Q: How do I book the Virtual Campus?

Please write an e-mail to info@engage-virtualcampus.eu. Include

• a short description of the type of event/learning offer you want to book (demo, course/part of course, meeting, …)

• the date (and time) of the event (an event can also be booked for several days, there are not really time limits)

• the expected number of participants

• a suggestion (2 or 3 timeslots) for a planning meeting (regarding the settings/scenes for your learning offer/event)

• We will contact you and invite you to a planning meeting

Q: Can teachers use the Virtual Campus without support?

In principle, teachers can use the Virtual Campus without support. However, this depends on the size of the group and the planned activities. We will clarify this question in a planning meeting. Please contact info@engage-virtualcampus.eu to book a meeting.

Q: How long do I have to plan for the onboarding of students?

Students get familiar with the Virtual Campus quickly. They should be pointed at the Guide for the Virtual Campus together with an information e-mail or information statement in the course environment beforehand. You should plan for about 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes for a fade-in where they can go in and out to select an avatar, adjust the settings of their headset (microphone and speaker) etc. and 10 minutes for a short training how to move around and use the communication opportunities and options of the menu.

Q: Can I use the Virtual Campus for my whole course/learning offer?

In principle, you can use the Virtual Campus for an entire course. However, it can also be used for individual activities, such as group formation, team building, gallery walks, treasure hunts, etc. If you are not sure which type of use fits best, please do not hesitate to contact us for a planning meeting at info@engage-virtualcampus.eu.

Q: What is the added value of a Virtual Campus compared to webconferencing?

Students and participants in a session in the Virtual Campus develop a greater sense of presence. Furthermore, different activities, such as team building and group work in the Virtual Campus, are similar to those in physical settings, as people (or their avatars) can move around freely. Because of the three-dimensional space, teachers can observe working activities happening simultaneously; they are not hidden from view in breakout rooms. Placing objects (various types of media, including 360° videos or 3D objects) in a room helps to contextualize them and visualize the learning offerings. Spatial audio allows for a natural flow of conversations based on the position of the speaker and listener. If you walk away with another person, you can talk privately without disturbing others.

Q: How can I see/monitor the activity of the students?

Like in on-site course sessions and web conferences, it is not easy to see who is active and engaged throughout the session. There are numerous student activation methods that can be used in sessions in the Virtual Campus, as well as in on-site course sessions and web conferences. You can design activities that encourage avatars to move around, and you can also ask students to use their webcam images in addition.

Q: How can I compensate for lacking facial expressions and gestures?

You can use the menu options for basic gestures (clapping, raising the hand) and facial expressions (e.g. laughing). Additionally, participants can use a webcam picture next to their avatar, which can be also projected to a media wall.

Q: Can I place/post learning content in the Virtual Campus – and where is it stored?

Each registered user of the Virtual Campus has a file manager („My Files“) where s/he can store files (storage space: 2 GB) in folder structures that can be set up freely. From this file manager, materials can be placed at any time in the Virtual campus. This way, files can also be shared with others. As most of your learning offers will be placed in a „session“, you can also use the session folder to store files for the session and to re-generate session outcomes in the next session on the Virtual Campus.

Q: Can students download the learning materials and offers?

Students (with activated account) can download the files to their “My Files” folder. They can also click on simple media objects such as PDF and download them to their device.

Q: What is a „session“ in the Virtual Campus?

A session is a learning offer that can be one unit of a course or a whole course or module. You can decide if you want the „session“ to last for just one hour or the whole term – or anything in between. The decision depends on the didactic design of your learning offer. E.g.: Do you want to do a (rather short) activity with students (such as a Kickoff event, a treasure hunt, …) or do you want them to do a gallery walk in between two synchronous sessions and to leave comments and/or share their impressions later on? A few usage scenarios are described on our website. Please contact info@engage-virtualcampus.eu, we will help you to set up a session that is tailormade to your needs.