One of the few businesses benefiting from COVID-19 is teleconferencing.
The Zoom platform will now be used for kindergarten to Grade 12 learning in B.C., as the Ministry of Education has secured the licensing and funding to use the application in its public and independent schools across the province.
Teachers will have access to the video-conferencing tool to instruct students remotely while in-class learning is suspended.
"Continued learning will vary for each school, depending on the needs of students – some options include online learning tools and/or resource packages or assignments emailed or mailed from teachers to parents," the ministry says in a news release.
"For educators who choose to offer online learning, Zoom gives them a common, consistent platform to communicate and share lessons with their students."
To ensure the privacy and safety of the students and educators, the licensing deal follows B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
School tech administrators will control the permissions of sites, and will disable features that are deemed unnecessary or inappropriate.
"Students will be given a unique website address, so they can access their virtual classroom without needing an individual account," says the ministry.
"The Zoom server will be based in Canada, with added encryption so it is a safe platform to learn on."
Since some students may find some difficulties working online, schools have been directed to find alternatives that could fit each student's needs.
Some districts may also lend computer equipment to students to help them work from home.
