Meeting Gen Z’s AV Expectations: How IFPs Are Evolving Hybrid Classrooms

IFP | September,19 2025 | Mohammad Hamzah

Today’s classrooms are not the same as they were a decade ago. The rise of technology, the shift toward online learning, and the new expectations of Gen Z students have changed the way teachers engage with learners. In India, this transformation has accelerated after the pandemic, as schools now prefer hybrid classrooms where learning happens both online and offline.

One key tool driving this change is the Interactive Flat Panel. These modern digital boards are replacing traditional blackboards and projectors, creating engaging, multimedia-rich classrooms that match the audio-visual (AV) expectations of Gen Z. Let’s explore how IFPs are shaping hybrid classrooms in India and helping teachers connect better with today’s learners.

Understanding Gen Z’s Learning Expectations

Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, grew up in a world of smartphones, YouTube, and Instagram. They don’t just prefer technology—they live with it daily. Their attention spans are short, but their curiosity is high. They love visuals, interactive content, and instant access to information.

When it comes to education, Gen Z expects:

Visual-rich learning instead of only reading from textbooks.
Interactive sessions instead of long lectures.
Technology-enabled classrooms that resemble the digital world they know.
Flexibility to learn both in class and online.
Collaborative tools where they can share ideas, not just listen.

Traditional teaching methods cannot meet these expectations. This is where IFPs step in as a game-changer.

What Are Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs)?

An Interactive Flat Panel is a large touchscreen display that functions like a mix of a computer, a smart TV, and a whiteboard. Teachers can use it to show videos, presentations, digital textbooks, and interactive apps. Students can write on it with digital pens, drag and drop images, or even connect their devices to share work.

In short, a digital board is:

A teaching tool that combines visuals, audio, and touch interaction.
A collaboration device that allows students and teachers to work together in real time.
A hybrid classroom enabler that connects offline and online students seamlessly.

Why Gen Z Loves Digitalboards in Classrooms

1. Visual Learning Made Simple

Gen Z learns better with videos, infographics, and animations. Interactive panels support high-definition visuals and clear audio, making lessons lively and easy to understand. For example, a biology teacher can show a 3D animation of the human heart, making the concept far more engaging than a chalkboard diagram.

2. Interactive Lessons

Students can come to the board, solve problems directly on the smartboard, or use gamified quizzes during lessons. This interactive approach keeps them alert and involved.

3. Blending Online and Offline Learning

With digital boards, teachers can conduct hybrid classes by connecting the panel to video conferencing platforms. Students attending from home see the same content as those in class. This ensures that no one feels left out.

4. Collaboration and Creativity

Gen Z students enjoy working in teams. Interactive flat panels allow multiple users to write or draw on the screen at the same time. This feature supports group projects, brainstorming sessions, and peer learning.

5. Familiar, User-Friendly Technology

Since smartboards work like large smartphones, students find them easy to use. Teachers can open apps, play YouTube videos, or browse content online directly on the screen.

How IFPs Are Evolving Hybrid Classrooms in India

1. Breaking the Boundaries of the Classroom

Hybrid classrooms allow learning to go beyond physical walls. With an interactive flat panel, schools can connect students across cities, villages, or even countries. A teacher in Delhi can teach a class where half the students are sitting in the school and the other half are attending from home in Jaipur or Kochi.

2. Making Learning Inclusive

In India, many schools face challenges like large class sizes and limited resources. Interactive panels help overcome these issues by supporting digital libraries, recorded lessons, and real-time collaboration. Even students with hearing or vision difficulties can benefit from subtitles, zoom features, or audio integration.

3. Supporting Regional Languages

Gen Z in India speaks many languages. Modern digital boards support regional language content, making lessons accessible in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, or Marathi. This ensures that technology benefits students across the country, not just in English-medium schools.

4. Preparing Students for Future Careers

Hybrid classrooms powered by digital boards don’t just teach school subjects. They also prepare students for digital careers. Gen Z students learn how to present, collaborate online, and use digital tools, skills essential in modern workplaces.

5. Reducing Teacher Burnout

Teachers often struggle to hold the attention of Gen Z students. Digital smartboards make teaching easier by integrating ready-made digital content, online tools, and recording options. Instead of repeating lessons, teachers can record them once and reuse them for hybrid learners.

Key Features of Modern Interactive Panels That Support Gen Z

4K Ultra HD Display for crystal-clear visuals.
Multi-touch support (up to 20 touch points) so many students can work at once.
Built-in educational apps for quizzes, puzzles, and simulations.
Wireless connectivity to share screens from laptops, tablets, or mobiles.
Video conferencing integration for hybrid learning.
Annotation tools for easy writing, highlighting, and brainstorming.
Cloud storage access so teachers and students can save and retrieve content.

The Indian Context: Why Interactive Panels Are Growing in Demand

In India, the demand for IFPs in schools has grown rapidly. Here are some reasons:

Government Push for Digital Classrooms: Initiatives like Digital India and NEP 2020 encourage schools to adopt smart technology.
Parents’ Expectations: Parents today want schools to provide modern infrastructure that matches global standards.
Affordability of Technology: Prices of IFPs are becoming more budget-friendly, making them accessible even to mid-tier schools.
Private EdTech Partnerships: Many Indian companies, like Studynlearn, are offering integrated IFPs with K–12 content, making it easier for schools to adopt.
Post-COVID Hybrid Learning Needs: Schools now understand the importance of being ready for both physical and online classes.

Future of Hybrid Classrooms with digital boards

The future of Indian classrooms is hybrid, and IFPs will play a central role in this journey. We can expect:

Smarter integration with AI: Digitalboards will suggest teaching content automatically.
Advanced analytics: Teachers will track student performance in real time.
Virtual reality integration: Students will explore subjects in 3D.
Greater accessibility: Smartboards will become more affordable, reaching rural schools.

For Gen Z, learning will not just be about memorizing—it will be about experiencing, interacting, and creating knowledge.

Conclusion

Gen Z students want classrooms that match their digital lifestyles. They expect visual content, interactivity, collaboration, and flexibility. Interactive Flat Panels are rising as the perfect solution to meet these AV expectations.

In India, digital smartboards are helping schools move toward hybrid classrooms that combine the best of online and offline learning. They are making lessons engaging, preparing students for digital futures, and supporting teachers in delivering quality education.

As more schools adopt this technology, India will move closer to its dream of digital, inclusive, and future-ready education. Meeting Gen Z’s expectations is not a challenge anymore; with interactive flat panels, it is an opportunity to transform learning for the next generation.

How Smartschool Education transformed teaching in schools?

Here is a snippet of how Smartschool Education’s Studynlearn Interactive flat panels have changed the teaching methodology of teachers and the learning methodology of students.

"Young minds, big ideas! Watch these 2nd-class students from Kodela Global High School beautifully explain the solar system and its planets on the Studynlearn Interactive Flat Panel. Learning made fun and engaging!"

SmartSchool Education is a prominent EdTech company providing a wide range of educational solutions, including interactive flat panels, all-in-one PCs, a learning app, studio setup services, K-12 digital content, and school books under the Studynlearn and SNL brands.

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