Oh my, the suffering of long, static online meetings and lectures! This summer, professor in bio-robotics Martijn Wisse and RoboHouse communications decided something had to be done. We began creating a format to make remote education as lively and interactive as possible.

Want to know more about this initiative? Take a look behind the scenes:

“We started with the idea that a robotics lecture is a collaborative activity. So we literally gave all the different roles a place at the table,” says Joost van de Loo.

Michel Beerens head of NewMedia Centre helped to build a studio in the Teaching Lab, a dedicated space for education innovation on TU Delft Campus that happened to be available due to Covid.

Professor Wisse’s lectures turned into a weekly robotics talkshow, with one student as a host who interviews the professor, joined by a table guest – a PdD student – who monitors the Zoom chat and also comments freely on the lecture.

Seven students were each time given the opportunity to physically be in the studio, while the rest of the 100 master’s students of the Robot Dynamics & Control course could follow the happenings on Zoom. “It is wonderful not to have to talk to a computer screen”, says Martijn Wisse. “Moreover, the students present are more motivated and that gives me energy while also motivating everyone involved in the broadcasts.”

The NewMedia Centre also built a control room, where a crew of four students from Stud were switching live between streams from four cameras, including one ‘walking camera’, and the professor’s presentation screen.

“The interaction between teacher and student is more dynamic. It helps the teacher understand what the students struggle with, on the other hand it also keeps the students enthusiastic”, says Pablo Rodrigo Valero.

So far this experiment has been a terrific journey. Keep an eye on our socials to follow the progress!