Nearly every aspect of human life has been affected by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic including work, education, travel, personal interactions, gatherings, even hobbies and entertainment. The United Nations officially considers the pandemic as the largest disruption of education in human history, estimating that 1.6 billion learners in some 190 territories have been adversely affected, with many in-person classes suspended in most regions. Blended learning models that rely on a mixture of students attending classes physically and through remote learning have become very popular.

As the name suggests, blended or hybrid learning combines traditional in-class and remote or virtual learning. It’s a mixture of tools and approaches that has been growing in popularity long before COVID-19. 

However, with the onset of the pandemic blended learning with its combination of face to face and remote attendance took on additional aspects and responsibilities. On the broader strategic level, blended learning tries to ensure educational continuity and reduce the disruption experienced by students and teachers. From a tactical point of view, blended learning combats possible risks posed by the pandemic and addresses pressing health and hygiene concerns.

While there exist many definitions and models of blended learning, all of them meet the needs of social distancing and help bring in remote learners. If we look at different locations, schools, and levels of education, we’ll likely discover many ways to combine in-person and remote collaboration. However, all of them rely on similar tools and technologies. This is because in 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, remaining within the bounds of government regulations and recommendations effectively requires the implementation of some sort of blended learning. 

For the foreseeable future, which covers most of 2021, a “bring your own device” approach to learning will prevail. Students and teachers will need to depend on their laptops, tablets, and even phones as a way to interact with teaching materials and study partners. As mentioned before, this applies regardless of which specific blended learning model a school chooses to implement. 

Thanks to widespread connectivity and readily available smart devices, students and teachers can engage in learning from almost any location without worrying about potential infection due to in-person attendance. But there’s only so much that can be done on small portable device screens, and tools exist to really take blended learning to a new level.

Smart Projectors 

Smart Projectors are the ideal wireless solution for the classroom. They can be connected to any device the teacher has (tablet, smartphone, laptop) at the press of a single button by using technology like AirPlay, Google Cast or BenQ InstaShare.BenQ Smart Projectors are integrated with powerful cloud-based software solutions that strongly enhance the collaboration between student and teacher, lifting the classroom experience to a whole new level. To complete the package, we have also thought about the life of IT staff as the maintenance has been brought down to a minimum and can be taken care of remotely from one central location.

Interactive displays 

Interactive displays from BenQ allow teachers to engage remotely with entire classes with one-touch ease and direct access to the cloud. BenQ displays for education come pre-installed with a host of helpful apps to enable browsing, connectivity, sharing, and more. For blended learning, interactive flat panels double as creative boards for in-person students and video conference displays to include learners joining in remotely. Interactive displays offer a solid foundation for a new method of teaching that’s flexible, responsive, and inclusive while meeting safety needs.

wireless presentation system

Complementing our displays are wireless presentation systems from BenQ. These work alongside interactive panels, Smart Projectors or on their own. Wireless presentation systems such as the InstaShow range quickly transform existing classroom projectors and TVs into smart devices, even if an interactive display isn’t available.

Wireless operation means there’s very little in the way of communal touch surfaces, nor focal points for potential infection. Robust Wi-Fi connectivity allows for simple and fast content delivery and sharing, working with phones, tablets, laptops and other devices. Every type of educational material can be effortlessly distributed and accessed by students, whether in the class or at home. And again, wireless means reduced touch – and thus lowered concerns over possible contagion. 

Heading Into 2021 with Confidence

While things may occasionally seem bleak, there’s a lot to be happy about. Thanks to innovative technology, education can continue, leveraging trends and tools that have been increasing in popularity for decades. Remote learning was already quite prominent before 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled its continued evolution. This is because education is essential, and must continue. There are ways to adapt and there’s no reason to despair. Hybrid or blended learning will prove very beneficial to many millions of students in 2021, and that’s a good thing.