Studies have repeatedly shown that there are seven facial expressions that are actually universal throughout the human race. These include 

anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise

With this type of expressions hard-wired into our sub-conscious self, it’s no surprise that we use nonverbal communication so much to accentuate our true feelings. In fact, it has been estimated that 

as much as 80 percent of communication is about what is not being said.

 Rather, it’s based on perceptions of a person’s gestures, eye contact, clothing, and environment. This makes interactive large format screens a must-have tool for virtual video communication, where each cue given off can easily be interpreted in real-time.

Being tuned into someone’s nonverbal communication cues can help you determine what is truly being said beyond just the words being spoken. 

Sometimes a person may be agreeing with you out loud, while clues, such as avoiding eye contact or fidgeting, tell that perhaps they are not being completely honest with their words.

 That means that noticing when a person’s nonverbal and verbal communication match will help determine that they are on board with your idea.

This understanding of body language can also be instrumental in helping others accept your point of view. Using techniques such as “

” help put others at ease. This technique involves subtly mimicking the other person’s gestures, body language, and even speech patterns. Mirroring happens naturally when people communicate, but strategic use of the method can help make others more comfortable in a tense situation. When using this technique, it is important that the person not feel they are being teased, which means that the mirroring should not be exact.

In addition to those things mentioned above, there are literally hundreds of nonverbal cues that can be used to ascertain what someone else is communicating. For example:

: frowns, pursed lips, glaring, squinting, clenching fists, red face, shaking a finger, sudden movements.

: holding still while listening, leaning forward, gazing, ignoring distractions, nodding slowly, paraphrasing what’s been said.

: looking around, drumming fingers, yawning, slouching, finding other things to do, looking at the clock repeatedly.

: forced smiles (eyes aren’t smiling when the mouth is), sweating, sudden movements, twitching, seems distracted, fidgeting.

: covering vital organs, lowering chin, crossing arms, using a physical barrier, making oneself small, tensing up, glancing around.

: steady breathing, lowered voice, arms hang to sides, using hands when talking, smooth gestures, smiling, even speed and pitch in speaking, little blinking, unwrinkled forehead.

Large-format interactive displays enable you read non-verbal cues your team are not even aware they are giving off. You have 3 minutes to grab their attention and radical interactive technology tools to hold it – crystal clear picture; rich, steady audio; annotation tools; multi-media sharing options for presentations, video clips and instant feedback or engagement from your audience.

Work from anywhere and hybrid work schedules will be the new mantra as economies re-open. Just as organizations have begun settling into work-from-home arrangements as their ‘new normal,’ there is going to be a ‘next normal’ emerging quickly on the horizon — 

one that makes returning to work-from-everywhere scenarios possible

. Being able to decode nonverbal cues will come in handy when communicating with staff members and other stakeholders.

Professionals, such as knowledge workers (educators, bankers, architects, as well as front-line workers in healthcare, retail and customer support contact centers) need to learn to deliver high-touch services from locations outside traditional physical settings, and with this comes the need to master the act of body cue-reading.

So, the upcoming meeting with your partners, managers or financiers? Key into the pointers listed above– pitch the idea, receive non-verbal feedback, decode and plan a counter as you discover what piques their interest.

To take learning, business interaction, ideation and team collaboration to the next level using the best of interactive technology available, let us take a look at what you presently use, assess your needs and recommend what would best suit your home office or establishment to enhance productivity, ensure a sustained profitable business and expansion

Close that business deal, cue in with interactive display (Pt. 2)

Nonverbal communication can be more powerful, even more accurate, than what people say with words. Human beings don’t communicate with ‘just words’ – we use body language and tone. The right understanding of the cues can turn a rather protracted business negotiation into an instant deal.

Get to close that big contract, open a new sales market, negotiate good credit terms, or enter into a rewarding partnership by rightly decoding cues on the spot through the use of interactive display panels

 This is where business ideas are formulated, refined, or repurposed to keep the concept of going concern afloat, maintain profitability, or access the immediate environment for new business opportunities. A pro-active business will always place premium on ideation to stay ahead of competitors and increase market share. You would want to keep the channels of ideas flowing.

 There are a lot of business projects (internal or external), that concurrently may be running which needs the input of different units or departments in order to meet timelines. A meeting of this type might have reporting from different unit heads, stating the progress and collaborations from other units

 Business Partners are a critical live wire of the business enterprise. They might be business associates, suppliers, technical partners, financial partners/ Investors, or market collaborators. While businesses have been negatively affected by COVID-19, majority of companies who were proactive by continuing business collaboration online, were able to see revenue growth between 34-68% especially in eCommerce, technology, logistics etc.

 how does a business get the best out of its virtual and remote meetings with both staff and partners having adopted an interactive solution?

, it lies in understanding cues from non-verbal communication!

Get to see through interactive telepresence on a large screen what your team members body reaction is saying about a particular project, idea, product etc. Also, get to gauge first-hand the reactions of your business partners live on video before they utter a word. This gives you a good idea of what to pitch, and what idea resonates with them, thereby saving precious time and getting a deal done rather than the often time empty words, ‘’We’ll get back to you’’

Experts in interpersonal communication have estimated that nonverbal communication constitutes 

approximately 80 percent of what is involved in communication: 35 percent vocal (tone of voice) and 45 percent facial expression and posture (body mannerisms)

 That leaves the impact of the words we use at only about 20 percent.

The most obvious forms of nonverbal communication are body language and gestures, physical appearance, touching, and even design choices can be used to deduce a number of things about a person.

Nonverbal cues for business meetings/video conferencing

The best area of the face to focus on while speaking to another person is their nose. By concentrating on the nose – if looking into the person’s eyes is too intimate – it appears that we are concentrating only on that person.

Eye contact is an important component of nonverbal communication. If someone is interested in what is being said, he or she will engage in more eye contact with the speaker. Too much eye contact, however, signals that the listener is somewhat aggressive or distrustful. It is possible to determine that someone is bored if they are looking directly at the person speaking, but that the eyes are a little unfocused. This may be accompanied by a tilt of the head and fiddling with the hands. Facial expressions convey a lot about what a person is thinking. While we can control our facial expressions to some degree, there are many times when they just naturally occur.

People who cross their arms over the chest are often keeping something to themselves, or they may even be protecting themselves from something. Of course, this has to be related to the situation. If the people speaking are very comfortable with one another, the crossed arms could signify that one person is thinking very deeply about what is being said.

In addition to body language, we are able to pick up cues about others through their style and other physical characteristics, such as clothing, hairstyle, home decor, etc. Also, legs crossing and uncrossing, or heels or toes tapping are all negative clues, perhaps that one is nervous, anxious or ready to leave. Never look at your watch or refer to it, it is a definite signal that you have stopped communicating.

Our eye movements are important giveaways to what is going on in our mind. For example, lack of eye contact or frequent glances to one side or the other indicate serious disagreement or disinterest. Our eyes give us away…

Close that business deal, cue in with interactive display (Pt. 1)

As they welcome their administrators, teachers and learners back this September, School owners have a lot on their minds, and most importantly, they have a defining decision to make.

How do they create a safe space for all, and convince their key stakeholders- parents, that their wards are safe? As expected, the school resumption protocols have introduced some unforeseen challenges. Without the time or resources to scale infrastructure, how do they provide inclusive learning? The new learning style is an interesting distraction for learners – how do they increase engagement which in turn should improve test scores? In simple terms, how do they differentiate their school to drive enrollment which will help ease the strain of limited revenue already experienced for half this school year?

Here are 5 reasons why the WOWBudd is the Best EdTech solution for School owners to invest on this session

 Schools are in the middle of a major technology change. They can be progressive with interactive flat panel displays or remain safe with projector-based solutions. It would help if we remember that, projector-based solutions are dead. They cost more than the value they deliver – dedicated headcount to manage, rapid change of consumers with rapid loss of picture quality leading to lower classroom engagement, with shorter lifecycles and more. The Wowbudd, on the other hand, is an all-in-one device with ruggedized 4k picture quality, 20-point touch and updated immersive content that dramatically impacts how learners respond. At first glance, it seems expensive; but in succeeding years, you make significant savings in products, changing consumables and man-hours. Guaranteed. The Wowbudd offers a minimum of 30,000 hours and comes with 3-year warranty.

Effectively Observe Social Distancing Protocols

: Your 30-seat class just went down to 15! Neither educators nor infrastructure doubled. So, what now? You either build new classroom blocks, hire, train have new teachers primed to teach in 24 hours or get creative supporting your existing learners. Your technology must deliver blended learning options in-class or remote so no matter what happens, learning never stops. Hybrid learning options are a more popular post-pandemic option for obvious reasons. This is an interesting way to derive a new business stream. With the right technology, the quality of teaching improves and schools can scale without adding physical infrastructure.

 Education is evolving to nurture students to be more connected with their lives, focused in class and equipped for their future. Schools are incorporating emerging technologies in the classroom to create innovative and engaging teaching methods. The Wowbudd is the bridge between the old and the new – it holds the classroom in its current form yet delivers immersive applications that give learners new ways to experience learning; providing teachers with lesson-enhancing tools that create immersive learning ecosystems. This all-in-one platform for lesson presentation, communication, and collaboration in the classroom is the single replacement for the whiteboard, flipchart, projector, and PC. Layered with applications offering world-class content for classroom engagement and collaboration. With the Wowbudd, the teacher’s lesson preparation and execution are easier with hitch-free delivery.

 Stakeholders of post-pandemic schools seek learning spaces that will provide an internationally competitive platform for their wards. The pandemic showed the capacity schools and parents are exploring a myriad of options where security is paramount, followed by excellence. School owners have the opportunity to help their school stand out from the pack and increase enrolment. Leveraging newer teaching methods increase engagement and test scores; the technology offers the flexibility of virtual or in-class learning with real time feedback.

Wowbii seeks to create BUDDZones™ to drive immersive, interactive learning in all schools because, according to leading education research bodies, interactive learning is 6 times more effective than just watching videos. 

A BUDDZone™ is a learning area offering educational itinerary designed to enable educators and learners use technology resources to drive learning.

To drive interactive learning spaces, Wowbii is offering 

 to educational institutions looking to adopt education technology at scale.

Wowbii Interactive is Africa’s foremost manufacturer of interactive flat panel displays. With solutions for Corporates and Education, Wowbii is set to support education technology adoption that will leapfrog schools into 21st century learning spaces.

5 reasons why the WOWBUDD is the most important school investment this season

Most people dislike disruption. Given a choice, the inconvenience of suddenly changing the age-long way of doing things, whether it is in teaching, learning, using new technology or any other human endeavor is readily avoided. This is particularly true for teachers in the African continent.

Before the recent proliferation of education technology in Africa, the use of classroom technology had been sparing. In Nigeria for instance, the most technology you could find in classrooms 10 or 15 years ago were occasional Game-boy consoles sneaked in by the most daring students; to which the rest of the class whispered, huddled together and took turns to play at the slightest opportunity. Occasional desktop computers were objects kept in computer labs to be revered and touched strictly under supervision once a week.

The last three or four years have seen an upsurge in the amount of technology flooding classrooms in Africa. From laptops and tablets to Interactive whiteboards and Interactive touchscreens, teachers have increasingly been required to use technology to enhance learning. The present challenge for these teachers, however, lay in adopting these technologies as tools important for 21st-century learning.

A chat with most teachers required to use interactive technology reveals an apprehension, maybe even a lackluster attitude towards tech use. Issues of class management and control, ease of use and seamless integration with lesson plans are recurrent. For these teachers, -most of them veterans in the field of learning- technology has come to disrupt. To them technology will disrupt lesson flow, much like a sudden power outage will interrupt your favourite show, pulling an “oh NEPA!”(a common exclamation in response to a power outage in Nigerian parlance), suddenly bringing darkness and confusion to an otherwise preplanned, anticipated, easy and relaxed learning environment.

Interactive classroom technology comes with the promise of facilitating the development of 21st-century skills of communication, collaboration, critical analysis, and creativity, bringing together an array of software and online learning tools to enhance learning from anywhere.

On the one hand, Interactive touchscreen technology is state-of-the-art classroom technology, reaching beyond the hype to gradually fulfill the promise of transforming learning in Africa. On the other hand are teachers -veterans in their field, skilled and successful in teaching African students with the age-long curricular; having an apprehension and expressing uncertainty toward the outcome of wholly adopting technology in African classrooms.

For classroom technology to reach their potential of transforming learning and for teachers to actively direct the course of said transformation, there should be seamless integration between classroom technology and the teaching process in Africa, bringing together the best of both worlds.

Below are a few tips to encourage seamless integration.

Teachers should view classroom technology primarily as tools, with the accompanying entertainment modules extra advantage. Viewed as tools, teachers will approach classroom technology with the open mind a farmer who has used any farming tool will give innovation in farming (learning to use such tools without bias or fear of losing respect or relevance). Familiarity with such tools will help teachers control tech use in classrooms, thereby eliminating the issue of classroom management.

Much like tractors, harvesters, sprayers, and diggers are tools and equipment that enhance farming, classroom technology is here to make teaching easier; helping teachers cover areas and aspects of teaching not exactly possible within the usually allocated lesson time without breaking a sweat.

Take ownership of determining the type of technology suited to your classrooms

With various types of classroom technology available for use, teachers should own the process of determining and recommending technology suited to their style of teaching. This implies that teachers should be actively involved in technology research, looking out for innovation in technology that will improve their teaching style.

A good point to note is that Interactive classroom technology made for the African learning environment, when considered ahead of those suited for environments foreign to Africa will be most optimal for such a Use Case.

Understand that humans keep innovating towards a higher self

Learning, like every human endeavor, will keep evolving. Hence technology to enhance new ways of learning will keep coming to light. Refusing to leverage such technology will allude to starting fires with stones in the age of gas lighters and match sticks.

Teachers should also remember that refusing to innovate will mean struggling and sweating to get the simplest tasks done. There is also the disadvantage of losing the attention of students who are digital natives in the present world of ubiquitous collaboration technology.

Give preference to classroom technology providers that offer ready support

Just like learning to ride a bike, you will fall and need support. Recognize that introducing a new process -that includes any new technology- might involve failing at first instance. This is a major part of the learning process. In order to absorb most of the shock resulting from failing at first instance, access to support is key.

To enhance seamless integration with your learning environment, classroom technology should be purchased from manufacturers that offer ready support on products. Software licenses may expire and need reactivation, devices may fail, among many other incidents that may require the technology manufacturer’s attention. Readily available support will keep an interest in technology high and make the experience with classroom technology seamless.

The presence of Web 2.0 and the proliferation of hand-held devices have ushered in tech-savvy learners. These students use technology to communicate, for entertainment, to learn, indeed for almost everything. As a result, the dynamics of learning have changed, transforming from a more 'instruction-based-knowledge-transfer', to a more 'buddy-type-guidance-collaboration'. This is as true in Africa as it is in the Western world. Teachers, sensing the role of technology in transforming learning should find ways of embracing such technology in order to optimize teaching and the general field of learning. The veteran teacher should accept the responsibility of driving and charting the course of this new learning, finding ways to propel the 'education ship'in Africa with the help of the tide. As a teacher, properly defining your Education Technology (EDTech) need is the first step in this process.

Driving new learning: Dear Teachers, Technology is your tool

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We are vested in redefining the way businesses in Africa leverage unified communication solutions to drive growth in the 21st Century.

One Indigenous Brand. Many African countries.

It supports operations in both the education and business space. The WOWBUDD™ is built specifically for local companies and institutions in mind and the rest of the African continent.

WOWBUDD™ - The 21st interactive flat panel you need.

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Innovation remains the driving force in the post-pandemic workspace.

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