Smart classroom: The norm of modern schools

In the modern era, ever since digitalisation emerged at the forefront, myriads of businesses across the globe have adopted technological advancements to stay ahead of the curve. Over the past few years, emerging technologies have also gained popularity in the educational sector. Especially during the pandemic, where disruptions wreaked havoc in every domain, we have seen a noticeable increase in standards, advancements, and innovation in the field of education.

And the sector has embraced the smart classroom, which has not only improved the learning experience but also enabled access in different urban, regional, and rural areas for the betterment of society. Notwithstanding, various Ed-tech brands have proven themselves by providing easy-to-use smart classroom tools like interactive displays, digital boards, virtual classrooms with learning management systems, language labs, and many more to serve the population. Thus, educators have prepared themselves with the emerging technology of smart classrooms to enhance the teaching and learning environment in order to develop a country's future resources.

Smart classrooms, outfitted with cutting-edge technologies and digital tools to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning, have emerged as an innovative way to empower both learners and teachers in the current era. In this context, technology brought various online, offline, and hybrid learning solutions that enabled students to access education from their comfort. In fact, the evolution of smart classrooms has not only proved to be beneficial for students but for educators as well.

This shift to digital learning allows teachers to develop engaging multimedia classes and impacts students' attitudes about learning. Additionally, because learning is integrated with technology, students improve their learning efficiency and academic performance. In order to change the way teachers teach and students learn in classrooms, smart classrooms are creating excellent learning opportunities easier in novel and relevant ways. Furthermore, the integration of technologies in the school has simplified the learning process and led to a more impressive output in ensuring academic excellence. The advent of technology has altered the ball game of the education sector altogether. As a result, the comprehensive digital solution in schools is catering to a more dynamic learning experience and benefiting both learners and educators in myriad ways.

Benefits of smart classrooms

Advanced learning experiences: The smart digital classroom offers improved teaching and learning opportunities. Schools are striving to bring new lessons to life through modern classrooms by exposing students to audio-visual content. This, in turn, led schools to provide knowledge visually through the use of images, graphs, maps, flowcharts, and animated films. With visually engaging content, animated videos simplify complex concepts helping students to learn and retain the material better and for longer. Also, quality language training with the help of language labs is allowing students to achieve better communication skills making them future-ready. Thus, with emerging technologies in smart classrooms, learning has become more understandable and engaging.

Better engagement: In today's world, where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, better engagement is essential. The school has noted that using interactive technology in the classroom, such as digital boards, has increased peer collaboration and student engagement. Digital learning solutions for the classroom provide engaging worksheets and aid with gamification for students' cognitive development. Not all students learn at the same pace, so they need help from their peers or teachers. In this situation, the advanced student who has become hell-bent on technology can aid others in grasping the material they desire to learn. As a result, by better involving them in the learning process, smart classroom technology can help both students and teachers learn more successfully.

Easy access to external resources: There is no denying the fact that smart classrooms are connected to computers and the internet, making it simple to access external information online. Teachers can explain almost any subject, and students can download and view pre-recorded videos to get their questions answered. Schools are using apps to streamline education procedures and improve the teaching and learning process. Smart boards and interactive whiteboards are already being used in the school sector at a rate of over 70 per cent, experts report. Therefore, due to the benefits, the adoption of this cutting-edge technology by educational institutions to access all resources, internal and external, online and offline, has become prominent.

Smart classroom: The way ahead

With the pandemic outbreak, the education sector did struggle significantly. However, it also led to a shift in learning pedagogies supported by Ed-tech platforms. They are anticipated to continue to influence learning quality in the future. According to Allied Market Research, thanks to technological advancements, the market for smart classrooms is poised to witness tremendous growth during the forecast period of 2021–2031. Thus, smart classroom technology is advantageous for the educational system in every aspect. It gives the students more self-assurance and inspires them to think creatively. As we all know, today's students are the future of tomorrow.

(The author is the CEO at Globus Infocom Limited)