Chat SDK for Education: Build Virtual Classrooms with Video, Chat & Screen Sharing

I've worked with three EdTech companies over the past two years. Every single one had the same conversation:

"We need video classrooms with chat. Also screen sharing. And recording. Oh, and we need to be FERPA compliant. Can we build this in a month?"

The answer, if you're building from scratch, is absolutely not. With the right SDK, it's actually yes.

What an EdTech Communication Stack Needs

Video classrooms. Not just video calls — support for 30-100 students, hand-raising, speaker spotlighting, and screen sharing for presentations.

Chat alongside video. Students need to ask questions via text during presentations. This is the #1 feature request from EdTech companies.

Screen sharing and whiteboarding. Instructors share slides, code editors, or whiteboards.

Recording and playback. Every session recorded for review, including video, shared screen, and chat messages.

Breakout rooms. Split into small groups for discussion, then bring everyone back.

Student safety. Content moderation, profanity filtering, admin controls, audit logs.

Compliance. FERPA for US educational institutions. COPPA for students under 13.

Building a Virtual Classroom

import { WibeChat, VideoRoom, ChatWindow } from '@wibechat/react'

function Classroom({ classId, userId }) {
  return (
    <WibeChat apiKey="your-api-key">
      <div className="classroom-layout">
        <div className="main-content">
          <VideoRoom
            roomId={classId}
            layout="classroom"
            maxParticipants={100}
            enableScreenShare={true}
            enableRecording={true}
            enableHandRaise={true}
          />
        </div>
        <div className="chat-sidebar">
          <ChatWindow
            channelId={`class-${classId}-chat`}
            showVideo={false}
            enableModeration={true}
          />
        </div>
      </div>
    </WibeChat>
  )
}

The layout="classroom" mode shows the instructor in spotlight view with students in a smaller grid, supports hand-raising, and highlights the active speaker.

Breakout Rooms

const { createBreakoutRooms, endBreakoutRooms } = useBreakoutRooms(classId)

await createBreakoutRooms({
  count: 5,
  assignment: 'random',
  duration: 15 * 60, // 15 minutes then auto-return
})

FERPA and COPPA Compliance

FERPA: Store data in the US, provide parent access for under-18 students, institutional control over deletion, audit logs.

COPPA: Parental consent before collecting data, no behavioral advertising, ability to delete child data on request, minimal data collection.

Use Cases Beyond the Classroom

Study groups — Student-created rooms for collaborative learning. Tutor sessions — 1:1 video with screen sharing for problem-solving. Campus messaging — University-wide channels for departments, classes, and clubs. Office hours — Virtual drop-in rooms with queue management.