Revolutionizing EdTech: VirtuOwl's Impact on Education Access and Efficiency

The Challenge

The global pandemic in 2020 created a realization that across all sectors, we need a better way to connect when we can't meet in person. Telemedicine became vital when so many could not make it to the doctor in person. In one study the NIH said, "The benefits of telemedicine after its pandemic renaissance are apparent now more than ever: convenient and timely access to care that overcomes geographic barriers, reduced burden on medical infrastructure (e.g., traffic, facilities' wear, perhaps reduced staff needs), and minimal exposure to infectious diseases for all participants." 

The pandemic's impact on healthcare was mirrored in other industries, none so evident as education.   

There needed to be a better way for teachers and counselors to connect with students in a secure infrastructure where the interaction could be recorded and documentation completed in real time. Parents faced significant challenges staying actively engaged and informed in their children's education due to a need for integrated and efficient communication and support systems. Administrators were overwhelmed by complex, disjointed systems that hindered efficient management and effective communication within educational institutions. Counselors and teachers were overburdened with administrative tasks, leading to burnout.   

The pandemic took a severe toll on teachers, with 567,000 fewer educators in public schools than before 2020. Beyond that, in a study VirtuOwl conducted, 90% of teachers identified burnout as a serious problem. Counselors deal with much of the same, estimating 15-16 hours each week dedicated to administrative tasks, which could be spent with students if they had better tools.  

While the pandemic brought many of these issues to light, it was not the first time teachers, students, and administrators needed more support.   

In 2020, Brandon Barker and Debra Hays founded VirtuOwl in response to the inadequate systems available to support educational environments during the pandemic. The idea emerged from their firsthand experiences of watching their children struggle with existing systems.   

VirtuOwl would provide a secure infrastructure to reduce administrative strain, provide additional tutoring and counseling services, facilitate communication, improve record-keeping and documentation, and enhance the educational experience for all involved.

Product Description

VirtuOwl offers a range of features designed to support educational institutions. Students, teachers, parents, administrators, and counselors need extra support, and VirtuOwl's features make support accessible.   

Each feature focuses on easing the user's load by helping them save time, get organized, stay in communication, and ensure each student is supported by the people and tools involved in their education.  These features include:  

• Comprehensive Scheduling System: VirtuOwl offers a robust scheduling system that seamlessly allows educators, counselors, students, and parents to coordinate appointments. This system supports virtual and in-person meetings, ensuring efficient time management and reducing scheduling conflicts.  

• On-Demand Support: The platform provides on-demand functionality, enabling students to receive immediate help from pre-arranged available counselors and educators. This feature ensures timely academic and emotional support, enhancing the educational experience.  

• Centralized Communication Platform: VirtuOwl streamlines communication among all key stakeholders—teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and parents—through a unified platform. This centralized approach improves information flow and ensures everyone stays informed and engaged.  

• Secure and Compliant Data Management: VirtuOwl is designed to meet the highest standards of security and privacy. It is SOC 2, FERPA, and HIPAA-compliant. The platform ensures that all data, communications, and interactions are securely stored and managed, providing peace of mind to institutions regarding data protection.  

• Efficient Record-Keeping and Historical Tracking:  The system offers comprehensive record-keeping capabilities, allowing institutions to maintain detailed historical records of all meetings, communications, and interactions. This feature aids in accountability, continuity of care, and effective administration, making it easier for stakeholders to access necessary information.  

• Customization and Scalability:  Users can tailor the platform to meet the specific needs of any educational institution, from small schools to large districts. VirtuOwl can handle various levels of customization to ensure your students, teachers, parents, counselors, etc., are getting the specific help they need.   

 Because VirtuOwl is designed with many stakeholders in mind, it can accommodate both internal and external users, which are defined as:  

• External Users: Students and parents interact with the platform for appointments, communication, and accessing educational resources.  

• Internal Users: Teachers, counselors, administrators, and other school staff use the platform for coordination, scheduling, and communication.  

VirtuOwl's extensive administrative capabilities ensure internal users can access relevant resources easily. This is executed with a few key features:  

• Multi-Level Management: Three levels of management (State, District, School) ensure efficient oversight.  

• Customizable Settings: Administrators can customize settings and permissions for different user roles.  

• Reporting and Analytics: Access detailed reports and analytics to monitor usage and effectiveness.  

• User Management: Easy management of user accounts, roles, and permissions.  

VirtuOwl is designed with user experience in mind. The platform is intended to be implemented in a K-12 environment, and we understand that means variance in what types of users will be engaging on VirtuOwl. To ensure every user, regardless of age, technology experience, comfortability, etc., can use VirtuOwl because of its ease of use. Some specific ways we have kept these user experience components in mind is through the implementation of the following features:  

• User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design that is easy to navigate for all user types.  

• Real-Time Notifications: Alerts and reminders for upcoming meetings and deadlines.  

• Seamless Integration: Integrates with existing educational systems and tools like Clever and Intercom.  

• On-Demand Access: Immediate support and resources are available when needed.  

• Mobile Accessibility: Fully functional on mobile devices for convenience and flexibility.