AWS Public Sector Blog

Category: K12

woman taking test on computer

Using the cloud to support remote proctoring and assessment

Around the world, exams are administered to help students and adults further their education and advance their careers. In the US, approximately eight million high school students took a single standardized college entrance exam in 2019. As the pandemic shifted life to virtual work and learning, it also interrupted high stakes exams typically administered in person. For years, EdTechs like ExamSoft, Sumadi (part of Laureate Education), and ProctorFree have been developing remote proctoring and digital assessment solutions using the cloud.

New Jersey school district turns to a VMware Cloud on AWS hybrid cloud solution to deliver learning continuity

As schools and other educational institutions turn to remote learning solutions, organizations are reconsidering traditional IT infrastructure, aligning digital solutions to current learning and teaching models, and gearing towards the industry’s new measure of success: student engagement. A hybrid approach allows schools and districts to deploy both on-site and in the cloud, allowing staff and students to take advantage of productivity and collaboration services, to provide business and learning continuity. For more than a decade, To support critical learning applications and infrastructure during natural disasters and other disruptions, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District chose to use VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC on AWS) to extend its on-premises VMware vSphere environment.

person working on laptop elearning with sleeping dog

Tips and tricks to gamify your class

Do you favor that points-earning credit card? Or stick with the same airline to rack up miles? These are examples of gamification in action. While the term is relatively new, gamification has been around as long as people have tried to make boring activities interesting. Humans have a natural desire to compete, be social, and gain rewards. Elearningindustry.com found that 67 percent of students feel gamified courses are more motivating than traditional ones. And with educators shifting to virtual or blended classrooms worldwide, it’s worth making the effort to create a gamified classroom. Here are four tips to mastering gamification in your classroom.

One on One reach

Meeting Caribbean learners’ needs with secure, resilient platform built on AWS

As a result of COVID-19, the Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEY) selected One on One as the country’s official virtual school to expand online learning across the country. One on One Educational Services (One on One), a Jamaica-based, an e-learning solutions provider operating across the Caribbean, meets learners’ needs with their secure, resilient learning management platform built on AWS. The platform helped 44,025 students complete their school curriculum, despite the pandemic’s classroom disruption. One on One for Classroom® reached a peak of 12,000 students in attendance on a single day and 235,520 students in attendance throughout the entire period.

AWS EdStart_Global Founders_Blog Graphic_Roybi and singsound

AI-powered speech recognition is creating interactive learning experiences for children and adults

AWS EdStart Members and founders Long Qin of Singsound and Elnaz Sarraf of ROYBI are using artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize early language learning. Long, based out of Beijing, China, is dedicated to providing accessible and quality English education to every family throughout China. Elnaz, based out of San Francisco, CA, United States, is dedicated to changing the one-size-fits-all approach of our global education system.

Hot AWS EdStart Startups: Virtually supporting marginalized learners using EdTech solutions

Quality, inclusive, and relevant education for all helps break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequalities worldwide. As education continues to shift to an online format, the potential for marginalized learners to fall behind is increasing due to the limited number of resources and tools available to help these students succeed. These four AWS EdStart companies from the United States, Brazil, China, and Europe are dedicated to equipping diverse students with tools that can aid them in their educational journey, no matter where they are learning.

AWS Educate new features

Now available: New no-cost cloud education resources for students and educators

With the global shift to remote learning during this year’s back-to-school season, the need for flexible and comprehensive learning tools is more important than ever. To help, AWS Educate introduced new features including the Cloud Builder Badge for students and no-cost learning content and professional development for educators.

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Mission: Getting back to school

Due to COVID-19, schools quickly shifted to remote education to meet students’ needs and wrap up the school year. But with a new school year upon us and social distancing measures still in place, many classes will not gather in traditional classroom settings. Millions of students are now learning in their homes. And public sector leaders are creating new models to ensure learning is sustainable and accessible to all. These changes certainly carry their own set of challenges, but they also open new possibilities for the coming school year. Check out examples of how the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred important solutions to existing problems from primary school to higher education, and how the cloud has opened up new possibilities for educators and students as they start the new school year.

boy in classroom; Photo by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash

Pearson delivers “anywhere, anytime” learning opportunities for students around the world with the cloud

Pearson delivers anywhere, anytime digital course material and learning opportunities for students globally using AWS. As a global company, Pearson turned to the cloud to deliver content globally, build agile, accessible solutions, and to power its digital transformation. With Revel and Pearson eText, Pearson provides flexible, digital learning solutions for students and instructors, including digitized textbooks with interactive, multimedia content, and assessment features. Building on AWS has helped Pearson to iterate quickly, innovate on behalf of students and educators, scale on demand, and reach learners globally.