DISCOVER
Sherry Drazner, NY school psychologist, details how she used Qvio to transform vacation footage into an educational journey for students.
As a psychologist working for the New York City Department of Education, I've always believed in the power of experiential learning and mindfulness moments. Whether it's understanding different cultures or exploring the wonders of nature, there's something transformative about immersing oneself in new experiences.
With stamps from 40-plus countries inked into my passport (and hopefully dozens more to go), I've made it a personal mission to document my travels and find innovative ways to share them with others.
From Vacation to Mindful Immersive Learning Opportunity
Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Mount Fuji, a place of immense historical and cultural significance. As I stood in awe of its majestic beauty, I knew that this trip held the potential to be more than just a personal adventure. It could be a learning journey for my students, a way to bring the world to life within our classroom walls.
Armed with the latest iPhone and a thirst for adventure, I tried to capture every moment of my Mount Fuji experience – from its towering peak to the serene surroundings. But I wanted to go beyond mere pictures and videos. I wanted to create an interactive learning experience that would truly engage students.
That's when I discovered Qvio™️ – an innovative platform that combines video with artificial intelligence, allowing viewers to interact with the content in new and exciting ways.
With Qvio's Author-Controlled AI™️, I had the tools to turn my footage of Mount Fuji into an educational masterpiece. I began by carefully curating my videos, selecting the most captivating scenes and informative snippets. Then, using Qvio's AI capabilities, I added layers of interactivity, allowing viewers to ask questions and delve deeper into the subject matter.
From the geological formation of the mountain to its cultural significance in Japanese history, every aspect was ripe for exploration.
The Mt. Fuji Sunrise Session
The result was "Mt. Fuji Sunrise Session" – a stunning multi-sensory journey accompanied by sweeping orchestral music. But more than just a feast for the eyes and ears, this was a learning experience.
As my students watched the sunrise cast its golden glow over Mount Fuji, they were also learning about its volcanic origins and the rituals that surround it, on their terms.
Technology Had an Answer
Students can select from common questions or ask themselves, taking them on a self-guided learning experience.
CLICK HERE TO TRY
Julie Bugg and Mark McDaniel at Washington University in St. Louis published a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology showing that asking questions works because it makes you an active learner instead of a passive recipient of information.
When you interact with information by elaborating on it, thinking critically about its context, or relating some pieces of information to others, you increase the likelihood that you will remember it.
Why Music and Visual Learning Matter
The Qvio includes a custom piece of music composed by friend and long-time music scientist John Adamo because the music engages multiple brain systems with a single activity.
“The hearing brain is vast,” explains neuroscientist Nina Kraus, author of Of Sound Mind, in an interview with Edutopia. “People think of the hearing brain as being a silo within the brain. Our hearing engages our cognitive, sensory, motor, and reward systems. That’s huge.”
Answers are delivered with supporting visuals to drive engagement and comprehension among visual learners. Visual learning is among the learning styles of Neil Fleming's VARK model, in which information is presented to a learner in a visual format.
Using Author-Controlled AI™️ to deliver answers ensures I avoid the risks of generative AI and my students know they can trust the answers. My answers.
How Do I Know It’s a Better Way?
Qvio was the perfect platform choice because students could ask questions and steer the learning path toward their interests. This allowed my students to have a “choose your own adventure” style learning experience, which is inherently fun and engaging, and enables them to learn better without even knowing it.
What’s Next?
With Qvio, I transformed a thrilling and unique trip for one into a learning journey for many. Whether in VR or on their mobile devices, my audience can go on a "Mt. Fuji Sunrise Session" anytime they want, for as long or as short as needed.
This means the digital-native students who use it as a six-minute moment to recenter get precisely what they need, but so do those who crave interaction, instant gratification, and exploration.
Students don’t need to be passive observers – they need to be active participants, engaging with content in a way that sparks curiosity, ignites imagination, and helps them become lifelong learners. I hope my Qvio has accomplished that.
Evolving the Learning Experience
I’ll continue to monitor my Qvio and update my AI as needed. The platform allows me to see questions answered and, more importantly, unanswered. I can incorporate new answers instantly so that my Qvio becomes even more intelligent over time.
Qvio can enable “Ask ChatGPT”, allowing students to pass their questions through to ChatGPT (or any LLM) if the Author-Controlled AI doesn’t cover the question. I currently have this disabled because I want to limit the viewer to my controlled AI, as I’m not quite ready to trust generative AI to answer on my behalf.
However, I love having the option available, and I’ve turned it ON in my Qvio below—a copy of the original I maintain for academic purposes—for you to try.
For my next Qvio, I want to step outside the traditional psychologist role and create an interactive session focused on mindfulness moments. If questions arise, students will have a place away from the comments section where they can get essential answers instantly and be directed to approved resources.
As an educator, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing my students inspired to learn. Thanks to Qvio, I can continue turning my travels into educational adventures, bringing the world to life in ways I never thought possible. The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next.
