How Kyushu University GEIKO Powered Multi-Format Learning with 2× Session Engagement Using SpatialChat

Riddhik Kochhar -

Context: Exploring a Unified Platform for Academic Experiences

Kyushu University’s Graduate School of Design (GEIKO), through its International Office, explored SpatialChat as part of its effort to enhance online education and academic event delivery. The goal was to evaluate how a single platform could support multiple academic formats, ranging from lectures and conferences to collaborative research and project-based learning.

During this phase, the SpatialChat team conducted demonstrations showcasing different virtual room formats and real-world academic use cases. These included research presentations, workshops, poster sessions, and interactive classroom environments. Rather than focusing on isolated features, the engagement emphasized how these formats could coexist within one cohesive environment.

This positioned SpatialChat not just as a meeting tool, but as an integrated space where academic interactions could unfold more naturally across different contexts.

The Challenge: Supporting Multiple Academic Formats in One Environment

Universities today require more than just video conferencing tools. Academic programs and events often combine lectures, discussions, group work, and networking—all within the same session or event.

However, traditional platforms struggle to support this complexity. Lectures tend to dominate, leaving little room for interaction. Poster sessions and informal discussions are difficult to replicate, while collaborative work lacks shared, visual environments. As a result, academic experiences become fragmented across multiple tools.

For GEIKO, the core challenge was: How can a single virtual environment support presentations, collaboration, and networking without compromising on interaction?

What Kyushu University GEIKO Explored

As part of the evaluation, the GEIKO team created a SpatialChat environment to experiment with different academic formats. The platform was introduced as a “3-in-1 solution,” combining presentation spaces, breakout environments, and collaborative workspaces.

Three core room types were explored:

  • Breakout-style environments enabled participants to engage in spatial audio discussions, forming small groups and moving freely between conversations.
  • Stage-based setups supported structured presentations with multiple speakers, making them suitable for lectures, conferences, and formal sessions.
  • Workplace-style environments allowed participants to collaborate around embedded content such as documents, boards, and shared resources.

In addition, the ability to integrate external tools such as Miro boards, Google Sheets, videos, PDFs, and surveys allowed academic content to be directly embedded within the environment. This made it possible to create interactive learning and research spaces rather than static presentation formats.

Through these configurations, the GEIKO team explored how different academic activities could be layered within a single virtual space, enabling seamless transitions between formats.

Results: High Interaction Across Learning and Collaboration Scenarios

  • 69–74% of participants actively engaged during breakout-style discussions and collaborative sessions
  • 5–7 simultaneous discussion groups formed organically during workshop and poster-style interactions
  • 2x higher interaction levels observed in poster sessions compared to prior webinar-based formats
  • Consistent engagement across formats, with participants transitioning between presentations and group work without drop-off

Participants were able to engage with both content and peers in a continuous flow, rather than switching between disconnected tools or sessions. This resulted in a more cohesive and interactive academic experience.

What the Engagement Demonstrated

The GEIKO exploration demonstrated that virtual academic environments can support multiple interaction formats effectively when designed within a unified structure.

By combining presentation areas, discussion zones, and collaborative workspaces, SpatialChat enabled a shift from fragmented digital experiences to integrated academic environments. Participants were not limited to a single mode of interaction; instead, they could engage in lectures, discussions, and collaborative work within the same session.

This approach also enhanced participation. When given the ability to move freely and interact across formats, participants were more likely to contribute, explore different topics, and engage with peers.

Importantly, the platform’s flexibility allowed the university to experiment with different configurations, helping identify what works best for various academic scenarios—from classrooms to conferences.