TeachLIVE

As a student of education, the thought of managing over 30 students in a classroom may be a little daunting. Until a teaching student jumps into the classroom, they may not know if they’re stepping into a well-suited career, or jumping into the deep end. That’s why TeachLIVE was created at the University of Central Florida (UCF).  WMU is the only institution in the state of Michigan to host this groundbreaking teaching technology.

TeachLIVE is a mixed reality teaching environment. Here’s how it works: the teacher-in-training stands in front of a projection screen that depicts five students in two rows. These students are avatars, and are controlled by 'interactors' from UCF. The 'interactors' have studied the behaviors of the students they are embodying—each avatar student represents a major personality type. This means they can turn up the negative behaviors and responses if the teacher-in-training is using ineffective teaching methods, and vice versa.

Teachers-in-training have the ability to interact with students, review previous work, present new content, and monitor students while they work independently. As a result, teachers-in-training can learn about classroom management without stepping foot into a real classroom. This game-changing program signifies the future of university education and teaching programs.