The Challenge
Provide cost effective, high quality and consistent teaching to all students.
The Solution
Immersive Classrooms incorporating video conferencing and smart technologies at each campus.
The Results
An enhanced learning experience resulting in higher motivation levels and improved outcomes.
USP College was formed in 2017 following the merger of Seevic College in Benfleet and Palmer’s College in Grays, Essex. The College serves 4,500 students and aims to provide career-focused learning, allowing students to gain professional qualifications and develop the skills desired by businesses.
USP College recognised they, like many other FE institutions, were experiencing testing times, subjects with low student numbers and challenges recruiting high-quality teaching staff. Coupled with variations in teaching and outcomes between the campuses and across subjects, the newly merged college saw an opportunity to change their teaching delivery method.
ClassView software connects is used to connect multiple campuses and deliver collaborative teaching across immersive classrooms. Lecturers can extend their specialist knowledge and expertise across all campuses, ensuring greater consistency and enhancing the learning experience for students.
Additionally, ClassView Capture allows sessions to be recorded and added to the suite of revision sources available, providing students with even more resources to boost their academic achievements.
Each ‘immersive classroom’ has been designed to deliver an engaging and inspiring experience for the students. The provision of innovative technology across the campuses, such as large, fully interactive screens has allowed real time collaboration across classrooms, regardless of geographical location.
The ultrahigh quality video connection powered by the ClassView Pod, gives the illusion of ‘invisible walls’ between the campuses.
USP College have on average 10 virtual classroom sessions scheduled every week through ClassView, joining up multiple 'Immersive rooms' across the campuses, as well as providing virtual access to remote students from outside the classroom.
Each session is recorded using ClassView Capture and can be accessed by the Lecturers from the ClassView media library to assist with the continuing the learning journey.
Since launching, the immersive rooms students have benefitted from improved employability skills, including virtual presentation and communication skills, an increasing requirement within industry. This has resulted in improved learning outcomes, attributed to an increase in student motivation from the experience of the immersive room, combined with removing the geographical barriers of sharing specialist expertise across campuses.
Q&A with USP College Principal, Dan Pearson
What were your main priorities when sourcing a solution?
Our priorities spanned both a curriculum and technological platform. We wanted to ensure we could provide high quality career focused curriculum so considered how we could utilise and extend the reach of our best subject specialist teachers. A cross campus immersive learning environment seemed both a logical and future focused step in achieving this.
What are the main benefits of teaching using the Immersive Classrooms and ClassView?
Extending the reach of our best teachers cross campus, improved and progressive teaching and learning environments, and the ability to collaborate with experts both in other educational institutions and in industry have all contributed to improved student outcomes.
What challenges did you encounter during deployment and how did you overcome them?
Yes, initially we chose a different technology platform which was more costly and much less effective. We learnt the hard way. We re-evaluated our brief for a solution that would enhance rather than detract from the learning experience and outcomes of students; ClassView ticked our particular boxes. We went for a bespoke set up to create that true immersive and seamless teaching environment. It took time for us to master a shift in teaching style, student management and engagement and to tweak some technical points in support of this.
What subjects are you currently teaching?
We teach a range of courses including Science, Physics, Creative Arts and Humanities. We are currently in the process of timetabling a number of Higher Education courses at present.
USP College has successfully implemented immersive Classrooms and ClassView software to deliver a high-quality and consistent learning experience across their dispersed campuses. The use of innovative technology and collaborative teaching has resulted in improved student outcomes and enhanced employability skills.
Contact our team to learn how these immersive solutions can revolutionise your teaching delivery and provide an engaging learning experience for your students.
