Education has been a vital foundational aspect of any society. With the change in time, smart classrooms have replaced the traditional way of teaching and learning. This is quite evident through the transformation of blackboard and chalk-based learning to online interactive teaching methods. Smart learning approaches are gaining traction in the education sector. With the pandemic leading to school closures, the growing investment for education technology development is skyrocketing.
More than 1.2 billion students from 186 countries suffered due to the school's closure as per the World Economic Forum. Schools driven by smart learning in those times proved to be an effective tool to avoid educational disruption. According to the UNESCO reports, the technology is identified as the solution to inaccessible education, specifically for children in developing countries. The use of technology is contributing in making education accessible to all.
What are smart schools? As the name suggests, it provides a different or a digital learning environment. Unlike traditional schools, these schools use advanced equipment and technology to take education one step ahead. Digitalisation's ongoing trend is motivating the education sector across developing countries to build a smart education mode. The concept of smart classrooms has led to the adoption of products such as projectors, smart displays etc.
What makes up the smart classroom? Is it the people or space, or technology? To find the answer to this question, we will need to look at the elements of smart classroom-
• Technology
Technology is an element that makes a school 'smart'. The use of technology is not limited to smart boards but extends up to feedback mechanism, enhanced communication, adaptive assessments etc.
• Collaboration
A smart school is the one place where all stakeholders are equally invested in the learning of students. In such a school, teachers, students, parents and support staff alike have a voice and actively participate in its regular functioning.
• Feedback Loops
In a digital classroom, the feedback loops hold the chance to be much quicker than a traditional classroom, sometimes prompt. They can be customised as per student, lesson, operating system, individual or group work, etc.
• Data
The data in a digital classroom is vital to providing precise feedback and personalised learning to students. It can be smartly visualised and shared, though learning models and curriculum must be flexible enough to abort and respond to a continuous influx of new data on learning progress.
Technology takes a leap!
With the advancement in technology, the way education is being taught is also changing. MarketandMarkets estimates the increase in global Ed-tech growth and smart classroom size from USD 85.8 billion in 2020 to USD 181.3 billion by 2025. The use of technology in education has led to an extraordinary transformation from teacher-centric education to student-centric education. Digital classrooms and various online tools help to continue and increase the teacher and students' engagement close to the classroom-type experience.
Moving forward, smart classrooms are making everything possible from teachers and parent meetings to staff/management meetings, offering the necessary interactivity. The school driven by smart learning worldwide can provide access to education to all the students.
A step into the future, these fun and interactive classrooms create an excellent learning environment for students. Seeing brighter pictures on an interactive whiteboard, graphics, and 3-D animations make many jaws drop. Smart classrooms help students experience some of the most modernised equipment at a young age, making them smarter and brighter.