BenQ, the global exclusive distributor of Google Jamboard, is providing the cloud-based display and collaboration tools that career and technical schools need to seamlessly adapt to hybrid and remote learning models. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Career Institute (GCI) recently installed Google Jamboard 4K UHD all-in-one interactive displays across its three campuses in Georgia and Tennessee. The Jamboard’s integrated Google Workspace, Google Meet videoconferencing application, and cloud-based collaboration tools provide instructors with a user-friendly system for teaching remotely, delivering outstanding virtual vocational preparation to students during the pandemic.
“Jamboard supports what our teachers already know: Google,” said Lauren Davis, regional director for GCI. “It is not foreign, so they could get started right away without fear of moving into the remote model or creating a bad experience for our students. When you already know Google, the Jamboard makes it very easy to step into a remote learning model.”
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Using Jamboard’s built-in features and capabilities, GCI was able to create and launch a virtual program for its theory classes in a matter of weeks without introducing new workflows or programs. From the Jamboard, teachers simply log into their Google account to pull up materials within Google Docs, access Gmail, or launch classes in Google Meet. With a tap of the onscreen videoconferencing app or the meeting reminder on their calendar, teachers can get remote classes started easily. Because the display comes built-in with a wide-angle camera, microphone, and speakers, instructors did not have to learn how to operate additional equipment.
Jamboard’s digital whiteboard feature was especially critical for opening up channels of interaction, engagement, and comprehension shown to be pivotal to successful remote learning. Digital whiteboarding allows any student in the Meet to annotate or mark-up materials on screen. With the click of a button, Jamboard users can toggle between the whiteboard, other Google applications, and the call. All sessions as well as any notes written on the board can be saved to Google Classroom. These features benefit in-person practical exercises as well. Users can draw and review saved models and techniques on the screen before beginning hands-on exercises.
In addition to advancing the organization’s learning methods, the displays have solved absenteeism. Before, when a student was absent, instructors would have to work with each individual on makeup content, reteaching the same lesson and gathering all of the data for the student. Now students can view recorded classes in their Google Classroom account. This also has helped solve any COVID-19 quarantine dilemmas because students can pursue their theory classes from home as well as safely attend vendor webinars.
The organization is exploring how the Jamboards can be used in the future to create a hybrid remote structure, where instructors will teach theory material to students onsite and online simultaneously. This would allow the school to use the same instructor for theory classes across all campuses and to fill instructor positions more easily in cities where it’s harder to find licensed professionals.
“Google Jamboard sparks the real-time collaboration through the cloud that extends the Google Workspace and Classroom experience to new environments and applications,” said Penny Su, business unit director, Google Jamboard and enterprise collaboration solutions for BenQ America Corp. “GCI is a great example of how technical schools can build a flexible yet successful hybrid-remote program that allows students to continue their learning no matter if they’re in the classroom or joining from home.”
