Picture this: an introductory undergraduate engineering course with 150 students, running both fully online and in hybrid mode during a time when remote learning had suddenly become the norm. The scale was daunting, the logistics tricky, and the range of student needs immense. Yet, by using SpatialChat, the teaching team turned this challenge into a dynamic and highly effective learning experience.
Over several months, they created a system of 30 hours per week of virtual office hours where students met in small groups to tackle problem sets, exchange ideas, and work on design projects. The key was to give students both structure and autonomy, something SpatialChat made possible.
Designing the Virtual Space
All office hours took place in a single SpatialChat Space, which was then divided into breakout rooms. The layout was flexible: some days, each room corresponded to a different problem in the week’s assignment; other days, each room represented a stage in a larger project.
Students entering the space could immediately see which rooms were set up for what purpose. Clear titles and descriptions meant no confusion, and learners simply stepped into the room that matched their goals. Once inside, they could focus on the task at hand, collaborate with peers, or call for instructor assistance when needed.
The arrangement was fluid. A student could start in one breakout room to work on a particular problem, then move to another if they hit a roadblock or wanted to explore a different part of the assignment. This freedom kept the experience student-centered while still maintaining order.
Staying Connected Without Chaos
Large-class office hours often struggle with two issues: too many students per instructor and a wide range of questions happening all at once. SpatialChat’s design addressed both.
Because all breakout rooms remained visible, instructors could scan the entire virtual space and spot where their attention was most needed. They didn’t have to guess which groups were stuck; the visual cues and participant movement told the story.
The platform’s proximity-based spatial audio kept each conversation contained within its room. Students could focus without hearing the chatter from other groups, while instructors could move between rooms without disrupting anyone else’s work. The result was a calm, controlled environment where learning happened in parallel across multiple groups.
The Question Queue Problem
One challenge persisted: in a physical setting, students naturally line up when they need help, but in a virtual one, it’s easy for requests to get lost. Managing who had asked what and in what order required a new approach.
While SpatialChat encouraged organic discussion and peer-led problem-solving, the team needed a clear way to track individual questions. Without it, some students could wait longer than necessary, and instructors could lose sight of unresolved issues.
A Smart Solution with Embedded Collaboration
The answer came through SpatialChat’s editable screen-sharing feature. By embedding a shared Google Doc into the main space, instructors created a live, visible question list.
When students joined office hours, they were greeted by a short welcome message at the top of the document. Beneath it, a numbered list invited them to type in their questions alongside their names. Everyone could see the queue, and instructors could work through it in order while moving between rooms.
This simple tweak ensured fairness, improved transparency, and reduced interruptions. Students no longer had to repeatedly flag instructors for attention because they could see exactly where they stood in line.
Why It Worked
The success of this approach came from the combination of visibility, flexibility, and collaboration that SpatialChat enables. Students had the freedom to choose their working groups and move between them, while instructors maintained a clear overview of the entire space. Embedded tools like the live question board added an extra layer of organization without disrupting the natural flow of the session.
While this example comes from a large undergraduate course, the principles apply in many other contexts. In smaller classes, the same setup can foster rich discussion while still allowing peer-to-peer learning. In workshops or training sessions, participants can move between topic-focused rooms without losing momentum. And in project-based work, teams can collaborate in parallel, each tackling different parts of the task but still feeling connected to the whole.
In Summary
SpatialChat provided the structure and adaptability needed to make large-scale virtual office hours not only possible but genuinely productive. With thoughtful space design, proactive instructor presence, and creative use of embedded tools, it’s possible to replicate, and sometimes even improve upon, the dynamics of in-person academic support. Whether you’re working with 10 learners or 200, the right virtual environment can make all the difference.