Project Chimera: a Live Virtual Classroom Mixing Face to Face and Distance Learning

Combining Virtual and Face-to-Face Learning is the Ultimate ‘Blended Learning'

Imagine teaching in a face to face classroom that includes a few monitors that display students connected remotely, displayed as virtual avatars that you could interact with as if they were pretty much there with you? These students can see their fellow students (those with you and those at a distance), can hear you and see any content you share or project, and can talk to you or each other in real time.

I've thought about this hybrid approach often, assuming we would be able to do it soon. This is a significant step in terms of making a live, interactive learning experience far more independent of where a student is located than today's classrooms are. At the same time it recognizes and supports the fact that many students will still prefer working with a live teacher present.

The folks at Number 9 LLC, a Glimpse Group company, have made this possible. They offer a virtual reality experience that combines the live classroom with the virtual one, in real time.

This video gives a sense of how it works:

I am hoping to have Jimmy Giliberti, one of the creators of this technology, come to our school soon and demonstrate this amazing technology for us. Giliberti is the General Manager of Number 9 and we had a great conversation about their work and Project Chimera. I'm excited to experience it and think about the possibilities, and share more specific about the equipment and software and how it works here on the blog. More to follow soon…