AV IN EDUCATION
It must be challenging to be a teacher at the moment. As an outsider looking in, the impression that you get is that the youngest of us are unable to concentrate, obsessed with their phones, and only interested in the latest TikTok trends. I'm sure a lot of that impression is rubbish, or at least exaggerated. Still, once you've got them to put their phone away and pay attention, the person at the front of the class has a job to prepare these kids for an employment market that will almost certainly be unrecognisable by the time they put together their first CV. That's not a challenge for the teachers to worry about for now. Their focus will naturally be on the lessons they compile in a world that seems to have accepted that long attention spans are a thing of the past. According to research by Gloria Mark, PhD, at the University of California, it takes, on average, 47 seconds for someone to switch tasks. But while there is no conclusive evidence that younger people specifically are finding it harder to concentrate for long periods, Mark’s research raises a worrying generalisation that educators need to combat. “Shorter attention spans are a reality for students, but AV technology can help when it’s used thoughtfully,” said Mandi Jackson, Education Director, Computeam. “Over the last decade, classroom AV technology has shifted from simple presentation tools to platforms for interaction and inclusion. Where projectors were once the dominant tool, we’re now seeing a growing emphasis on interactive displays, integrated audio and seamless connectivity – all designed to support more engaging, collaborative teaching. “Breaking lessons into varied, interactive segments, using multimedia purposefully and removing technical friction all help teachers maintain focus and momentum.” Bringing an interactive element to the
CONTINUED classroom is a key point, making sure that students take an active role in the learning process rather than maintain the same Victorian-style teaching of looking at one person at the front of the class. “Over the last decade, classroom audio-visual technology has shifted from fixed, front-of-room hardware to more flexible digital ecosystems,” said Richard Anderton, Head of Education at Sync. “Where AV once largely meant projecting content from one device to one screen, schools now need technology that supports collaboration, mobility and different teaching styles. “At Sync, we’ve seen more schools move towards Apple-led environments, where iPad, Mac and Apple TV work together seamlessly to make lessons more fluid, interactive and adaptable. “The change is not just about sharper screens or better sound. It is about giving teachers the freedom to move around the classroom, share content quickly and make learning more inclusive for all.” Investing in the Future The education ed-tech market seems to be unanimous in the view that AV technologies can only be beneficial to the education of young people. You'd find the same opinion from a lot of teachers out there, too. However, giving them access to these technologies requires money. Research from Epson shows that over three-quarters of teachers across Europe say immersive technologies are rarely or never used in their schools, and 57% of teachers in the UK would like their schools to increase the use of immersive learning or introduce it in the first place! While we would be hard-pressed to find a school without some form of AV technology in the classroom, whether it is good enough is a different debate altogether. “Projectors and interactive whiteboards played an important
Contributors
Gloria Mark PhD
gloriamark.com
Mandi Jackson
computeam.co.uk
Richard Anderton
wearesync.co.uk
Graeme Davidson
epson.eu
ucadvanced.com
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