Although teaching has changed significantly in the last decade, the way learning experiences are delivered in schools has remained more or less the same. Why is that?
Unfortunately, this is mainly due to the technological challenges and cost issues standing in the way of successful cloud adoption.
The good news is that schools can still deploy a cloud communication system that would improve learning experiences for students and teachers in a variety of ways.
Cloud communication has revolutionised the education landscape. Schools are in a better position now to create and deliver personalised, digital learning experiences that are cognitive to the student’s needs. That, in itself, is reason enough to move to the cloud.
In this post, I’m going to highlight some of the main communication challenges and technology concerns schools face and explain in detail how a better cloud communication system can benefit students and teachers.
Communication challenges schools face
In the past, schools required a combination of complex hardware and programs to keep track of things like lessons, grades, student progress, assignments, and attendance. Moving to the cloud solves many of the issues schools face, but consequently creates other problems.
For instance, adopting cloud communication isn’t as immersive as a real-world learning experience. And it’s easy to understand why.
Mapping real-world teaching techniques to the digital world will cause slowdowns that ultimately make it difficult for curricula to stay on track throughout the school year. In other words, you lose efficiency and productivity in the process.
And, of course, there’s always the possibility of security and bandwidth issues occurring whenever a large number of devices are connected to the school’s network. Think classrooms of students connecting to the school network with multiple devices – phones, laptops, and tablets.
Understandably, there will be concerns that this will put a strain on the school’s entire network rather than streamline it as intended.
However, new cloud communication systems are far more reliable, secure, and immersive than ever before and have proven to improve connectivity and management in schools. For the first time, cloud communication systems make the idea of a unified school communication system possible.
Why schools need cloud-based communication systems
Cloud communication systems help teachers create and deliver immersive learning experiences by equipping them with tools beyond their physical classroom.
Here are some of the main ways better cloud communication in schools can benefit both students and teachers:
Better collaboration
In an ordinary school, one teacher instructs a single group of students throughout the school year. The problem with this is that it can create a silo effect, increasing inefficiency.
Teachers assign projects and assignments via email. Students can collaborate during class with peers using laptops or tablets. But that’s as far as it goes.
The thing is, education doesn’t need to take place in a silo.
Cloud communication makes multidisciplinary collaboration the new norm. What this means is that teachers are able to deliver a more comprehensive learning experience by integrating multiple knowledge domains.
For example, educators can work in tandem to instruct groups of students in their field of expertise. Sort of like an on-demand learning experience. And, as a result, they can cross the traditional boundaries of a curriculum to enhance the scope and depth of learning.
Increased scalability
One of the major problems with how schools currently run operations is limited storage space.
This prevents teachers from delivering personalised learning experiences and, instead, favouring traditional teaching methods. In addition, new software and technology take a considerable amount of time to roll-out and deploy.
However, cloud communication systems bring increased storage space to the table by virtue of cloud services. This means your school can benefit from scalable data centres and efficient software roll-outs.
In practical terms, this means that new technology can be deployed faster throughout the school network and students can benefit from innovative learning management systems, reading software, and much more.
Real-time messaging and video call
Without cloud deployment, schools rely on having educators teach and communicate with students in-person in the classroom. For this reason, communication is often delayed to the next day. We’ve all been there.
On the flip side, cloud communication makes it possible for students and teachers to get in touch remotely. This breaks down traditional communication barriers and gives students and teachers a chance to improve collaboration through real-time messaging and video calls.
In addition, it also combats the issue of delivering an immersive learning experience as it improves how teachers interact with students albeit still digitally.
Put simply, teachers can expand beyond the physical limitations of the classroom and offer lectures to a broader student audience. Through video call and VoIP software, they’re able to do this expertly without fully relying on visual cues.
Enhanced productivity
One of the major limitations of traditional teaching is that students can only access resources – books, guides, academic software, and so on – in the classroom or on campus. As a result, productivity takes a massive hit.
Through cloud communication, students can access digital resources on the fly which enhances productivity. This is especially great for schools that would like to be better prepared for situations like COVID-19 and what it may bring in the future.
It’s also important to note that adopting cloud-based systems promotes self-paced learning experiences. In other words, students can personalise their learning experiences to meet their individual learning styles and interests.
That’s a double win in our book.
Another key benefit of cloud communication is that it creates opportunities for teachers to teach at a distance enabling them to work remotely. As a result, they’re able to reach out to a wider student audience and teach students who are unable to attend on-campus classes.
Reliable cloud communication for schools
Adopting cloud communication systems offers schools a variety of benefits without being cost-prohibitive. Both students and teachers can benefit from a collaborative learning environment while enhancing productivity.
Through cloud communication, schools can:
- Allow teachers and students to communicate and collaborate over the cloud.
- Store and distribute documents and resources in a secure way.
- Enable real-time messaging and video call to provide immersive learning experiences.
- Enhance productivity by improving accessibility and enabling teachers to teach at a distance.
Check out our Hosted Phone System for Schools if you’re looking to lower call costs, increase scalability, and enhance productivity in your school.