Dive Summary:
- Net Light & Power, a San Francisco-based startup, has come out with a virtual classroom technology called "Spin," along with three free iPad apps that recreate the classroom for online users, allowing them to fast-forward, pause, go to another video, write on a digital chalkboard and discuss and debate with others.
- Another feature on the app allows users to view and hear multiple discussions at once, regulating the volume by decreasing or increasing the size of that particular user's video-conferencing window.
- One of the apps, "Together Justice," is based around Harvard Professor Michael Sandel's hugely popular lectures on justice, and Sandel will use the Spin technology to facilitate discussions with virtual users from all around the world.
From the article:
"... Net Power & Light, based in San Francisco, is making its debut with technology it calls Spin that turns online education into a group activity, even if the participants are on opposite sides of the globe.
The company has released three free iPad apps that allow users to create virtual gatherings where they can all watch educational content together from sources such as Harvard, Stanford University, TED and the National Geographic Channel. Users can also fast-forward to the best parts, pause the program so the group can debate a particular point via videoconferencing, or jump to a different clip. ..."