WorldOver Continues To Redefine Personalized, Globalized Learning

In just its second year, WorldOver continues to redefine personalized learning for global learners seeking an independent school experience. Now, even more students can experience the unique learning opportunities and creative programs that WorldOver offers.

Monthly Memberships

With its launch of Monthly Membership Packages, families can tailor their child’s learning to the needs of their family and schooling choice; full-time enrollment is no longer the only option. Memberships also make WorldOver’s innovative learning experiences more affordable than ever, according to Eileen Elliott, WorldOver Director of Communication.

“It also leads to flexibility where people can continue to customize their own schedule,” said Elliot. “We work with homeschooling families, along with students enrolled in other schools, who want to supplement their education.”

These memberships have tiered options that include things such as live classes, participation in the Virtual Reality club and weekly Discovery Days.

“Families can customize their memberships with additional opportunities such as presentations of learning, academic coaching, tutoring, and personalized one-on-one instruction,” said Elliott.

Unique Summer Opportunities

This summer, WorldOver offers extended learning opportunities and in-demand program offerings. Some summer workshops are one-off experiences for just an hour or two where a child learns a specific skill or creates a specific work of digital art, while others are akin to an intensive summer camp, like WorldOver’s virtual Video Game Coding class.

“We are really dedicated to giving more learners these opportunities,” said Elliott. “In the world of online, independent schools, we are truly innovating in order to model how the world is changing.”

Courses are synchronous and asynchronous experiences and the schedules are customizable. Some course examples include, but are not limited to Japanese, improvisation, game design, coding and programming, and unique offerings in the arts. She said the improvisation course even has an option whereby families can enroll together.

“These are very unique course offerings that are project-based,” said Elliott.

Virtual Reality Is Here

One of the most unique program offerings is the burgeoning Virtual Reality Program. Facilitated by Virtual Reality Developer Ramon Hamilton, WorldOver is developing the first international virtual school complete with a central hub, as well as virtual classrooms, a movie theatre, and an outdoor nature village.

The beta version of the virtual school will launch this summer.

“This summer, we will offer two courses in our Virtual Reality space,” said Hamilton. “In the Fall, the goal is to have the majority of the learners spend at least one class or a portion of a class, each week in Virtual Reality.”

Hamilton and the WorldOver team believe that this is a game-changer for international learners and core to the WorldOver mission.

“The goal of WorldOver is to bring learners, families, and facilitators into one collective hub of learning,” said Hamilton. “Yes, learners are taking courses but the really transformative part is the collaborative opportunity.”

Hamilton and the WorldOver team believe that when learners share space, they learn from one another. “Zoom only goes so far,” he said. “There is something magical about doing a collaborative task in the same space.”

Although international students have been doing collaborative endeavors together before, the traditional means for this is often cost-prohibitive, according to Hamilton. Because of tuition, travel, room and board, it is often limited who can afford these opportunities.

“Our Virtual Reality School is changing who can access these types of unique international, collaborative experiences,” said Hamilton. “Now, with a $300 headset, WorldOver learners can experience what only a handful of learners have traditionally been able to have.”

While some may be tempted to criticize virtual reality as just another technology gimmick, Hamilton said these learners are really part of the next generation of learning – and in a much more immersive way than any previous online environment.

“Think about studying Ancient Egypt and being able to go to the Pyramids,” said Hamilton. “Or how about language immersion? Here, we can go to Rome from anywhere in the world and also engage with Italians. It’s really about whatever the mind can imagine.”

Long-term, Hamilton thinks he and the facilitators will be designing one incredible, immersive experience after another for their students from all over the world. Additionally, as a project-based organization, there will be opportunities for learners to create and design their own virtual reality experiences.

“This is such a rich way to learn about the world,” said Hamilton. “What better way to take learners from around the world and provide them truly interactive, rich experiences.”

Summer Ahead

Summer is the ideal time to expand one’s horizons, pursue a personal interest, get ahead academically or to try something one has always wanted to try.

“WorldOver is really about personalized growth and lifelong learning,” said Elliott. She encourages interested learners and families – elementary, middle, and high school – to contact WorldOver to consider all of the possibilities.

For more, see:

• 8 Ways to Bring Augmented and Virtual Reality into the Classroom
• Telling Our Stories: Connecting Globally
• 10 Ways Independent Schools Could Lead on Innovation

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