Google has recently announced several new features and updates aimed at enhancing the online learning experience for educators and students alike. With the ongoing pandemic forcing schools to switch to remote learning, these new tools will aid teachers in engaging their students and making their virtual lessons more effective.
Reading Mode for Chrome
One of the biggest updates is the introduction of a new Reading Mode for Chrome that will help students with dyslexia and ADHD. This feature reduces distracting elements on the screen like images and videos, enabling users to focus on the primary content. Additionally, it also has customizable options like typeface, font size, and spacing which students can adjust according to their preferences. The reading mode is slated to be released on ChromeOS in M114.
Hand Raise Gesture Detection for Meet
Another exciting addition is the AI-powered Hand Raise Gesture Detection feature for Meet. This function automatically raises the Hand Raise icon as soon as a user raises their hand, moving them to the main grid so that they can ask questions and participate more actively. This feature is set to roll out in the coming months.
Copresenting Feature
Google Classroom’s “copresenting” feature also lets two or more teachers manage slides together during an online lecture. With each educator sharing control of slides and other multimedia elements that they use during virtual classes, this feature ensures that virtual classes proceed effortlessly with minimal disruption.
Interactive YouTube video questions
An interactive feature that is sure to be popular among educators is the ability to add interactive questions to YouTube videos used in a lesson plan. This allows teachers to assess student understanding of subject matter while watching videos, while students can answer these questions in real-time. The beta version of this feature will be available soon, with multiple language options being offered.
Practice Sets
The AI-based practice sets feature allows educators to turn their teaching content into interactive assignments with personalized support being provided to each student. This feature will be globally available in English soon, with more language options offered in the future.
Screencast Updates
Google is also expanding its Screencast tool by adding support for a dozen new languages and introducing a web player. This means that teachers and students can now watch Screencasts on any browser or device, making it more convenient for learners to access important educational content. Furthermore, new demo tools have been introduced that allow users to animate clicks and taps, and highlight keyboard shortcuts being used on-screen during lessons.
All these updates are a part of Google’s commitment to making virtual classrooms more productive and engaging for students and teachers. From reader mode to interactive learning features to screen-sharing tools, these new additions will go a long way in enhancing online learning experiences.
Chromebook Education Features
In addition to these updates, Google has also announced exciting features for its Chromebook Education platform. These include a Reading Mode that reduces visual clutter, allowing students to focus better on text content while also customizing font size, font typeface, and even background color as per their preference.
The Screencast app for Chromebook lets teachers record and annotate their screen content with easy sharing via Google Drive. This feature will soon be available in multiple languages like Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, Italian among others.
The Cast Moderator feature enables screen-sharing from Chromebooks to Google-supported TV devices with features like pause and tab switching scheduled to be rolled out soon. This hardware is said to hit Europe and Asia later this year.
Google’s latest updates and features demonstrate its continued efforts towards improving online learning resources for both educators and students worldwide. With technological advancements such as these, we can expect a more seamless online education experience that closely simulates real-life classroom activities with enhanced interactivity features available at the click of a button.
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