VirtualSpace

What Is VirtualSpace?

VirtualSpace is Tutorwise's built-in collaboration environment for real-time learning. It combines a professional interactive whiteboard with video calling, subject-specific tools, and intelligent session features — everything you need to teach and learn online without switching between apps.

• Interactive whiteboard powered by tldraw — draw, annotate, and collaborate in real time
• 20+ interactive maths and science tools built into the canvas
• Live video via Jitsi — full video and audio alongside the whiteboard
• Sage AI co-pilot — available during every session for instant academic support
• Session controls — chat, raise hand, countdown timer, reactions, and follow mode
• Homework management — set, track, and sync homework to Google Classroom
• Google Classroom sync — bidirectional integration for tutors and clients

Three Session Modes

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Session Modes

Standalone Mode

Create an instant whiteboard room — no booking required.

1. Go to VirtualSpace
2. Click "Create Session"
3. Give your session a title (optional)
4. Your room is created instantly with a unique invite link
5. Share the link with participants

Standalone rooms hold up to 10 participants and expire after 24 hours.

Booking Mode

When you join a VirtualSpace session linked to a booking, you get the full tutoring experience with CaaS tracking.

Free Help Mode

1. A student requests Free Help Now from the Marketplace
2. A tutor accepts
3. A VirtualSpace session is created
4. Both participants are redirected directly to the room
5. Session expires after 24 hours

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The Whiteboard

VirtualSpace's whiteboard is powered by tldraw — a professional-grade drawing tool built for real-time collaboration.

Drawing Tools

Real-Time Collaboration

• See each other's cursors and selections live
• Changes appear instantly across all participants
• Remote cursors show participant names
• Multiple users can draw simultaneously

Saving Snapshots

Click "Save" in the session header to save the whiteboard state. Snapshots are stored securely and can be revisited from session history.

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Interactive Subject Tools

VirtualSpace includes 20+ interactive tools built directly into the canvas — no external apps needed. Tutors add them via the Subject Tools panel on the left toolbar.

Maths Tools

Science Tools

Other Visual Tools

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Session Controls

The Session Controls panel gives both tutors and students real-time communication tools alongside the whiteboard.

Chat

Send text messages visible to all participants during the session. Chat history is visible for the duration of the session.

Raise Hand

Students (or tutors) can raise their hand to signal they need attention or have a question. A raised-hand indicator appears for all participants.

Countdown Timer

Tutors can start a shared countdown timer — useful for timed exercises, exam practice, or focused work periods. The timer is visible to all participants and counts down in sync.

Reactions

Send emoji reactions (👍 🎉 ❓ etc.) that float across the screen for a few seconds — a quick way to show understanding or engagement without interrupting.

Follow Mode

Tutors can activate Follow Mode — all participants' views automatically follow the tutor's viewport as they navigate the canvas. Useful for guided walkthroughs and demonstrations.

Draw Lock (Tutor Only)

Tutors can lock drawing for students — preventing them from editing the canvas while the tutor is explaining. Toggle from the Session Controls panel.

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Sage AI in VirtualSpace

Every VirtualSpace session includes Sage — Tutorwise's AI tutor — available in a side panel during the session.

What Sage Does in Sessions

Activating Sage

Click the "Sage" button in the session header or sidebar. Sage joins as an AI participant and you can chat with it directly. All responses can be stamped to the canvas with one click.

Post-Session Report

When a booking session is completed, Sage automatically generates a structured report:

• Summary of what was covered
• Topics worked on during the session
• Areas where the student struggled (based on canvas activity and chat)
• Homework set during the session (if any)
• Recommended next steps for the student

The report is emailed to the student and, if Google Classroom is connected, posted as an announcement to the relevant course. Tutors can view reports from their session history.

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Homework Management

Setting Homework (Tutors)

Click "Set Homework" in the session header or sidebar during any booking session:

1. Enter the homework description
2. Optionally set a due date
3. If you have Google Classroom connected:
   • Tick "Post to Google Classroom"
   • Select the relevant course from the dropdown
   • Homework is created as an assignment in Classroom automatically
4. Click "Send to Student" — the student receives a live notification in the session

Sage automatically generates practice questions alongside each homework to help the student prepare.

Viewing Homework (Students and Clients)

Students see homework assignments:

• As a live notification when the tutor sets them during a session
• In the Homework section of their session sidebar
• In their Google Classroom course (if the tutor posted to Classroom)

Students can mark homework as complete — this updates the record and, if Google Classroom is connected, automatically pushes a grade back to the Classroom assignment.

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Google Classroom Integration

VirtualSpace has a full bidirectional sync with Google Classroom for tutors and clients.

Connecting Your Account

Go to Account Settings and scroll to the Integrations section:

Google Classroom in VirtualSpace Sessions

Click the Google Classroom button in the session header to open the assignments panel:

The green dot on the button indicates your account is connected. If not connected, clicking it opens Account Settings.

Automatic Post-Session Sync

When a booking session is completed with Google Classroom connected:

1. Session announcement — a summary is posted to the relevant Classroom course stream (topics covered, homework set, link to the full report)
2. Grade pushback — for any homework that was posted to Classroom and marked complete, Sage pushes a grade back and returns the submission to the student automatically

Both happen in the background — you don't need to do anything.

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Live Video

VirtualSpace includes embedded video via Jitsi — full audio and video alongside the whiteboard in the same window.

• Click the Video button in the session controls to open the video panel
• Both tutor and student join the same room automatically
• Video runs alongside the whiteboard — no screen switching needed

Best Setup

• Stable internet — 10 Mbps+ for smooth video + whiteboard sync
• Headset — reduces echo and background noise
• Chrome or Firefox — best compatibility for whiteboard and video

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Breakout Rooms (Tutors)

In sessions with multiple participants, tutors can create Breakout Rooms for small-group work:

1. Click Breakout Rooms in the session sidebar (tutor only)
2. Create rooms and assign participants
3. Participants move to their own whiteboard space
4. Tutor can join any room or broadcast a message to all rooms
5. End breakout rooms to bring everyone back to the main canvas

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Session Management

Your Sessions Dashboard

Go to VirtualSpace to see all your sessions:

Session Lifecycle

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Access Control

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Best Practices

For Tutors:

• Use interactive tools (calculator, graph, Bohr atom) instead of explaining verbally — the visual makes it stick
• Activate Follow Mode when walking through worked examples so the student's view tracks yours
• Use the Draw Lock when you're demonstrating a new concept — unlock for the student to try it themselves
• Set homework at the end of the session using the Homework dialog; tick "Post to Classroom" if you're connected
• Click Complete before leaving so the AI report is generated and CaaS is updated

For Students:

• Join 2–3 minutes early to test your audio/video setup
• Use the whiteboard to show your working — your tutor can annotate directly on it
• Raise your hand rather than interrupting to ask a question
• Use the Sage panel for quick explanations during the session
• Mark homework complete in VirtualSpace — this syncs your progress back to Google Classroom automatically

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Troubleshooting

Q: My invite link says "expired". What do I do? A: Standalone invite links expire after 24 hours. Ask the session owner to create a new session and share a fresh link.

Q: The whiteboard isn't syncing. How do I fix it? A: Refresh the page, check your internet connection, and close other browser tabs. Use Chrome or Firefox for best compatibility.

Q: I can't see the "Complete" button. Where is it? A: The Complete button only appears in booking mode for the tutor. Standalone and Free Help sessions expire automatically.

Q: Can I use VirtualSpace on mobile? A: VirtualSpace works best on desktop or laptop. The interactive tools and whiteboard require a larger screen.

Q: My Google Classroom connection shows "Reconnect". What does that mean? A: Your permissions may have changed (e.g. your role was upgraded or you revoked access on Google's side). Click "Reconnect" to grant fresh permissions with the correct scopes.

Q: The session report wasn't generated after I clicked Complete. What happened? A: Reports generate in the background after session completion. Wait 30 seconds and refresh. If the report still isn't available, check VirtualSpace and open the session details.

Q: Can I rejoin a session after leaving? A: Yes, as long as the session is still active. Go to VirtualSpace and click the session, or use the original invite link.

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Quick Links

• VirtualSpace — Create or join sessions
• Bookings — Join your booked sessions
• Account Settings — Connect Google Classroom
• Marketplace — Find tutors
• Sage AI Tutor — Academic help inside and outside sessions
• Integrations Guide — Google Classroom connection details

Collaborate, Teach, Learn

VirtualSpace is built for modern online tutoring — a whiteboard with the depth of a physical classroom, the intelligence of an AI co-pilot, and a direct bridge to the tools students and tutors already use.