After a late start caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Taiwan’s schools are back in session. But what if the outbreak worsens and schools need to be closed? One educational group is offering a digital solution, with virtual online classrooms that can stay open even if the real-world classrooms can’t.
In the past, teachers may have had trouble keeping tabs on what all their students were doing at any given moment. Not anymore.
A Taiwanese educational group called BTS has developed a virtual classroom that allows teachers to see all of their students at once on a screen.
It also lets them see students’ work in real time on a virtual notepad. Teachers on this platform can tell right away if their students are writing down correct answers- or having problems understanding the material. They can also give their students a bit of a break with educational quiz games.
This platform even works for art and gym classes. Taiwan’s education ministry is interested- especially at a time when there are concerns that COVID-19 could see schools shut down. It’s invited BTS to hold a demonstration of its platform.
BTS head Professor Ping-Cheng Yeh says that a three week trial period, during which students had eight hours of online classes a day, was a success. He says the online classes proved equally effective as traditional, classroom-based ones.
Access to online classes shouldn’t be a problem for students if schools really do need to close. Education ministry officials say that Taiwan’s five big domestic telecom companies have agreed to provide free SIM cards to disadvantaged students if schools do move to shut their doors during the outbreak.