Building A Better Africa With Virtual Classrooms

“Learning is not a product of schooling but the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein

Internet – The Ultimate Learning Tool

Internet speeds are increasing and reaching out to a far larger number of people than ever, providing unique opportunities through accessibility to informationas envisioned by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.The vision of a future without borders is now closer than ever. Through constructive and creative collaborations, humanity is producing masterpieces of innovation as digital content begins its reign.

The Web has provided us tools to learn, and to grow as people and as individuals. Accessibility to education has never been so unrestrained as it is in this digital era, reaching out to the most remote corners of the planet, connecting one and all though distance learning programs and virtual classrooms. The goal of education, if any, can be defined as shaping adults capable of being a part of a respectable society. Technology in the form of virtual classroom software for e-learning programs offers the training wheels with little or no friction along with a wide range of choices to achieve this goal. When an educator with a clear goal of encouraging learning is equipped with technology, she takes on the most worthy and responsible position among peers. She has the power to guide young minds to explore their way through the sea of knowledge.

In spite of that, education systems across the world are crumbling under a lot of stress. With rising populations, the situation is particularly grim in the developing countries of Africa and Asia. According to UN estimates, in Africa alone, nearly 10 million children drop out of primary schools every year. Even those who finish primary school are often below the acceptable literacy levels. Couple that with a massive shortage of trained teachers, and the situation looks almost hopeless.

Education For All – A Long Way To Go

Yet, the indomitable human spirit finds its way around each adversity. The last decade has seen a number of innovative approaches to making education accessible to a larger number of people in remote regions of the African continent. Using the power of technology in the form of virtual classrooms, teachers are now reaching out to the most disconnected students in Africa, showing them a new ray of hope in becoming better individuals and better global citizens. Technology has played a major role in this change as innovative virtual classrooms and distance-learning programs emerge across the developing world.

Effectiveness Of Visual Lessons

It is a well-known fact that visual lessons are far more effective and leave a lasting impact. Hence,they should be chosen carefully, as the wrong contenthas the capacity to take students on a wrong path. It becomes extremely important to think through carefully before selecting a tool, approach or content of a virtual classroom software. Particular attention is required for comprehendingthe utility of the tool for better results. It is important to remember that technology is not the lesson, but only the medium to deliver the lesson.

EduBeam Virtual Classroom System takes care of all these concerns and ensures an enriching experience for the students as well as the teachers. It is designed to ease the gap between available resources and the goal of education for all using the best technology to provide an e-learning experiencethat is as inspiring and engaging as any live classroom environment. EduBeamVirtual Classroom System brings quality education for distant learners in real time across locations and eliminates time, distance and resource constraints. The technology uses satellites and orterrestrial networks that enable conferencing application for students and teachers to communicate with each other in real time.

Research tells us that kids learn well by doing. Learning that engages and challenges the learner is called active learning with real output. The engaging methods of teaching made possible by technology ensures student retention and increased productivity through a richer experience of the distance learning program at all levels.

Education For A Better Future

In his annual letter to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates envisaged a future where the best education in the world is only a few taps away, for everyone, from anywhere. He speculates that career paths will be built upon this new system — “students will be able to lift themselves out of poverty by figuring out the requirements for their chosen field and fulfilling them with online classes”, he writes. And virtual classroom software and e-learning will pave the way to connect students to teachers and each other in distant locations.

Technology may not be the answer to all our problems, but it is certainly capable of solving a number of unsolved puzzles so that the untouched areas of a child’s brain may be utilized to its full potential.It has provided the tools necessary for enhancinglearning and creating new experiences on digital and mobile platforms. And it certainly has the potential to build a better tomorrow by bringing quality education to every part of the world.

“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability of time, location, or in any other form] is an essential aspect.” –Tim Berners-Lee