The teacher shortage is a well-documented and challenging problem in Australia. In some states, the shortages are so severe that schools are struggling to find enough qualified teachers just to keep their doors open. Even prior to the teacher shortage, resourcing rural and remote schools with quality educators has always been a challenge.
This is a problem with many causes, but emerging technologies like ‘holoportation’ are now forming part of the solution.
What is holoportation?
It's an exciting new technology that allows users to beam in 3D holograms of people or objects from one location to another. When you think of a hologram you might be thinking of something out of a sci-fi movie that is a bit glitchy and probably pricey. However, new transparent screen technology allows remote students to have real-time lessons and conversations with 3D images of educators based in larger centres. This technology has the potential to revolutionise how we think about education delivery. Here's how it could help address the teacher shortage crisis.
Holoportation Could Help Scale Educators
One of the biggest challenges with the teacher shortage is that there are simply not enough educators to go around. School districts are spending millions of dollars just to recruit and retain teachers. Holoportation could help address this problem by allowing us to digitally send them where they're needed most, without them ever having to leave their home location or incurring travel costs and lost time.
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EQUITABLE ACCESS
For example, imagine being able to teleport high-quality STEM teachers into regional and remote schools at the push of a button. No complex or expensive travel itineraries, onsite inductions or travel allowances needed. This would make it easier for schools in rural areas to get the quality teachers they need without having to go through the hassle and expense of recruiting them from far away, proving remote students the same educational experience as their city-based counterparts.
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RELIEF TEACHING
Holoporting teachers could also help address situations where there is an immediate need for more teachers than are available locally. For example, if a school district experiences a surge in teacher illnesses, they could simply beam in some additional teachers from other locations that may be better resourced temporarily, until the illnesses subsides.
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ENABLE NEW EDUCATION MODELS
While holoporting teacher resources enables equitable access for remote students, it also provides a tool to streamline educator resources in within city schools. Top educators can provide simultaneous classes students at multiple locations via hologram. This approach provides much expanded access to specialist study programs that are otherwise available only to students able to attend academically selective schools or academies, and/or may be un-economical at many schools due to attracting only limited number of students per school.
Foster Deeper Connections
Another potential benefit of holoportation is that it could foster deeper connections between teachers and students no matter where they are located. Imagine being able to have class with your favourite teacher every day, even if they live in another part of the state. Or being able to have access to alumni to foster mentoring or other specialised services without needing them to travel - saving time and costs. As the educator is life-sized and three dimensional and ideally suited to classroom delivery, this technology is far more engaging than traditional video- conferencing which is more suited to students interacting with educators via their own devices.
As we continue to grapple with the teacher shortage crisis, holoportation could be a piece of the puzzle that helps us ensure all students have access to quality education no matter where they live.
Conclusion
The teacher shortage is a well-documented and challenging problem in Australia. Holoportation has the potential to revolutionise the way we educate our children by allowing us to scale our educators and maintain genuine connections with our students no matter where they are in the country. With its ability to beam in quality educators into regional and remote and learning centres at the push of a button, holoportation represents a major step forward in bridging the gap between city and rural schools.
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