We’re often asked: What makes SpatialChat different from Zoom, Class, Engageli, and other virtual classroom platforms?
For HyFlex educators—those delivering classes simultaneously to in-person and online students—many of the differences become clear the moment you step into a SpatialChat session: the freedom to move around, visually connected breakout spaces, customizable learning environments, and side-by-side collaboration tools. But there’s one feature that changes everything in a HyFlex context: proximity-based spatial audio.
Recreating the Natural Flow of a Classroom
SpatialChat treats audio differently from nearly every other platform. Spatial audio allows multiple conversations to happen at the same time, just as they would in a physical classroom. Students can “walk” to different areas of the virtual space, join or leave small group discussions at will, and still catch bits of conversations happening nearby.
Most importantly, when two people talk at the same time, SpatialChat doesn’t cut one person off or force the other into the “spotlight.” Everyone keeps their equity of voice. Those subtle “mmmhmmms,” supportive “yeahs,” and quiet interjections that keep conversations alive in a classroom? They stay in the mix. This not only builds engagement and consensus but also fosters healthy debate, which are two essentials for any thriving HyFlex class.
Why This Matters in HyFlex Education
Higher education has faced countless think-pieces in recent years predicting its decline, often pointing to the awkward, one-directional experience of pandemic-era online teaching. Educators who had embraced collaborative, student-centered methods suddenly found themselves boxed into a “featured speaker” role by top-down platforms like Zoom.
But HyFlex learning demands more. It’s not just about broadcasting a lecture, but also about creating an integrated environment where in-person and online learners interact naturally. Without overlapping audio and conversational fluidity, the remote side of the class risks feeling like a passive livestream instead of an active learning community.
What We Lost, and How to Bring It Back
During the pandemic, we lost more than the ability to meet in person. We lost spontaneous hallway conversations, quick clarifications during group work, and those fleeting, formative moments that make learning memorable. When virtual classrooms reduce teaching to delivering information from a central “stage,” they miss the point of education entirely. If knowledge transfer were the only goal, Wikipedia could replace us all. But education has always been about people and how they connect, question, and co-create understanding.
HyFlex teaching works only when both the in-person and online sides of the class can share in those human moments. That’s where SpatialChat’s design shines: it doesn’t replace educators. It amplifies their ability to create authentic, interactive learning spaces.
Keeping Humans at the Center of HyFlex
The magic in any classroom, HyFlex or otherwise, comes from the interaction of its participants. SpatialChat enhances this by allowing learners to overhear side conversations, add a quick “mmmhmmm” of agreement, build naturally on someone’s idea, or even disagree without derailing the main discussion. This is the lifeblood of an engaged HyFlex class:
- A remote student asking a quiet but important question and being heard instantly.
- A group of in-person learners inviting online peers into a breakout discussion.
- Energy building across both physical and virtual rooms as debates spark curiosity.
Every great lesson thrives on a challenge, a question worth pursuing together. The richness of HyFlex comes from having everyone—in the room and online—fully present in that pursuit.
Building the Classrooms Students Deserve
At SpatialChat, we believe in educators. We believe in the communities they build and the conversations they spark. HyFlex is not about replacing traditional teaching. It’s about extending it, ensuring no student misses out on the small moments where learning truly happens.
In a SpatialChat-powered HyFlex classroom, knowledge grows in every corner. Discussions flow organically, connections cross physical and virtual boundaries, and every learner has a voice, whether they’re sitting in the front row or joining from across the globe.
If you’re ready to experience a HyFlex classroom where conversation feels natural and engagement feels effortless, try SpatialChat for yourself.