WiZiQ Provides Free Platform for Virtual Classes

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 02/18/09

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WiZiQ.com, a Web service that allows educators and students to meet online in real time for virtual classes, has added an embed feature that enables teachers, tutors, and other educators a means to apply multimedia content to their Web sites and blogs.

The Virtual Class Embed is employed like an embed of a YouTube video by allowing teachers to copy the content code and post it to their blog, Web site, or social network. Additionally, it lets students sign up for classes directly from an instructor's blogs or Web sites without going to WiZiQ.com. They can watch the class, participate in the chat, send the teacher a message, and invite friends to watch the class from within the embedded virtual classroom.

"This latest enhancement for the first time takes the classroom to the students, rather than the students having to go to the classroom," said Harman Singh, CEO. "It also lets educators effectively create far richer and more compelling learning experiences using their own blogs and Web sites."

The WiZiQ service, which is free, provides a means for teachers and students to create and share online educational content and tests, and to connect with people having similar subject interests. Users can interact online using images, PowerPoint presentations, documents, as well as a whiteboard feature. The platform provides audio and video sharing and a live chat function. The person running a class can schedule the class and invite participants. That person also has control privileges or can pass control to another participant. The classes themselves are recorded so that users can revisit the sessions and search for a specific topic. Classes can be private or public.

Current class offerings include, among others, civics, English, and geography for first through fourth grade; health, mathematics, and science for fifth through eighth grade; and languages, economics, and US history for ninth to 12th grade.