BenQ’s Hybrid Learning solutions are designed to deliver more interactive virtual teaching methods

Manish Bakshi, Managing Director of BenQ Middle East and Turkey

1. With health concerns at their peak, especially for the younger ones, how are BenQ solutions equipped to offer safety when it comes to in-class learning that is slowly resuming in some regions?
As more and more countries are arranging to vaccinate at least 90% of their population in order to reach the desired herd immunity which’ll help to put an end to the pandemic, in-class learning will slowly and steadily resume in many countries. Classroom Care is our specially designed health-focused technology with multiple features that can increase health precautions within the classroom setting. ClassroomCare IFPs are ideal for schools and academic institutions that are now beginning to open up to resume in-class learning amidst the pandemic. These are equipped with germ-resistant screens that are TUV certified and feature a nano ionic silver agent that eliminates almost all germs, allowing children to touch the screen without any worries. With certified germ-resistant, flicker-free, and low blue light technologies, ClassroomCare panels deliver added functionality to BenQ’s IFPs to improve overall classroom safety. Moreover, they come with air-quality sensors that can monitor CO2 intensity and improve overall health, increasing classroom productivity. Similarly, BenQ’s Smart Projectors with built-in PC-Less, Wire-Less, and Driver-Less features become an ideal display solution during and post pandemic period for teachers and students alike. The BenQ Smart Projectors for Classrooms enables students to wirelessly share their reports, ideas and presentation slides from their Mobile/tablets or laptops, thus eliminating the need for transmitting via cables. This wireless design ensures minimal touch, and therefore significantly reduces the chances of spreading infections. Its built-in video conferencing capabilities help to effectively connect distance learning students with the classroom. Also noteworthy is our Account Management System (AMS) software which is integrated in the smart projectors and lets teachers connect to their personal cloud storage seamlessly, enabling them to access various documents and teaching materials during class. This also minimizes the use of too many devices, and thus transmission.

2. As more and more academies consider full-time remote learning, how does BenQ plan to upgrade its solutions to deliver more interactive virtual teaching methods?
BenQ has been investing considerable efforts towards enhancing online education while also focusing on eye-care. An impressive number of online teaching and learning opportunities can be unlocked using BenQ’s Cloud Whiteboard, EZWrite with which students can join an online lesson remotely. BenQ’s monitors and interactive flat panels already come with eye-care technology and ergonomic design that is made to address Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and deliver viewing comfort. BenQ monitors and IFPs are equipped with Brightness Intelligence Technology that tracks changes in ambient light and adjusts the screen brightness accordingly to help preserve image quality and reducing eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. They come with Low Blue Light Technology that filters the most dangerous part of the blue light spectrum to avoid eye damage. BenQ has also unveiled the Screenbar Plus which is a USB-powered clip-on light that blocks out blue light and improves lighting conditions on one’s work desk significantly. It has been designed to meet IEEE PAR1789 standards for regulating flicker and is also IEC/TR 62778 certified which means it poses zero blue-light risk. The LED light source designed by BenQ does away with the irritation caused to eyes through flickering and harmful exposure to blue light. Another upgraded solution that we already have in the market is the world’s first-ever Android-based, all-in-one range of Smart projectors from BenQ which have been explicitly designed to enhance diversified teaching and blended learning. Given its Android OS and in-built memory, any compatible video conferencing apps can be downloaded directly on the projector and connected via USB camera to have a full-fledged video conferencing solution. That creates a perfect blended learning approach providing interactivity amongst teachers, distance learning students and face-to-face learning students.
3. How do BenQ solutions help in safely reopening schools and other academic institutions as we settle into this new pandemic-induced normal of blended learning?
For the foreseeable future, a “bring your own device” (BYOD) approach to learning will prevail. Students and teachers will need to depend on their laptops, tablets, and even phones as a way to interact with teaching materials and study partners. BenQ’s Smart Projectors were primarily introduced due to the increased prominence of BYOD around the world and are compatible with most of the devices. BenQ has launched the world’s first-ever Android-based, all-in-one Smart projectors which have been explicitly designed to promote diversified teaching and blended learning. The E600 & E800 Series work in an entirely wire-Less, PC- less, and driver-less manner, thus providing teachers with a unique and hassle-free experience. BenQ’s smart projectors for classrooms enable students to wirelessly share their reports, ideas and presentation slides, from their tablets or laptops, eliminating the need for transmitting via cables. As students return to their classes in a phased approach, having a large projector screen as a primary or secondary screen and being able to see their classmates life-size will be a welcome change after months of isolation. With the increased screen time, and eye fatigue and eye problems on the rise, parents and teachers are serious about eye-care. The large, non-reflective projection screen comes as a saviour here.
Also, BenQ’s Interactive Flat Panels have a unique whiteboard app, our exclusive EZWrite 5 that is designed to facilitate cloud collaboration and remote learning by making lessons more interactive and engaging. It is designed to enable teachers and students to collect, edit, categorize, and share ideas between the panel and mobile devices without any geographic restrictions and user limits, making it perfect for blended learning. The ClassroomCare features they come with ensure that the health and safety concerns are addressed for students and teachers. ClassroomCare Interactive Flat Panels include a Germ-Resistant Screen, Air Quality Sensors and Smart Eye-Care Solutions, giving greater protection to every participant in the classroom. Our large-sized Eye-Care monitors also make for a noteworthy tool for learning from home, as they feature an anti-glare screen, and are much easier on the eyes than spending extended periods watching a laptop.
4. Cloud whiteboarding has taken the front seat with distance and blended education becoming more prevalent. How is your IFP solution different or better than what’s available in the market currently?
The changes in the current education landscape are apparent, and the sudden transition to distance learning has been quite an interesting journey. BenQ’s EZWrite Live is a unique whiteboarding application that is specially designed to aid cloud collaboration and remote learning, making lessons more engaging and impactful. Teachers can integrate the web-based EZWrite Live with any video conferencing application, and it supports online whiteboarding along with interactive features like sticky notes to facilitate remote interactions and collaborations. Here, teachers need not stop sharing their screens to open a whiteboarding app, as is the case with many other whiteboarding applications. It allows teachers and students to collect, edit, categorize, and share ideas between their devices and has no geographic restrictions or user limits, making it perfect for remote and blended learning. It allows instant access to the cloud, which is exclusive to EZWrite Live, wherein teachers can directly upload and download files to cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
5. Which BenQ solutions, in particular, can significantly ease the workflow for schools and students during the ongoing crisis and the new normal focussed around blended learning that is to follow?
The classroom IFPs in BenQ’s RP02 Series offer tools that can ease the workflow for teachers and students alike. All panels in the RP02 Series come with BenQ’s advanced ClassroomCare Technology that has Environmental Sensors for air pollution (PM2.5 and PM10), temperature and humidity indicators for teachers to open windows or turn on ventilation systems. They also offer teachers the benefits of in-class and cloud whiteboard collaboration with their EZWrite Whiteboarding Software. It helps make the lessons more interactive with easy whiteboard and annotation tools. Another solution is the EW800ST which is the first of its kind education projector that features cloud account integration, screen-mirroring and smart app capabilities, as well as internet and wireless connectivity to promote blended learning and diversified teaching in K-12 classrooms. We strongly recommend our smart projectors, especially the E600 & E800 Series that work in an entirely wire-Less, PC- less, and driver-less manner. Our specialized web cameras have been designed keeping in mind virtual learning and greatly enhance the quality of video lessons. BenQ has recently launched the ScreenBar Plus as mentioned above. The BenQ ScreenBar Plus delivers up to 500 lux of lighting across eight different colour temperatures ranging from 2700K to 6500K. It significantly improves clarity and reduces eye strain for students using screens for long hours to study. Also noteworthy is our InstaShow S WDC20 that supports BYOD classrooms as it allows multiple presenters to present from any device without the awkwardness of passing a single cable between multiple presenters, and thus reducing risky contact.
For more information, visit www.benq.com/en-me