ViewSonic Corp. is offering schools free subscriptions to its myViewBoard software through Sept. 30 to help them overcome the effects to typical classroom learning because of the spread of the coronavirus across the U.S. and around the world. [related]
“Many schools and universities are not only preparing for extended school shutdowns, but educators are urgently exploring the possibilities of distance learning,” says the ViewSonic announcement.
“To support distance learning, ViewSonic is offering its premium tier of myViewBoard software free to schools and educators,” the announcement says.
“As a stakeholder in the education sector, we wanted to make sure were doing our part in supporting schools, educators, students and parents in this very trying time, especially those without access to distance learning,” said ViewSonic CEO James Chu in the company announcement.
“While some schools with pre-existing capabilities have already implemented distance learning during school closures, many more have been caught off guard by the coronavirus and have ceased all in-person classes,” he said.
How myViewBoard Works
myViewBoard “enables teachers to conduct distance learning through an open and agnostic platform, facilitating learning outcomes wherever students happen to be,” according to the ViewSonic announcement.
The software platform “allows real-time collaboration through video conferencing, huddles and digital whiteboarding, and supports a variety of pedagogies with an emphasis on virtual classroom,” the announcement says.
“Through its inclusive features, myViewBoard helps create a virtual learning environment that is engaging, interactive, and effective,” says the ViewSonic announcement.
AVIXA senior director of market intelligence Sean Wargo cited distance learning as one of the areas that’s poised for the biggest opportunity for growth during and after the coronavirus outbreak across the U.S. and around the world.
Distance learning, says Wargo, is part of the umbrella category of collaboration and videoconferencing, along with telemedicine in the health care vertical market and more traditional video calls in the corporate vertical market.
The latter has become particularly common during the COVID-19 outbreak with so many offices closed and workers checking in with each other and their clients through some videoconferencing platform.
