1.6 billion children in nearly 200 countries received education outside the classroom last year, EPOS reports. Good sound quality is indispensable for this.
Covid has caused a landslide in global education. As it looks now, the virus is here to stay. It means that homeschooling will become much more common in the future than before. Good sound quality is indispensable for this. EPOS has issued a press release to draw attention to this issue:
Education is transforming rapidly and fundamentally. With 1.6 billion children in nearly 200 countries being educated outside the classroom in the past year. Both teachers and students had to adapt to the new reality of online education and find new ways to connect, communicate and motivate.
As with the trend of hybrid working, however, the pandemic has created new opportunities for innovation and improvement. A new report, “Redesigning Education with High Quality Audio,” by Frost & Sullivan, commissioned by audio technology brand EPOS, reveals opportunities to improve modern learning and become more connected, digitized and efficient.
The short- and long-term benefits are clear
For millions of students and educators, the sudden transition to online learning has been far from ideal, but the new normal has also highlighted what the benefits can be. While the move to online learning seems to widen the digital divide in some cases, it has also shown that it can have positive effects. Education can become more universal for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.
Cost savings from online education have also become apparent. Substantial savings can be achieved by reducing reliance on physical resources and making travel times a thing of the past. It also means that students can learn at their own pace and easily catch up or revisit a topic. In addition to opportunities for time and cost savings, working digitally also means teachers can improve the quality and relevance of their curriculum by updating resources and materials in real time.
Disruptive at first, happy now
As educational institutions around the world invest and improve their educational technology to offer online learning in enhanced formats, longer-term benefits are also emerging. Online education and collaboration helps prepare students for the kind of organizational acumen, emotional intelligence, and self-discipline required for modern professions. Although the move to distance education was initially disruptive, many teachers and students welcome a more hybrid approach in the long run.
Poor audio exacerbates learning fatigue
Effective learning depends on student engagement, regardless of where learning takes place. While video and content sharing are familiar parts of the educational experience, audio quality is often overlooked. Good audio technology can play a crucial role in keeping students focused and engaged, while poor audio can in turn have negative consequences.
Poor audio experiences have serious consequences: 35% of those surveyed often feel frustrated and annoyed by poor audio, 25% experience moments of stress, and 15% feel confusion or a lack of confidence. The impact of these experiences can have profound effects on students’ ability to focus, participate, and actively contribute to lessons.
Stress
Without the direct physical presence of fellow students and teachers and a physical learning environment, remote students become very easily distracted. Poor audio can further undermine students’ emotional and mental well-being. Whether it’s audio delays due to poor internet connectivity or multiple participants speaking at the same time or background noise from the various participants, audio problems can have negative health effects by increasing stress.
Missing crucial information
The need for better connectivity and robust audio is clear, and it’s not just students who need to focus on the conversation. For teachers and other instructional staff, poor audio can be disastrous if critical information is missed. The ability to hear multiple voices, recognize who is speaking and respond from within the classroom are all critical components of teaching. Without good audio, teachers risk missing crucial information and may therefore provide a less effective learning experience.
Investing in good audio
Investing in good audio is essential for hybrid education in the long run Fortunately, for many end users, effective audio equipment can go a long way toward optimizing the hybrid learning experience. According to EPOS, 37% of people believe that the right audio tools can reduce miscommunication, 40% feel that they would significantly reduce the need to clarify information repeatedly, and 37% believe that good audio would ensure that participants no longer miss crucial information.
Hybrid education a keeper
Even as the pandemic-induced disruption dissipates, the shift to a more hybrid approach remains an established fact. From an industry perspective, distance learning has simplified teacher recruitment. In some cases, the number of teachers applying has actually increased fivefold, and as a result of the shift, the percentage of executives and teachers who planned to leave the profession has halved since 2019 [2]. Meanwhile, two-thirds of students say they are open to more online education after the pandemic.
Learning anywhere, anytime
Distance learning means that students and teachers can be anywhere every day – in the classroom, at home or on the road. We are already experiencing the future of learning. For students and teachers in a virtual classroom, even just 1% missing what was said can grow into 100% worry. Jeppe Dalberg-Larsen – Director of EPOS says, “To ensure that hybrid learning remains effective, teachers and students must recognize the importance of optimizing concentration and understanding through the use of high-quality audio tools.”
About EPOS
EPOS is a company that develops audio and video solutions and sells devices for business professionals and the gaming community. Founded in Denmark, the company is based on leading and advanced technologies, and offers high-quality audio and video solutions with design, technology and performance as the most important indicators.
EPOS was established to bring together the business units of the joint venture known as Sennheiser Communications, namely Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG and Demant A/S to develop in a different format. In addition to introducing a new portfolio with its own brand, EPOS continues to sell the current portfolio of Sennheiser Communications under the joint name EPOS | SENNHEISER.
EPOS is part of the Demant Group – a leading global group of companies in the field of audio and hearing technologies. As such, the company boasts more than 115 years of experience in innovation and sound. EPOS is headquartered in Copenhagen and operates on the international market with offices and partners in more than 30 countries.
Learn more at the manufacturer’s website.