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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

Prof. Martha Nussbaum visits Kovsies

2012-12-27

Prof. Martha Nussbaum
Photo: Sonia Small
10 December 2012

The UFS community was privileged to gain insight into the brilliant mind of renowned philosopher Prof. Martha Nussbaum when she visited the Bloemfontein Campus.

Prof. Nussbaum, considered by some as one of the foremost living philosophers on the world stage, spent a week at the university interacting with staff, students and visitors from South Africa and abroad. The visit attracted huge interest, with people traveling from other parts of South Africa to hear Prof. Nussbaum speaking at public events held on the campus. International visitors attending the conference “Engaging the Other: Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Repetition”on campus and scholars taking part in the Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program, also attended events.

Prof. Nussbaum’s first public event was on 6 December 2012 when the university honoured her with an honorary doctorate. She received a D. Litt degree for her intellectual and public contribution to human development. On 7 December 2012, she delivered a lecture on “Creating capabilities, the human development approach”. She also delivered a keynote address on the Political Role of the Arts as part of the conference on “Engaging the Other: Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Repetition”.

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