Demand for high-quality, distance learning is on the rise, but many classrooms continue to rely on general video conferencing products. While functional, these solutions lack something fundamental: engagement and robust collaboration. Barco’s weConnect Virtual Classroom is built specifically for successful and flexible teaching, designed for on-site faculty to teach entirely remote students through synchronous sessions. In addition to providing an improved experience for instructors, it enables high levels of engagement and interactivity in an inclusive way. Below are just some of the benefits for both students and instructors through the use of the Virtual Classroom.
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Every remote student gets a life-sized spot on the wall of screens in the room from which they can be seen and heard throughout the entirety of the session, giving instructors an unparalleled view of their audience.
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When a student speaks, the instructor hears the direction from which the student is speaking on the tile board, which mimics the effect of being in an actual classroom.
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weConnect enhances natural facilitation skills; within the Virtual Classroom instructors they can teach just like they are accustomed to doing used to in person.
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For remote participants, audio and video areis captured from multiple points in the classroom and displayed via content streams in the platform. Students enjoy 360 degree views of the classroom.
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Collaboration comes naturally through enhanced features like breakout rooms, quizzes and polls, collaborative whiteboards, multiple chat streams, hand-raising, screen-sharing, and multiple content streams.
The Virtual Classroom is currently being used at Harvard’s School of Business and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, both of which have been recognized for their innovative approaches to higher education. The Virtual Classroom built for Online @ BSE (located on the second floor of Berkeley Way West) is the first deployed for a School of Education.