ACADEMICS
Though this School Model is highly innovative, the material being taught is dictated by the local school district and state standards. Courses have a set of objectives, Lessons to cover, and homework exercises to be completed. They take place during school designated time slots, with a set duration.
Curriculum is accredited by a recognized institution to ensure mainstream appeal.
The curriculum is designed as Mastery/Competency based.
Courses, Classes and Lessons follow the School District curriculum.
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
See how Students experience immersive, personalized learning in VR.
TEACHING PRINCIPLES
LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY
Lessons are customized within a VR environment, augmented through AI and on demand content, and adapted for cognitive and affective variables through an array of biometric sensors. This School takes special consideration on how a Students’ emotional state may affect their learning outcomes for the short and long term.
Greater emphasis is placed on the nurturing of the learning relationship between Students and Teachers, than on the technical details of the learning material, in order to favor positive associations with the subject matter, and to foster self motivation and interest over the long term.
NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS
REDESIGNING EXAMS AND GRADES
The traditional model of Teachers administering exams and grading Students is replaced with one in which Teacher and Student constitute a “Team” whose performance is assessed by the system, and then awarded “Merits”. This way, “the Team” is unified in its goal to do its best against an external challenge, under a Gamified Assessment Process.
MANAGED USE OF VR HEADSET
Although learning is done through VR, the management of all logistical matters from Stakeholders is done on a regular screen, without the need to wear a VR headset. The VR headset is only needed by Students for learning (and playing). Teachers have the option, but are not required to use a VR headset.
LESSON CONTEXTUALIZATION
A significant effort is made to bring out the relevance that Lessons have on the Students’ everyday lives. This is achieved through a series of steps in which Students are provoked, engaged, and fulfilled with the material.
TEACHER EMPOWERMENT
We paint broad strokes, but we don't micromanage teaching. Teachers have wide discretion as to how they teach their Lessons in the Classroom since we don't lay out all the pedagogical specifics. We believe it is best done by real educators doing the actual day to day teaching.
ASSESSMENTS AND MERITS
See how Student-chosen Scene Themes and teamwork with Teachers make Assessments and Merits much more fun!
All the Assessments of Student performance, both in class and out of class, are “Gamified Assessments”. Grades for the Course are not letters or numbers, they are the “Final Merit”. Final Merit are items that come from a Library of Merit Themes that has been previously agreed to by the Student and the Teacher at the beginning of the Course.
The Student and Teacher will choose the Theme of their Final Merit as a team, from the Library of Merit Themes.
The better Students perform in Class, the more Merits they will earn, and the better they will perform in Course-related Gamified Assessments.
Gameplay will not necessarily simulate Class content, but knowledge from Class will be needed to advance and surpass obstacles in the Gamified Assessment.
Each course will have VR Games related to its content, within to be downloaded from the school’s App Store.
