Summary: In this article where we provide a historical perspective to understand the changes in educational culture, we extensively discuss standard, distance, formal, and hybrid education models. Focusing on the educational transformation during the pandemic, we examine the evolution of distance learning systems and the technologies used in this process. Emphasizing the role of systems like ALMS (Education365) and Perculus (Class365) in education, we share our insights on the effective use of hybrid education. Additionally, we evaluate the potential of artificial intelligence technology in education and share our thoughts on future trends in education.
Throughout the historical process, the diversity of educational methods and techniques has consistently changed and reshaped to serve evolving purposes. Key factors contributing to changes in the educational structure include the end of nomadic lifestyles, adverse effects of natural events on humans, increasing national consciousness, wars, and pandemics.
Education has always reshaped itself to serve evolving purposes. The Industrial Revolution marked the fastest change in education. Swift learning and application of tasks were expected from workers in the industrial sector. In order to cultivate employees who could adapt to a faster learning and working process, education was designed based on a presentation method by an educator explaining the workings of the workflow, considering it the most effective method.
In this article, we will focus on narrating the historical journey of education through examples from our lives. We will discuss standard and distance education before the pandemic and earthquake processes, the intensified distance education during the pandemic and earthquake, post-pandemic and earthquake education, blended learning, and the potential impacts of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology on education.
Standard Education
In periods when our education life progressed in its ordinary course, the most commonly used method was the teaching-through-presentation method. In some project schools and private schools, teaching methods through discovery and research-inquiry were also employed. These methods could enhance the educational quality of emerging students to varying degrees and assist in their development. Let's examine these methods and look at their benefits.
Teaching through Presentation
The teaching through presentation method is one of the popular instructional methods commonly used in both formal and distance education today. This method is highly preferred due to its low cost compared to other methods and its easy applicability to large education groups. The process involves an instructor filtering and compiling information into a package, followed by interaction with the education group.
To make this process more effective, it is important to increase the interaction ratio. Activities such as examples, question-answer sessions, and brainstorming can be conducted to increase interaction and encourage students to contribute to the lesson. However, as the number of the education group increases, interaction and efficiency may decrease.
Teaching through Discovery
In the teaching through discovery method, students are more active in the education process, and in this method, instructors often play the role of a coach or observer. By assigning appropriate assignments and task distributions to students, the process ensures that the student reaches the outcome through their own efforts, resulting in the realization of the learning process. Applying this method to large education groups is challenging. However, in addition to teaching through presentation, implementing the fundamentals of teaching through discovery at certain points can significantly improve the quality of education.
Teaching through Research-Inquiry
In the teaching through research-inquiry method, the instructor assumes a complete guiding role. The educator assigns tasks or assignments to students, monitors students' project work on the subject, and guides students as a complete guide. Implementing this method requires small education groups, or dividing assignments and tasks to be given to the education group into working groups can facilitate the process of education. While the student learns the entire process on their own, the instructor takes on the role of the final interpreter.
Distance Education
Before the pandemic, when we generally look at the process of distance education, it was often considered insignificant by most educational institutions, used only for courses aiming to provide certificates, or limited to repeating the same topics continuously. Teachers and students were generally not well-informed about distance education. Evaluating the period of distance education before the pandemic, it was mostly utilized as a partial tool for video and document viewing, with assignments and short quizzes being conducted. When considered as a virtual classroom, it was mainly used for presentation-based teaching activities, relying on document and screen sharing.
Education In Pandemic
Alongside the pandemic, the education sector experienced complete chaos. There was no idea about how education would take place and how the process would unfold. Compared to institutions that sought remote education systems during the pandemic, institutions using Advancity remote education systems started the remote education process in a more advantageous position.
Integration of LMS & SIS
We facilitate data exchange by integrating student information systems with the ALMS (Advancity Learning Management System). Before the pandemic, synchronization processes were only carried out for specific courses. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, we ensured a rapid transition to the remote education system by transferring all necessary data, including student, instructor, class, and course information from all student information systems to the ALMS system.
The Contribution of the ALMS System to Remote Education
In the ALMS (Advancity Learning Management System), where individuals track their courses, participate in surveys, forums, messaging, and view weekly course progress, instructors can utilize and grade numerous activities developed to encourage students' contributions to the learning process.
Additionally, we have implemented various activities to ensure students receive a more successful and beneficial education. Activities that contribute to the effective delivery of the course include virtual classrooms, exams, assignments, documents, videos, e-lessons, surveys, forums and link (connection) activities.
The Contribution of the Perculus System to Remote Education
In addition to the intensive live audio and video streaming, Perculus's features such as whiteboard, document, screen, and video sharing were helping to make the class more effectively processed. The feature of specially developed workgroups for private project assignments allowed all students to be divided into groups, enabling full-fledged group work and significantly enhancing the quality of education.
Blended Learning
Even though face-to-face education has been resumed after the pandemic, the benefits of remote education, which facilitated life, allowed the blended use of both face-to-face and remote education. Now, institutions are conducting some of their courses through remote virtual classrooms, and they are using education management systems to carry out project assignments, some parts of departmental exams, documents, videos, surveys, and many other educational processes.
In this post-pandemic period, we have developed and introduced new systems that are more easily accessible and user-friendly for students in both remote and face-to-face education: Eğitim365: Hybrid Teaching Management System and Sınıf365: Interaction-Based Live Online Virtual Classroom System. For all our new projects, we have developed a user-friendly advanced design, enhanced user experience, high performance, and built-in content modules.
Education365: Hybrid Teaching Management System
Thanks to your feedback, we have made our mark on a hybrid teaching management system for more effective blended learning. We appreciate your extensive usage with renewed notifications, announcements, reports, a new and efficient mobile application, assignment plagiarism control, and improved content sharing methods.
Class365: Interaction-Based Live Online Virtual Classroom System
Thanks to your feedback, we have introduced a more interactive flow and activity-based online virtual classroom system. A renewed design, reports, a flow system for creating lesson plans, files and whiteboards, videos and cameras, collaboration, assessment, external applications, simultaneous translation, and improved content sharing management tools, along with many new features, are waiting for you.
Activities That Can Be Added to the Flow
Documents and Whiteboards: Whiteboard, Upload Document
Video and Cameras: Screen Sharing, Second Camera, Share Video, Upload Video
Collaboration: Create Breakout Rooms, Figma Board, Padlet, Pin Yorself, Google Docs, Miro Board, Two Truth One Lie, Word Cloud
Assessment: New Question (Multiple-choice single answer, multiple-choice multiple answers, short answer), Brainstorming, Guesstimate, Likert Scale, Axis Grid
Others: External App, Natal Chart
Another Project to Facilitate the Functioning of Your Institution: Plan365: Academic Course and Exam Planning System
No more waiting in line! We have completely eliminated the hassle of accessing the Windows server for the solution process and the prolonged download issue of the solution data. Now everything happens at the speed of light. Easily add or quickly synchronize your data. Set your constraints and initiate the solution process for the Course or Exam Period. Download your plan to your computer. Complete the entire planning process quickly and easily online.
The Future of Education
With the development and widespread availability of artificial intelligence technologies, we are facing a new structure that is gradually emerging and expanding in all fields. This structure is progressing in a somewhat intimidating manner. The impossibility of stopping this progress should not mean that we will give up on everything. We should research how artificial intelligence can be used in the field of education and incorporate it into our own educational process.
For example, with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, an analysis of your lessons can be conducted. Suggestions are provided for the use of appropriate materials during and after the lesson. Activities, interactive exercises, questions, and alerts can be given during the lesson. After the lesson, supportive books, academic resources, and small project suggestions to enhance practical experience can be provided.
To make your education process more efficient and to enhance the learning level of your study group, we plan to provide support with an artificial intelligence that continuously improves itself, aiming for more significant goals by creating a more effective educational process. Through statistics and behavior analysis, we will use artificial intelligence to collect information and provide support on how resources can be used more efficiently in the course flow.
In this project where we aim to make learning continuous, it is important for us to ensure that rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology contributes to learning. We are keeping track of new technologies and developments, and we always aim to provide you with an enhanced learning experience.