International Smart Classrooms

Challenge:

A leading education company partnered with a major public research university to create a cost-effective alternative to international branch campuses. The goal was to develop a technology-enabled "smart classroom" experience immersive enough to overcome regulatory concerns about distance education. The business model required one faculty member to effectively teach 200 students simultaneously across multiple locations—a scale that early prototypes failed to achieve.

Solutions Implemented:

As a consultant, I identified the need for specialized technology expertise and recruited a lead engineer. I then led the development of a comprehensive live synchronous learning solution:

• Designed a scalable technical infrastructure using cutting-edge professional-grade hardware and electronics

• Led Agile software development as shadow Product Owner, integrating user interface with video conferencing to support up to ten classrooms of 25 students each

• Implemented standardized instructional design protocols based on proven learning theories

• Created process and format redesigns that optimized the teaching experience

• Established data collection systems that demonstrated correlations between tool usage and student success

Results Achieved:

The tech-enabled solution transformed the remote learning experience:

• User Satisfaction: Students in China, India, and Qatar reported "forgetting" the instructor wasn't physically present (96% satisfaction rate)

• Faculty Adoption: Instructors requested these tools for their traditional classrooms

• Regulatory Approval: Education ministries previously skeptical of distance education approved the immersive platform

• Cost-Effectiveness: The system achieved 48% of traditional faculty travel costs while maintaining teaching quality

• Revenue Growth: The business unit grew to $20 million in revenue before pandemic disruption

• Academic Recognition: Our innovations were documented in a co-authored paper with a university professor

• Innovation and Ideation Excellence: We pioneered a revolutionary approach that challenged conventional distance learning paradigms. By combining teleprompter-style camera placement with pedagogical best practices, we created an immersive experience that felt local despite spanning continents—solving problems that traditional videoconferencing had failed to address.

• Academic Recognition: Co-authored a paper with Professor Tilman Wolf of UMass Amherst. Download it here.

Key design elements included faculty teaching to digital displays of individual classrooms, teleprompter positioning for direct eye contact, life-sized faculty presence, interactive annotation tools, and real-time student data dashboards.