ViewSonic

Students today face challenges and opportunities that expand beyond the scope of what current education technologies can offer. As digital education continues to evolve, new technologies are transforming how teaching takes place. In this fast-paced environment of changing demands, online education is increasing in both importance and acceptance. Education technology companies are stepping up to develop and provide new technologies with rich features that chart a course into the future of modern education.

As a leading global provider of visual solutions, ViewSonic Corp. has been advancing our educational technology solutions to create cutting-edge tools for teachers and students. At the recent EDUtech Asia 2022 conference and exhibition, we demonstrated our latest educational solutions and launched UNIVERSE by ViewSonic, a metaverse built for education that provides an immersive and engaging virtual platform that is necessary for successful online learning.We presented an interactive session, “Building Stronger Social Connections and Enhancing Collaboration Through a Metaverse Learning Environment” at the TECH Showcase Stage where we discussed how UNIVERSE can overcome challenges educators face while teaching online.

The UNIVERSE platform moves online learning from the common 2D static scenario to a 3D immersive environment, leveraging successful in-person teaching methods and bringing them into the virtual space. Students can interact and navigate around a digital campus through personalized avatars in the virtual classroom. Intuitive controls create a unique educational setting that empowers students to navigate their learning journey. With various learning spaces including classrooms, lecture halls, and collaborative spaces, teachers can send students out into breakout rooms for focused group work. Participants all have intuitive and easy-to-use options for communicating including true-to-life spatialized audio, chat messages, and emojis.

“To support educators and students to teach and learn as if they were in a real classroom, ViewSonic created UNIVERSE to break barriers and fuel better engagement and collaboration, while fostering a sense of belonging in an online setting.”

On the UNIVERSE platform, teachers can also utilize myViewBoard Suite through the built-in browser. Teaching is intuitive while presenting content from your device, casting from your camera, and creating pop quizzes. Detailed learning reports reveal students' engagement levels, supporting teachers with data-driven insights for improved learning outcomes.

UNIVERSE’s three principal points of focus include – driving engagement, enhancing collaboration, and fostering a sense of belonging among students to strengthen their interest and attention to learning.

Driving Engagement

UNIVERSE creates a virtual learning space where educators and students can step in, immerse themselves and be naturally engaged with each other.

• An immersive 3D environment brings the familiar classroom to a virtual space and enhances the overall learning experience
• True-to-life sound is ergonomic and enables a more natural way of communication
• Attention measurement to assess students’ attention and engagement levels
• In-class engagement tools such as quizzes and a random name generator to boost participation and sense students’ level of understanding

Enhancing Collaboration

Comprehensive discussion and communication features empower collaborative learning and facilitate peer-to-peer and student-teacher interactions.

• Multiple discussion modes so students can discuss and collaborate in smaller groups, and teachers can monitor each group effectively
• Content sharing with easy screen sharing, intuitive video conferencing, and user-friendly digital whiteboarding to cater to various teaching styles
• Chat & reactions allow students to easily communicate and raise questions or concerns, express how they feel, and have their reactions seen by others

To support educators and students to teach and learn as if they were in a real classroom, ViewSonic created UNIVERSE to break barriers and fuel better engagement and collaboration, while fostering a sense of belonging in an online setting

Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Creating a healthy and safe environment where students feel at ease to develop personal and meaningful connections.

• Self-expression via customizable avatars encourages interaction with peers
• Comfortable learning space to interact and learn without having the pressure of always having a camera on
• A safe digital environment with built-in functions to ensure students are in a protected digital learning space

The UNIVERSE educational metaverse simulates real-world interactions, it can be used for cross-school teaching, bridging resource gaps between schools by expanding the educator’s digital reach and including more students. With such commitment and dedication to making better modern education, we provide solutions that enhance global education and bring educational equity to diverse countries and cultures. We expect this will only continue and create new advances that benefit education for all.