Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times: Asian Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact during COVID-19

ASIA BUSINESS COUNCIL HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 5 4 Lenovo (Mainland China) Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times As an example, in a school in Colorado, the esports program gave some students motivation to do well in school, because they had to meet certain academic requirements to be on the team, which in turn helped themmake friends and enhanced their social lives. Of course, not everyone will see video games as a relevant academic experience. But Lenovo is working to integrate esports with academics, taking steps such as introducing software that monitors the amount of time available for students to engage in esports, which in turn is determined by whether they have completed their schoolwork. Future Outlook In the aftermath of the pandemic, which has disrupted education for millions of students and teachers around the world, we may see the emergence of a reshaped educational system where geographical barriers will be less of an obstacle and technology will play a bigger role in facilitating learning processes and measuring learning outcomes. In the long run, Henderson sees potential for educational technologies to help construct a “more holistic view” of students’ education journeys that goes beyond standardized tests. Amidst the industry shift frommore formal testing to informal assessment, Lenovo can help teachers better gauge students’ study skills and social and emotional development. For example, Lenovo’s educational solutions can provide more checkpoints on students’ progress by allowing teachers to see not only whether their students handed in their homework but also how long they spent completing their homework, as well as whether and how students are interacting with other classmates. In the United States, Lenovo has partnered with classroom platform Exploros which provides a learning system based on social interaction. While students in a typical classroom setting may only have a few interactions during a 45-minute lesson, the Exploros software can generate interaction through polls and student input such that there are an average 17 interactions per student in the same timeframe. Students can also see what their peers have said and interact with them. This allows for more interaction by students compared to a traditional class where they simply listen to lectures. This has been a huge area of concern for educators,” Henderson said. They are asking, “‘How do I stay connected and keep students healthy both emotionally and socially?’” North America has led the surge in interest in esports during the pandemic, but the trend is also growing [around the world].