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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

Funding available for Research Master’s and Doctoral studies

2015-11-30

The University of the Free State (UFS) has announced the availability of tuition bursaries for full-time and part-time studies in 2016.

All research master’s and PhD students who register in 2016 will receive funding to cover their tuition fees. South African and international students are eligible to apply.

The total value of the funding is equivalent to the annual tuition fees applicable for students from the SADC region, while the tuition of international students will be covered for 33% of the value of their studies.

Funding is available for two years for master’s students, and three and four years respectively for full-time and part-time PhD students. Renewal of the funding will be dependent on the previous year’s academic progress. To qualify, students must meet all academic requirements of the UFS and must have been provisionally admitted to an academic programme.

The UFS also recently announced that final-year undergraduate students, as well as students from other universities, may apply and pay no application or registration fees for an Honours degree in 2016. Click here for more information about Honours studies in 2016.

The Postgraduate School in the Johannes Brill Building can provide more information about all the scholarships, bursaries as well as offer research training support available for postgraduate studies.

The deadline for applications for Honours bursaries was 30 November 2015. There is no deadline for master’s and PhD bursary applications, as postgraduate students can register for these qualifications throughout the year.

All postgraduate application enquires can be directed to Ms Joy Nogabe on +27(0)51 401 7161 or nogabesj@ufs.ac.za.

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