How Class Empowers Educators With Better Virtual Tools

In education, "effectiveness" isn't a buzzword; it's a tangible outcome that impacts real students and educators. Effectiveness is a multifaceted concept with numerous factors that impact how learner goals are achieved. When considering the application of technology in learning, academic institutions select tools that enable strong pedagogy or deliver results for academic growth. It is also important to consider the environment where learning happens as a contributing factor to effectiveness that can positively impact student outcomes or introduce barriers to their success.

Class recently partnered with Tripod Education Partners, a nationally recognized education survey and research provider, to explore how the Class virtual classroom engages learners in comparison to traditional video or web conferencing tools that are not purpose-built for education. The findings provide tangible initial evidence that Class has a positive impact on learner engagement:

• Cognitive engagement improved by 32%
• Confidence to retain or apply learned material increased by 46%
• Learners’ connection to the instructor and peers was 9% higher than with traditional video conferencing

While these results are impressive, another path to understanding the impact of education technology can lie in the real experiences of real users. Here are four success stories from real Class customers who have used our next generation virtual classroom to empower educators with better tools that elevate their efficiency, ensure effective learning, and drive engagement.

Making virtual proctoring efficient and effective

“Our proctoring services were effective, but not very efficient,” recalls Zuleyka Izquierdo, Distance Education Testing Manager at Austin Community College District. “Based on the platforms that we had available to us, we were only able to do one-on-one testing. As our program grew [to 40,000 students], that was no longer sustainable. For every one appointment we had, we had about 10 students fighting for that one appointment.”

“Once we switched to Class, it completely changed the way we were able to offer our proctoring services,” says Zuleyka. “We’re now able to offer group proctoring sessions. And Class allows us to see all the students as well as see their screens, which really helps us with upholding testing integrity.”

By transitioning their proctoring services to Class, ACC saved over $500,000. Class empowers staff with a more efficient classroom management tool and students with a more flexible exam experience, which ensures test integrity and lasting comprehension. “If you are looking for a tool that allows faculty to be able to manage their classroom effectively and in real time, Class is a tool you should consider,” concludes Dr. Erasmus Addae, Associate Vice Chancellor for Distance Education at ACC.

To learn more about ACC's experience with Class, read their full success story here.

Centralizing virtual learning for more meaningful experiences

“We have an increasing population of students that are looking for interactive moments, academic moments, where they can be connecting with their peers and their teachers around the globe,” begins Renée Mindek, Dean of Student Engagement at Laurel Springs School. “And as a school, we were looking for the kind of dynamic and engaging platform that would feel like a meaningful and purposeful classroom in a digital space.”

“Our teachers found that the Class technology was student-centered and intuitive. They can tell it comes from people who know what students and educators need, from taking attendance to tracking participation,” boasts Renée.

“Class makes my life easier as a teacher,” shares Sarah Clancy, a teacher at Laurel Springs. “The ability to see all of my students, knowing we’re going to have discussions and actively engage in our topic for the day. Class makes that really easy. I can view all their work together, so I can quickly see the areas that require me to dig a little deeper, ask more questions to build clarification, or maybe partner kids in a breakout. It’s all there right in one application.”

Read Laurel Springs School's full success story here.

Making virtual feel like face-to-face

“We’ve had some issues in the past with teacher shortages, accreditations, credentials of teachers, being able to really maximize our staff,” recalls Dr. Doug DeVillier, Virtual Program Director at Calcasieu Parish Public Schools. “So our virtual instruction program was created really to solve the problem of the teacher shortage and trying to find a smarter way to use the staff we had.” Flipping the entire idea of online learning on its head, Calcasieu designed a unique and award-winning virtual instruction program (VIP) that has students in physical classrooms all across the district log into Class’s virtual classroom to connect with highly-qualified teachers remotely from across the state of Louisiana.

By choosing Class, Calcasieu has connected students and teachers through an enriching virtual experience that still focuses on live, face-to-face learning. “Class has definitely helped us build relationships with students in the sense that we still see the kids’ faces every day,” begins Samantha Jacobson, Math Teacher at Calcasieu. “We log on, and we talk to them live every day. I can still read their facial expressions. I can still talk to them one-on-one.”

“Even though the students are across the district from each other, it's been really fascinating to see them build relationships,” adds Hannah Hebert, another Calcasieu Math Teacher. “We've had students say, ‘I've made friends with people that I might not have met otherwise at my school, but I have a lot in common with’. And because of a program like Class, they're able to see each other and interact with each other and build those relationships. So that's been really fascinating to see.”

Explore more of Calcasieu's story here.

Creating an exceptional online experience for students and teachers

Tired of struggling with traditional web conferencing software and other edtech tools, Miami Dade College (MDC) realized they needed a better way to increase learner engagement while delivering an intuitive, efficient experience for students and staff alike.

After discovering that Class could seamlessly integrate with their existing Canvas LMS, MDC felt they’d found the right online learning tool to deliver a more user-friendly EdTech ecosystem for students and instructors. And since Class has already been proven to increase online learner engagement, MDC knew they’d see an incredible impact on student participation as well.

“Before Class, using the technology that we had available, it was a juggling act between presenting content that was in the LMS and presenting content that was online and other content that perhaps was living on my device,” recalls Dr. Allison Hudson, Assistant Professor at MDC. “Class allows me to put all those resources into one place. It made the process seamless, and I think that adds to the student experience within the online learning environment. So it not only allows me to manage the course better, but it helps with engagement as well. Students say it’s easy to navigate, easy to learn, and allows them to participate in the classroom session because they have their resources right at their fingertips."

Read Miami Dade College's full success story here.

Discover the power of Class firsthand

From revolutionizing proctoring services to centralizing virtual learning experiences, Class has redefined what's possible in the virtual classroom. Reach out to a Class team member today to discover how Class can empower educators at your organization to enhance their virtual or hybrid classrooms with effective online teaching and learning tools.