9 Tools to Quickly Turn Your Classroom Remote
Teaching students is already difficult enough, but in times of crisis when schools are closed, and you cannot have classes in person, it tends to become even more troublesome.
That’s primarily because many schools are not prepared to quickly turn their classes into remote platforms.
While there are countless online schools, and over 15.7% of all students take distance education courses exclusively, most of the traditional schools don’t have the right systems and technology in place to offer online classes.
Fortunately, though, you don’t have to update your entire IT infrastructure to start teaching your students remotely. All you need is a good virtual classroom software.
So, let’s see what a virtual classroom is, and then we’ll check out the tools that will help you create a remote classroom as quickly as possible.
What Are Virtual Classrooms and Why You Need Them?
Virtual classrooms are an online education environment that mirrors traditional classrooms. They’re usually offered by Learning Management Systems (LMS) and enable students and teachers to have an authentic classroom experience via the internet.
Many businesses are taking advantage of virtual classroom software because of the growing remote workforce, and now during the coronavirus lockdown, many schools will have to do the same.
Cloud-based LMS allows students and teachers to work together in real-time wherever they’re located. As long as all parties have a stable internet connection, you’ll be able to work uninterrupted.
With a good virtual classroom software, you’ll have access to a variety of different features. At the very least, you should easily be able to use:
- Audio and video tools
- Virtual whiteboard
- Live chat
- Text editing tools
Depending on the virtual classroom software you choose, you should also be able to upload existing course materials or create new ones.
You’ll be able to assess your students’ work, keep an eye on their performance, and automatically grade them.
In many ways, virtual classroom software doesn’t simply mirror traditional classrooms but improves upon them because it automates administrative tasks and streamlines learning.
Having said that, not all virtual classroom software and cloud-based LMS are created equal. You’ll need to find the tools that are right for you and offer the right set of features.
The following are some of the best tools available on the market that will turn your classroom remote in a jiffy and help you continue teaching and learning despite the critical situation we’re all facing.
1. ProofHub
ProofHub was primarily designed for businesses that need to enhance their project management and collaboration. However, it can be a useful tool for schools that are trying to go remote quickly.
It has a user-friendly interface, which eliminates the learning curve that comes with similar software solutions.
Regardless of their skill level and previous knowledge, most teachers and students should easily be able to get acquainted with the software and start using it like a pro.
With ProofHub, you’ll be able to:
- Create agendas
- Schedule learning
- Set automatic reminders
- See customized reports
- Keep an eye on students
- Easily assign homework
- Collaborate seamlessly
While ProofHub already offers free trials and has a free version, until the end of 2020, all schools will have free access to all the features that the software offers.
2. ProProfs Virtual Classroom Software
As a comprehensive LMS, ProProfs can help you create a fully customized virtual classroom in a matter of minutes.
It’s easily scalable, so regardless of the size of your school and the number of students you have, you’ll be able to use it seamlessly without slowing down the systems.
The software offers quite a few advantages, and with the features it offers, you can:
- Browse through their library and use pre-existing courses
- Develop your own course materials
- Create assessment tests and quizzes
- Embed the tests and quizzes into lessons
- Upload videos, presentations, and documents
- Create learning paths
- Track the performance of each student
The information you gather about your students’ performance gives you insight into their participation, engagement, and completion rates.
The reports can show an individual’s performance or results based on unique groups and courses. You can use them to continually improve your lessons and courses.
The intuitive interface makes it easy to get accustomed to the software. A free trial is available that will introduce you to all the features.
Clipchamp is an in-browser online video editor that allows its users to create and edit videos with ease, regardless of skill level and video editing experience. It’s very easy to navigate especially for beginners making it the perfect tool for both mentors and learners.
This video editor doesn’t need to be downloaded so it can be used on any computer with an internet connection. Students can create individual videos on the app or teachers could use the Teams feature to invite their class.
With Clipchamp, teachers are able to:
- Create customized virtual lessons by recording their screens or webcams
- Add customized captions or text-to-speech voice overs to videos
- Change the background of videos with the green screen effect
- Add a video overlay of themselves to explain the lesson in the video
- Integrate with Zoom, Dropbox, and Google Drive
Meanwhile, students are able to:
- Trim, crop, cut, or merge videos made for assignments
- Add captions or voiceovers to explainer video projects
- Create intro videos using customizable templates
- Work on group video assignments seamlessly
The free version has more than enough advanced features that teachers can benefit from but they can also upgrade to a paid version starting at just $9/month.
4. BigBlueButton
BigBlueButton can be a good addition to your existing cloud-based LMS. It’s an open-source conferencing tool primarily created for educational institutions.
Teachers can share documents, videos, audio files, slides, and presentations. There’s a screen-sharing feature that allows you to explain topics better. A polling tool helps you gather feedback from students.
Whiteboard allows you to mark the most important parts of the lessons, while breakout rooms, emojis, and more will keep the students completely engaged.
There’s no limit to the number of students that can participate in video calls, and you can also opt for voice conferencing without the need for any additional hardware.
BigBlueButton is a relatively simple tool with a surprisingly wide array of features that can be useful when creating a remote classroom.
5. LearnCube
LearnCube can be a great choice for language schools. Instead of being a simple web-conferencing tool, it allows you to create comprehensive virtual classrooms that are educational and engaging.
You can use this virtual classroom software to enable each student to learn at their own pace, which ensures that everyone masters every topic that you teach.
Some of the most useful features include:
- Interactive whiteboards
- High-quality audio & video lessons
- Video syncing
- Instant conjugation tables
All lessons can be accessed through web browsers, so there’s less of a learning curve when using this software.
6. Airstack
Airstack is not a virtual classroom software in the traditional sense. It’s a platform that allows you to share all the digital tools you and your team members already have.
This will make it much easier for your students to understand and start using digital tools they’ve never seen before.
Teachers will also have insight into which tools their colleagues are using, so everyone can develop a unified approach and start relying on the same solutions for best results.
You can share your apps and tools with others easily through the catalog, and Airstack will automatically include links and descriptions so that everyone can see which tool is used for what.
7. CLIPP
CLIPP was developed by QuickStart, a renowned IT skills training provider. It’s a learning platform that relies heavily on AI to deliver the best results.
While AI can certainly improve the learning process, those who have no previous experience in using such high-end tools will need some time to get used to using CLIPP.
AI can help personalize the learning experience of each student. According to research, a personalized approach to learning can help improve students’ achievements and overall performance.
Since CLIPP is a cloud-based LMS, your students will be able to access it at any time and from any internet-connected device.
It can be a useful tool for schools that have teachers with better computer skills and knowledge of modern technologies
8. Elvis Virtual Classroom
Elvis is one of the more extensive virtual classroom solutions that can help educational institutions take full advantage of online learning.
With some practice, most teachers will be able to create full-fledged virtual classrooms that have all the tools and features necessary for connecting with students.
The classes are highly interactive, and teachers and students will have access to:
- Instructor-led training sessions
- Online course materials
- Polls
- Document sharing
- Live chat
- Video/audio recording
You can effectively simulate a traditional classroom in the virtual world and continue to have classes as usual with all your students.
9. VEDAMO
VEDAMO was specifically designed for educational institutions, although many SMBs rely on this cloud-based LMS for employee training.
It can support over 10,000 learners at a time, so it can be a good choice for larger schools that are trying to go remote.
With its video-conferencing tool, you can have live and interactive classes with up to 25 students. You can mix and match in-person and virtual classes, create your course materials, develop curriculums, track performance, and more.
You’ll have access to multiple grading scales, although you should be aware that grading needs to be handled manually.
You can easily create a full-fledged online academy and continue providing your students with necessary knowledge during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Bottom Line
All these tools come with their own pros and cons, but all of them are among some of the best ones available on the market.
Price is one of the last things you should think about when choosing a virtual classroom software solution. Instead, you’ll need to assess your needs, student preferences, and capabilities before deciding on a specific tool. So, make sure you have a list of priorities when choosing a cloud-based LMS.
You’ll need to consider:
- Which features you need
- Which features you can go without
- How easy it is to get acquainted with the software
- Which devices your students are using
- How easy it is to scale the software
Most of these tools offer free trials, so make sure you go for a test drive before you take the plunge.
Author Bio: Kamy Anderson is an ed-tech enthusiast with a passion for writing on emerging technologies in the areas of corporate training and education. He is an expert in learning management system & eLearning authoring tools — currently associated with ProProfs Training Maker.
