Almost 100 years ago John Dewey understood the importance of evolving in Education. He said, “If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday, we rob them of tomorrow”.

More than ever, we understand that new generations demand new teaching methods and assets. The world changed dramatically after the lockdowns people accept that nowadays they can be present without the need of being there physically. This makes us look at absence from a different perspective and trust working (or studying) from home as a valid option.

Get ready for the new era of training by creating a comfortable learning environment where traditional methods meet digital assets allowing the space to master a blended learning model, where part of the trainees is present in the room and others are online.

A training facility must have flexible and versatile furniture as well as technologically advanced assets. The space must be safe, healthy, comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and accessible. It must be able to accommodate the specific equipment needs of the training program and curriculum..

The materials already in use for traditional classes can be re-purposed to a teaching model that accommodates both presential and online trainees, but the best way is to start from scratch and get rid of old lesson components in favor of something new that may resonate with your learners better.

Collaborative learning is key; therefore, learning aids such as whiteboards, easels and furniture need to be symbiotic to the teaching methods. Whiteboards that can integrate group lessons, as well as traditional lecture lessons or chairs and tables that can quickly allow the room to reconfigure according to the class needs, are simple yet very important assets to include in a collaborative learning space.

The front of the class

The front of the class is usually taken by a whiteboard and we can let it be, a whiteboard is always a get way to start a class and also state a couple of conclusions at the end. Nevertheless, a technologically advanced training room requires an Android touch screen that brings to the lesson multimedia content, teaching Apps and other engaging resources that will transform the way students or trainees embrace the challenges of learning. The interactive Flat Panel can be mounted on a mobile height adjustable stand and that will allow it to be wheeled around and be used by trainees having different heights or on wheelchairs.

Engage with online attendees

A videoconference camera is utterly necessary as students online often get lost in the conversation and are easily distracted. New cameras present themselves as integrated media solutions with camera, speaker and microphone in the same device plugged all at the time for easy and quick use. The best option is to select speaker tracking cameras that will make online students feel just like they are in the room, engaged in the natural flow of conversation.

Furniture

Having all the technology in the learning areas may impress, but that’s not enough. Ergonomic and modern chairs will play an important part in getting a good experience with training. Use chairs with casters to implement a dynamic space and choose the models with storage and table. That will make everyone change into groups without creating too much noise and avoiding cluttered aisles. If the learning method requires an actual table, opt for puzzle models that butt together to create a group table.

As a final tip, collaboration requires communication and teamwork. Create the perfect atmosphere to develop these two skills by adding mobile whiteboards, especially with the double face writing feature to be used by each group. You will be boosting creativity and enhancing the lesson’s outputs.

Know our blended learning assets here