Episode description

Technology should be a supportive player in the world of education, with the teacher at the center. When deployed effectively and properly, it can enable educators to engage and connect. Discussing this concept and more, Voices of eLearning host JW Marshall spoke with Wei Oania, Global Education General Manager with the Intel Internet of Things (IoT) Group. Wei leads a team that focuses on IoT needs for learning, working in concert with other groups that focus on connectivity and devices.

“The IoT group offers direct support to make learning better. The goal is for it to be the best collaborator, not a distraction,” Oania said.

Oania has personal experience to bring to her work as a mother of three. She also has a global view, working with China, other Asian countries, and the U.S. There are differences. “About 95% of Chinese schools have digital boards for K-12. Connectivity is widely deployed, and the infrastructure exists,” she noted.

Whereas, Oania said U.S. schools are behind, only now mass adopting tech. Oania and her colleagues have conversations directly with educators to understand their struggles and develop roadmaps for engagement, collaboration, managing digital footprints, and adapting learning.

“These were problems teachers faced before the pandemic. It just shined a brighter light on it. We strive to enhance education and the educators with technology,” Oania shared.

Intel’s goals in the education space are to train and empower teachers and ensure smart learning can be applied to every student. “We want to provide simple solutions and also use data to eliminate repetitive tasks so they can focus on what they want to teach and engaging students.”