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One-room magic: UFS' immersive classrooms redefine learning

29 August 2025 | Story Igno van Niekerk | Photo Stephen Collett

The university is transforming education across its Bloemfontein, Qwaqwa, and South campuses with its pioneering one-room spaces, mirrored across all three locations to deliver cutting-edge, immersive learning. Research for these innovative spaces began in 2023, sparked by a photo from the University of Leuven in Belgium, which the university identified as showcasing Leuven’s advanced classroom setup. Prof Philippe Burger, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, leveraging a connection there, led a team to explore this technology globally, collaborating with Canada’s X2O OneRoom to make the UFS the first in South Africa – and one of (as far as we know) two in Africa, alongside Kenya – to offer such immersive classrooms.

Unlike Zoom or Blackboard, where online students were often overlooked as small icons, one-room spaces ensure that everyone feels included. Designed for postgraduate training and PhD interactions, these rooms accommodate up to 40 in-person and 40 online participants, with large video camera feeds on screens, reminiscent of the TV programme Small Talk, where children’s faces lined the wall for engagement. Directional audio and personal cameras create a sensory experience, with sound coming from the speaker’s direction and eye contact feeling natural. Angelique Carson-Porter from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics shared her excitement about a postgraduate session led by Prof Aletta Olivier, Lecturer in the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies: “It feels like you’re right there, even from Pretoria or Ghana. You see everyone, interact, and never miss a beat.”

Gavin Coetzer at ICT Services, a key project leader, highlighted how lecturers struggled with older platforms’ limitations, often only addressing online questions at the end, disrupting the flow. The UFS’ one-room spaces, implemented in the UFS Business School, the Clinical Skills Unit, South Campus teacher training, and Qwaqwa, solve this with breakout sessions and global conference support. While other universities rely on Teams, the UFS’ user-friendly tech, with around 24 screens and ceiling microphones, allows lecturers to focus on teaching.

Staying ahead of tech trends is challenging, but the university is excelling, making education inclusive, engaging, and truly global.

News Archive

UFS academic leaves for national parliament

2009-05-28

The Head of the Department of Afro-asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice at the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Annelie Lotriet (pictured), is leaving the university at the end of this month.

Prof Lotriet has been seconded to the national parliament as a member of the Democratic Alliance’s shadow cabinet responsible for arts and culture.

“I am very sad to go because I think I am leaving the university at a point where there are many changes coming and I think we are going to go into a very interesting and challenging time at this university with our new rector taking office one of these days,” she said.

“On that point I am actually sad that I am not going to be here to experience it because I think the university has all the potential to become one of the main role players in higher education in South Africa and, obviously, I will be watching it with interest.”

Prof Lotriet has worked for the UFS for 25 years and regards language and multilingualism as her passion. She reflected on her major achievement: “I think what still stands out for me was the fact that we ran the interpreting service for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that made an indelible impact on my life. We were involved in it right from the start to the end. We really put interpreting on the map.”

Mr Philemon Akach, a senior lecturer in the department, will act in her position until the end of the year.

“I have full confidence in him,” she said. “He is a world-renowned expert in interpreting and sign language, so I think the department is in good hands.”

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
28 May 2009

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