The world of education is changing faster than ever before. It's outgrown four walls and a blackboard, and, to keep up, educators need to equip themselves to face the challenges.
Educators manage faculty, encourage students, and track progress. They also deal with administrative tasks, busy schedules, and approvals. This can put them in a tough spot. With online learning on the rise and more demands on teachers, the right tools are essential. That's where Zoho Workplace comes in.
More than just a collection of apps, it’s an integrated solution designed to help schools and colleges run smoothly. In this blog post, we'll dive into the significant challenges in the education industry and how Zoho Workplace can empower your educational institution.
Five significant challenges in the education industry
Every educational institution wrestles with these five major challenges:
- Lack of transparency
- Difficulties in tracking progress
- Quality control
- Ease of administration
- Gaps in immersive learning
1. "Did anyone get that announcement?"
Keeping faculty, students, and parents updated is tough. Key updates, such as exam schedules, policy changes, and event announcements, have to be sent out via emails, messaging apps, and printed notices. Teachers get frustrated by the same questions, students miss deadlines, and parents often learn about important events too late.
A lack of centralized, transparent communication is a serious disadvantage. Educational institutions need a system that ensures the right people get the right information when they need it.
2. "Tracking assignments shouldn’t be this hard."
With growing student numbers, tracking progress is becoming a challenge. Teachers spend hours collecting assignments, tracking submissions, and giving feedback. Missing assignments, lost files, and uneven evaluations are common roadblocks.
3. "Is this assignment original?"
Teachers are noticing an increase in identical assignments, overly polished essays, and answers that don’t reflect a student's actual capabilities.
With the advent of AI, AI-generated content and online resources have become more accessible. Students can generate essays in minutes—bypassing the learning process altogether. Educational institutions need tools to spot plagiarism and help students learn better.
4. "Admin work is eating up our time."
School-level policy changes require approvals from multiple department heads. Assignments and projects sometimes require reviews by multiple teachers, so teachers and students often find themselves running around for approvals and reviews.
Complex governance tools don’t make things any easier. Instead, they create more hoops to jump through. The time spent chasing approvals and figuring out who to contact could be used for actual teaching and learning.
Educational institutions need automatic approvals and quick reviews. They need to focus on education for teachers and students above all else—all this without requiring a dedicated admin team (or a PhD in IT) to manage it.
5. "Online learning needs to be more engaging and immersive."
A video call and a slideshow—is that all there is to online learning? Many teachers notice students zoning out, barely responding, or logging in just to look present.
The problem isn’t just remote learning—it’s the lack of engagement. Students find it hard to grasp concepts without interactive elements or hands-on activities, just like in a physical classroom.
Academic establishments need tools that promote active learning, encourage participation, make lessons interactive, and let students engage in real time.
How does Zoho Workplace empower your educational institution?
Educational institutions don’t need more red tape or complexity—they need solutions that work. Teachers should teach, students should learn, and no one should waste time chasing approvals or struggling with disengaged online classes.
Zoho Workplace makes that possible. Here’s how:
1. Organize all teaching materials at one place
A single, organized repository saves teachers hours of searching. With Zoho Workplace’s centralized file management, educational institutions can keep lesson plans, worksheets, and reference materials neatly structured—sorted by subject, grade, and class.
Teachers can find and share materials in seconds. Substitute teachers step in without disruption. When needed, students are given access to specific resources, ensuring they have what they need.
2. Ensure transparency with an institution-wide calendar
Keeping everyone informed isn’t always easy. A shared institution-wide calendar ensures that exams, events, and deadlines are clearly visible to faculty and students. All stakeholders can plan with this shared calendar.
3. Collect assignments and track progress
Managing student submissions—whether test papers, project reports, or research assignments—shouldn’t be a big part of the day. With Zoho Workplace's Collect Files feature, students, even those outside the network, can submit their work effortlessly.
Submissions are automatically categorized and stored securely in the cloud. Teachers can set deadlines and end dates, ensuring timely submissions and allowing them to track individual progress. This saves time and helps students stay on course.
4. Get approvals without follow-ups
Some decisions need more than one green light. Approvals and reviews should be simple, whether it's finalizing a school policy or getting feedback on an assignment. Zoho Workplace’s approval and review workflows help documents flow easily from one reviewer to the next. Faculty can add comments directly in documents, keeping everything in one place.
5. Encourage original thinking in students
With so much information available online, it’s easy for students to rely on existing content. Zoho Workplace's plagiarism checker helps teachers encourage original thinking. It shows how much content is plagiarized and identifies similar content on existing webpages.
The goal isn’t just to find copied content—it’s to help students build their own ideas and write with confidence. Instead of relying on quick fixes, students learn to think critically and develop their own voice.
6. Set up your institution with professional email addresses
An email address might seem like a small detail, but it can make a big difference. There’s a time and place for skaterboiXtreme13@geemaile.com, but school emails aren’t it.
Every student and staff member receives a professional email address via Zoho Workplace. It keeps communication clear, helps students present themselves professionally, and is useful for internships.
7. Share announcements where everyone can see them
Sending important updates through emails may lead to missed information. An institution-wide intranet solution keeps students and staff updated in real time. This includes schedule changes, upcoming events, and important school decisions. Polls and forums encourage open, clear communication.
8. Make online classes more engaging with Whiteboards
Virtual lessons can feel disconnected, but they don’t have to. With Zoho Workplace's Whiteboard, teachers can illustrate concepts, draw diagrams, and jot down key points in real time. Everything stays interactive, and students can download the whiteboard notes later for reference.
9. Encourage participation—even in remote learning
Online classes work best when students actively engage. With Zoho Workplace's presentation tool, teachers can broadcast slides online. This lets students comment, ask questions, and discuss ideas in real time. It’s not just another lecture—it’s a space for meaningful conversations.
10. Keep passwords secure
Schools and universities may use many digital platforms, so shared passwords can pose a security risk. With Zoho Workplace's password manager, faculty and staff can keep and share passwords safely. This way, only the right people can access them. If a staff member leaves, access can be revoked immediately, keeping everything secure.
Empower your institution with Zoho Workplace
Education is more than just classes and exams—it’s about creating a space where students can grow and everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
The right tools can improve communication and make learning more engaging. Zoho Workplace helps educational institutions stay organized, connected, and focused on what truly matters. Ready to see how your institution can benefit? Explore Zoho Workplace today!
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