Innovative tech in class

Before returning to school, students across the country had to learn from home amid the outbreak of COVID-19. Ding Talk, QQ, Zoom and others have been the supporting platforms for online courses.
受新冠肺炎疫情影响，全国各地的学生返校前都在居家学习。钉钉、QQ、Zoom等软件都成了网课的支持平台。

But while we’re slowly returning to everyday life, our fast adoption of online resources for teaching has proven that the reality of the cloud classroom might not be far away.
尽管我们正逐渐回归正常生活，但在线教育资源的迅速应用证明，云课堂的现实或许离我们并不遥远。

The idea of the cloud classroom, or cloud learning, is that all the required resources for a class are stored and can be accessed via the cloud from anywhere in the world. It will also allow learners to communicate and collaborate on projects in real-time and give educators the chance to integrate more tech-based class activities.
云课堂或者云学习的概念指的是一堂课所需的所有资源都存储在云端，能在世界上的任何地方进行访问。这也能让学习者在项目上进行实时的沟通与合作，并让教育者有机会加入更高科技的课堂活动。

In an episode of the US animated sitcom The Simpsons, Lisa, the middle child of the Simpson family, imagines herself learning about Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol empire, using a virtual reality (VR) helmet and an AI (artificial intelligence) assistant in the form of Khan, which guides her through her history lesson. While the episode first aired in 1993, this glimpse into the future still holds with the modern-day aspirations of the cloud classroom. With the coming of 5G, cloud computing will unlock a range of exciting technologies in the education field.
在美国动画情景喜剧《辛普森一家》的一集中，辛普森一家中的老二丽莎幻想自己使用一款虚拟现实头盔学习蒙古国大汗成吉思汗的相关知识，还有一位可汗形象的人工智能助手指导她的历史课。虽然这一集早在1993年首播，但这对于未来的一瞥依然与现今人们云课堂的渴望一致。随着5G技术的到来，云计算将在教育领域解锁一系列激动人心的科学技术。

Among the best-known technologies is VR. “VR classrooms give students opportunities to raise their hands, ask questions in an organic way,” stated game developer Chance Glasco.
其中最著名的技术便是虚拟现实。“虚拟现实课堂为学生们提供了一个举手提问的天然方式，”游戏开发人员钱斯·格拉斯科如此表示。

According to Forbes, extended reality including virtual, increased, and mixed reality brings immersive learning experiences to students no matter where they are.
《福布斯》杂志认为，包括虚拟、增强、混合现实在内的扩展现实技术的确能为学生们带来沉浸式的学习体验，不论他们身处何处。

Another innovation is the engagement of chatbots. This is the AI technology that allows virtual assistants, including Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, to respond to our requests. Chatbots can be used as a tool to answer questions and deliver focused lectures according to the learner’s needs.
另一个创新之处便是聊天机器人的参与。这一人工智能技术令虚拟助手，如亚马逊的Alexa，苹果的Siri等，能够回应我们的请求。聊天机器人能够作为回答问题的工具，或者根据学习者的需求提供目标明确的授课。

According to AI product developer Bernhard Schindlholzer, VR and AI use can allow for “flipped learning”, the idea that learning is done independently, and homework and problem-solving activities are done in class. “[With cloud computing] students are challenged to apply their knowledge to real-world problems … the traditional mode of transferring knowledge and then examining will be a thing of the past,” he stated.
人工智能产品开发人员伯恩哈德·辛德霍尔泽认为，虚拟现实与人工智能技术能够实现“翻转式学习”，这一概念指的是自己独立完成学习，而在课堂上完成作业以及解决问题的活动。“在云计算技术下，学生们面临着在现实问题中应用自身知识的挑战……传授和学习知识然后进行考试的传统模式将会成为过去式，”他说道。

So what do you think of this new cloud classroom teaching model? Do you think you’ll get more out of learning with AI and VR?
那么，你怎么看待这种全新的云课堂教学模式？你觉得自己会在人工智能与虚拟现实的帮助下收获更多知识吗？

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二799期