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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

Protest actions on the Main Campus

2008-03-12

Staff and students are kindly requested to take note of the following protest actions that will take place on the Main Campus.

As a result of a dispute over the status of roads on campus, permission was granted by the municipality and the court, in the presence of the university lawyer for the three actions. Strict conditions have been set for these protest actions.

a.) On Wednesday, 12 March 2008, Satawu and Nehawu will picket in front of the Main Building from 09:00 to 12:00. Three hundred persons will possibly attend this event. Marchers are not allowed within 10 meters from the Main Building and there will be 45 marshals present. This is not a march and no memorandum will be handed over. There may be no speeches.

b.) On Thursday, 13 March Nehawu will again picket in front of the Main Building from 13:00 to 14:00. This event must be peaceful. Only 125 Nehawu members may participate and protesters may not break away from the big group. They may not come within 10 meters of the Main Building. Twenty five of the protesters will be marshals. This is not a march and no memorandum will be handed over. No speeches may be made.

c.) On Friday, 14 March a march of Cosatu and Nehawu will take place. This march will probably be joined by a big number of people.

The march will continue through the Nelson Mandela Gate and will enter the campus grounds, but will be limited to the incoming lane of Chancellors Avenue from the Main Gate to the crossing with Alumni Avenue (in front of the Odeion). Speeches will be made and a memorandum will be handed over.

The march will reach the campus at 10:00 and from then the Nelson Mandela Gate will be closed for all traffic. The march must be finished by 14:00. The marchers will return to the city centre and could cause a traffic problem in Nelson Mandela Avenue.

The South African Police Service and the UFS’s Protection Service will monitor all these actions. Staff are kindly requested to use alternative gates to the Nelson Mandela entrance on Friday. Academic activities continue as normal.

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