The sudden and widespread closures of schools and universities nationwide gave most educators mere days to figure out how to utilize technology for virtual school.
That led to an awful lot of frustration for many users since most virtual tools were not designed to be so widely utilized by the general public, as Tech Stuff host Jonathan Strickland notes.
"In some cases, the tools might have a steep learning curve, or they might not be packaged together, leaving educators, guardians and parents to jerry rig a set of assets to try and meet the educational needs of students," he says.
To address these issues, IBM is reevaluating a myriad of aspects of its technology, focusing on making its applications more available and more accessible.
For the purposes of optimizing class time and learning, IBM's Kristin Wisnewski, VP of CIO Design, says the company is re-evaluated the design of its platforms to make them more friendly to the new average user, which now includes seemingly all levels of computer competency.
"It was certainly not seamless," Wisnewski says. "We've had some trial and error ways to go about things, and we've introduced new remote forms of staying engaged and connected."
Vice President of Education Grace Suh points out that schools serve a number of purposes beyond the capacity of rote video conferencing, screen sharing and file transferring software and hardware.
"Schools are such the centerpieces of our communities," Suh said. "They provide so much. So for many schools, they're also looking for ways to provide food for young people who rely on their schools for food. They're also thinking about other social services as well. So they're really running the gamut of many, many different kinds of services that they've got to figure out for children."
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IBM is making its technology available in the fight against COVID-19. The company is working closely with scientists, doctors, leaders, and experts to fight COVID-19 in many ways, all while leveraging its impressive technology.
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