A VIRTUAL classroom assistant or teacher’s aide might sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but a Mount Cotton-based business has launched a program that enables just that.
Interactive education program developer Johann DeBeer said the ZenoBot program enabled teachers to provide focused attention on students, while others were taught by an avatar, or computer-generated icon that represented a person.
He said the program used software that enabled audio, video, text and graphic images to be presented through eight avatars.
He described the ZenoBot avatar as a virtual teacher’s aide.
“ZenoBot allows a user to quickly, easily and intuitively create content and present it and is incredibly easy with almost no training required,” Mr DeBeer said.
“Users can quickly and easily drag text, images, sounds, music and video onto a timeline and can either upload their own video or simply provide a YouTube link.”
Mr DeBeer said teachers were then free to work with students.
“They...can use their knowledge and experience to connect and help the students where it really matters – one-on-one,” he said.
Mr DeBeer said technology needed to be applied responsibly with students still developing social skills and the teacher remaining in control of the classroom.
He said ZenoBot was a genuine first-of-its-kind worldwide.
“I think it is great that a small Brisbane-based company can achieve something of this magnitude,” he said.
Mr Debeer’s company List Premier Education was a finalist in the education and training category in the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards last year, having won the top category in 2011.
