that the new learning environment required them to develop novel ways of teaching and learning. Virtual Classrooms are uprising as the next big thing in the Education of tomorrow.

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