A Proposal for Video Application System That Reproduces In-Person Class in Distance Learning Environment

Abstract

: Due to the spread of COVID-19, many universities have been forced to manage distance learning. Most of the universities are using video calling applications to create an environment similar to in-person classes. However, there is a clear difference from actual in-person classes. Both teachers and students feel the difficulty of providing/taking the course. This can lead to a loss of motivation in the classes. This is specifically due to the fact that distance learning is not able to equip a ‘sense of reality’ for both teachers and students. Unlike in-person classes, distance learning is not realistic, and the faces of the participants are only displayed on a flat screen on the online screen. Therefore, we considered that the existing video call applications used as environments for distance learning cannot provide classes with realistic experiences. For students, unlike in-person classes, the teacher is not actually standing and teaching on the podium in front of them, in the remote class. The class is free from the style of in-person classes, and students can take classes at home or in any other environment of each their own choice. Since there are no physical existence of teachers or other students around, it is possible for students to take the class while doing something irrelevant to the class. In this study, we propose a video utilization system that can improve this problem and provide a sense of reality similar to that of in-person classes in a distance education environment. The proposed system can work as a realistic tool for both students and teachers in remote classes.