Virtual Dialogue with Notable Experts

A DARPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant allowed IDI to develop a series of virtual dialogues with experts to evaluate the use of the Virtual Conversations® method to transfer the knowledge and experience of notable Americans. The series includes eight experts in a variety of fields.

The Virtual Conversations® programs in the series include dialogues with Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg about biological warfare; U.S. Congressman Major Owens about the "digital divide" in K-12 education; White House advisor on health policy James Gordon, M.D.; political reporter and author Jack Germond, and former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn.  These and other programs will allow students and others, now and in the future, to “meet” and conduct a "face-to-face" dialogue with each of these inspiring individuals of our time.

Preliminary research has shown the method to be highly effective.  Field study participants have demonstrated accelerated and profound learning gain through a virtual dialogue with an expert.  When the program development and experiments are complete, the Knowledge Expert Series will be distributed to colleges and universities, libraries, and other educational institutions. for more information please read our article, Virtual Conversations: An Interface to Knowledge, from the IEEE Journal September/October 2003 edition.

Quad Chart (PDF)

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