Audio-Visual (AV) Technology In Hybrid Learning
By Nishad Muhammed, Audio Visual, Video Conferencing and Collaboration Technology Lead, KAUST
With rapid technological development, hybrid learning has emerged as the new normal of modern-day education. With the shift from traditional teaching- learning environments to blending learning scenarios, the demand for a comprehensive learning environment has also risen. It builds a stimulating learning environment with the inculcation of efficient audio-visual elements to maximise interaction and participation in the overall learning process. The increasingly audio-visual and technologically advanced world paves the way for an engaging educational experience.
High-quality audio-visual techniques instilled in a hybrid session can cater to a variety of learner requirements. It can make the overall session seamless, collaborative and engaging for all the learners. The creation of hybrid classrooms is enabled by integrating powerful software and Audio Visual (AV) equipment, such as video conferencing, tracking cameras, displays, speakers, and microphones, into a physical classroom. Such a technological intervention in education evidently reflects the indispensable role played by Audio Visual (AV) technology.
With rampant digitalization spreading its wings into the horizons of education, we are already ahead of the conventional methodologies applied in the field of education.
Exposure to Audio Visual (AV) technology lays down a gateway to bridge traditional or conventional teaching learning processes’ limitations. As a result, new ways of presenting content, approaching it, and taking action result. Owing to such developments, facilitators and learners become equipped and inclined with the respective skills to use AV equipment efficiently during sessions.
Impact of AV on Education
In this digital transformation age, all classroom elements, including processes and products, work together to improve the teaching and learning experience. The students are exposed to all the technological tools and devices to derive a high-quality and engaging learning experience. Hence, technology has an evident impact on a student’s learning process.
Reflection of this impact can be seen in the increased learner participation and motivation in their own learning process, along with a thorough understanding of the concepts using audio visual effects. It promotes concentration, participation, and independence for a learner and helps the facilitator deliver the content effectively in a classroom. The shift from teacher centered learning model to a learner centred model is one of the biggest impacts of AV technology in the classroom as it develops the learners to be more accountable and proactive in their own learning process.
Interactive Learning in Education
In a technology rich environment, learning has become more interesting and interactive. Interactive learning comes into place by offering an actual real world learning experience by providing a hands-on learning style. Learners gradually move from passive observers to active doers in their own learning process. With the advent of interactive learning, learners can contribute more to their own learning by being part of different collaborative and cooperative learning strategies implemented in a classroom with the help of technology. Learners become more enthusiastic when they use appropriate tools, interactive learning strategies, and focused instruction.
Interactive learning system strives to attain holistic learning and an optimum learning environment for learners. While the traditional classroom model focuses purely on lecture methods for delivering content, the interactive learning system instils various interactive techniques that help the learners apply the acquired skills in their long-term life course. Critical thinking, problem solving, analytical, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills are some key skills that are likely to be affected and improved with exposure to interactive learning. Attempting and confronting open-ended questions with multiple perspectives help learners to attain life skills in today’s world.
Interactive learning employs multiple methods to enhance a fruitful learning experience. All methods of engaging students with the material through the interaction between them and others (instructor or peers) are included. Hence, interactive classrooms hugely positively influence the outcome of a student’s learning graph. A conventional lecture, when connected with new material to students’ existing knowledge and significant human experience with the help of advanced technological tools in a classroom, can evidently lay down a learning experience filled with an audio visual treat. Other interactive methods include “Think-Pair-Share”, discussion, debate, problem-based learning, hands-on learning, etc.
The Importance of Audio Technology in Education
Audio is a core element that connects educators and learners parallelly. When the content is delivered crystal-clearly, it doesn’t distract you from the session’s content. In fact, it welcomes you in and thus, you’re able to enjoy learning or listening. In the hybrid learning model, students connect parallelly from remote and onsite locations. It involves mainly two aspects – synchronous and asynchronous learning. If synchronous learning takes place at the same time, asynchronous learning occurs at a different time frame. Since the overall goal is to ensure a seamless, unified, and equitable learning environment devoid of these differences, audio technological elements are employed during the session to make the sessions efficient and effective.
Recordings of the classroom lectures, dialogues, and podcasts, when presented with preprepared audio and video recordings combined with accompanying textual material, can serve as effective instruction material for the learners. The materials provided for asynchronous learners offer them the flexibility to learn at their own pace and level. For instance, a classroom teaching English as a second language or teaching foreign languages can avail the benefits of playing and replaying different accents, pronunciations, audio and video clips to make the learners familiarise themselves with their target language. Auditory learners also derive a major chunk of the benefit from audio-based instructional learning materials.
Listening skill is considered one of the supreme skills as it redirects us to becoming a better listeners, improving our productivity and sharpening our differentiation skills. It molds the decoding and interpreting skills of verbal messages. Those who are good listeners can communicate with the speaker verbally and nonverbally that they are taking their time to listen to them. Therefore, inculcating strong audio tools into their everyday learning environment can only help in the transition of interactive voice messages into functional and helpful learning content.
The Importance of Visual aid in Education
Recent studies state that over 65 percent of the general population are visual learners. Implementing visual aids in classrooms can enhance student interest, comprehension, and retention of information and concepts to a great extent. It profoundly arouses learners’ interest and helps the educator explain the concepts effectively. Such usage of sensory objects or images can stimulate the learning experience by making it more engaging and interesting. The visual aids include videos, pictures, models, charts, maps, slides, real objects, etc., that can significantly support the process of retention in learning. Accommodating interactive models, actual objects, charts, pictures, maps, flannel boards, flashcards, bulletin boards, chalkboards, slides, video walls, LED displays, and overhead projectors into the education system helps in the seamless integration of content with technology by making it an effective overall resource for learning.
The impact of visual aids in education does not limit itself to the content delivery stage. It is scientifically proven that it additionally helps to retain the concept permanently and improves the tactile hand-eye-mind connections. It builds on the previous understanding of the learner and the ability to connect or relate to actual life experiences. Conceptual thinking is developed, as a result, thereby making it emerge as one of the significant takeaways from learning. Learning becomes a positive influence when monotonous learning environments are replaced with effective visual element-oriented learning. The phrase, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ speaks for itself here.
The Future of Audio-Visual Technology
With rampant digitalization spreading its wings into the horizons of education, we are already ahead of the conventional methodologies applied in the field of education. Exercising the limitless audio-visual elements into the learning environment can elevate the overall learning experience. It has already been widely welcomed with open hands by both educators and learners. However, the future holding boundless opportunities for audio-visual technology, leaves us in shock and awe.
Although we are still soaking in the fact that Audio-Visual Technology is the biggest deal maker for the field of education, it does not come as a surprise that we’ve only skimmed the surface level of the benefits of AV. As the future unfolds, we will experience the elements of next-wave technology; augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR). Thus, the future awaits us with intensive technological advances that remove the hurdles that a learner faces while learning. For instance, assistive technology devices or software to support learners with learning disabilities, etc.
A lot of replacements and modifications with respect to the nature of learning shall take place as we witness the future of Audio-Visual Technology in education. Using wireless technologies to connect to education databases, employing augmented reality in the classroom, virtual study trips or field trips, and 3D learning activities are some examples of how the progress of Audio-Visual Technology is already apparent. Therefore, now is the time to install audio-visual systems in your classroom to prepare for the future!