Page 5 - CT Innovation in Education, June 2022

INNOVATION IN EDUCATION | CLASS – LEARN MORE AT CLASS.COM
Embracing the
New Normal in
Higher Education
With the right technology platform, hybrid and HyFlex environments can aid in recruitment, retention and overall student success.
DR. KIM OPPELT
Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Class Technologies
OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE
technologies supporting hybrid and
HyFlex learning have allowed colleges and universities to accommodate students in ways we haven’t seen before. Video learning platforms not only allow students to access their courses anytime and anywhere, but also provide tools to engage learners in new ways.
When utilized in the HyFlex model, these technologies offer students true flexibility, whether they attend classes in-person or log in wherever and whenever they can. The approach enables working and other nontraditional students to be more engaged and less stressed about fitting education into their busy lives. What’s more, students are not limited by geography; they can enroll in courses at universities across the country without leaving their homes.
Measuring Engagement with
Online Learning
By allowing students of different backgrounds, perspectives, and ages to interact with one another, a hybrid or HyFlex approach enriches the classroom experience. That flexibility should be used as a recruitment tool: By offering a range of options for in-person and online learning, institutions can dramatically expand their reach nationally and even internationally.
The success of the new normal in education
hinges on being able to measure student engagement. In a face-to-face classroom, instructors can note whether students are making eye contact and how many of them are raising their hands or asking questions. At Class Technologies, we enable instructors to bring that same emphasis on student outcomes into an online format.
We have embedded quizzes, polls, and tests into our platform, and we give instructors ways to measure talk time and check in with students who might not be participating as much as others.
A Richer Educational Environment
Non-cognitive feedback was one of the hardest things to measure in the transition to remote learning, so we have also added features that allow students to tell instructors to slow down or speed up, which is valuable feedback as instructors learn how best to use these new technology tools.
We are at the dawn of a new age in which students and instructors are open-minded about using technology to create a richer educational environment and administrators are ready to invest in new ways to reach more students. At Class Technologies, we’re excited to be part of that transformation.
Dr. Kim Oppelt is the senior director of advocacy and community at Class Technologies.
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