With its advanced technologies and help from teams of teaching and multimedia experts, the INNOVA Space offers a unique environment for creation, training, collaboration and research to support French-language education and the vitality of Francophone communities across Canada.
There are so many possibilities: interactive simulations in the 360-degree immersive cylinder, multimedia projections, holographic and augmented reality systems, online training, and hybrid conferences.
Turn your ideas into immersive, collaborative projects by booking INNOVA today!
A springboard to digitally empower Francophones
Given the location of her office and her Research Chair on Digital Thriving in Franco-Ontarian Communities, Megan Cotnam-Kappel practically lives in the INNOVA Space. The Faculty of Education professor and researcher has found not only a workplace there, but also a community of ideas and unique support for strengthening the digital skills of Francophones in minority language settings. “This year alone, in the INNOVA Space I’m hosting undergraduate and graduate student workshops that explore topics such as the creation of educational resources, academic publication in French and the principles of open science,” she says.
“... in the INNOVA Space, I host workshops [on] the creation of educational resources, academic publication in French and the principles of open science.”
Professor Megan Cotnam-Kappel
— Faculty of Education and holder of the Chair on Digital Thriving in Franco-Ontarian Communities
According to Cotnam-Kappel, INNOVA is also a hub for interprovincial collaboration. Together with the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, which is a partner in this initiative, Professor Cotnam-Kappel is conducting a study on ethical digital citizenship among young people in minority language communities in Ontario and Alberta. The issue is key to improving their digital skills and raising their awareness of ethical practices on the Web. Although collaboration between the two campuses will be taking place online, each session will be a tangible experience, with high-definition screens relaying co-created content and resources in real time to fuel discussion.
Cotnam-Kappel is also banking on the Faculty of Education’s edStudiO to carry out transformative teaching projects.
Immersive teaching and simulations
Étienne Trépanier, a professor and the lead for pedagogical innovation at the Faculty of Law, sees INNOVA as a space where he can transform his courses into practical simulations. The immersive Supreme Court of Canada experience, currently being developed at Jurivision, will be adapted for the 360-degree immersive cylinder. The in-cylinder simulation will provide law students with an engaging and immersive courtroom experience. In the interactive classroom, they will be able to project working documents, share strategies and find their bearings in dynamic, collaborative group situations. “INNOVA allows us to take a new approach to teaching law by immersing students in a virtual environment that reflects their topic of study,” he explains.
“INNOVA allows us to take a new approach to teaching law by immersing students in a virtual environment that reflects their topic of study.”
Professor Étienne Trépanier
— Lead for pedagogical innovation, Faculty of Law
Trépanier also says that the INNOVA Space is a catalyst for projects that push the traditional boundaries of education and knowledge mobilization, and, in terms of teaching, helps students experience the reality of regulated environments.
This highlights INNOVA’s potential for creating immersive simulations for a range of professions and various areas (law, international negotiation, education, music and more).
International negotiations and immersive games
Professor Thomas Burelli, from the Faculty of Law, creates immersive simulations of international negotiations on environmental law. He says INNOVA provides a unique sensory experience. “The ‘WOW’ effect is immediate. Instead of sitting in rows like in a classroom, students are immersed in a space where every nook and cranny is designed to stimulate collaboration and interaction.”
“The ‘WOW’ effect is immediate. Instead of sitting in rows [...], students are immersed in a space where every nook and cranny is designed to stimulate collaboration and interaction.”
Professor Thomas Burelli
— Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section
During such simulations, each student group represented a regional delegation with a mission: to negotiate a climate agreement. With INNOVA’s screens broadcasting conference logos and live news, the role play was true to life. Technology has also made it possible to develop real-time negotiating strategies.
As an e-sports enthusiast, Burelli also sees all the immersive cylinder’s potential for developing this field. He describes e-sports as a way of honing incredible strategic skills. In the post-COVID era, Morisset Library’s new Gaming Hub is becoming a forum for socialization. Burelli believes that INNOVA could attract other institutions in the region that offer training in video game development. E-sports enthusiasts on campus are an ideal pool for furthering the development of gaming in this immersive space.
INNOVA: A space of infinite possibilities
Thanks to its ties to complementary spaces, such as the edStudiO for educational creation, the INSPIRE Laboratory for behavioural observation, the CRX 220 Exploration Laboratory for virtual reality and the uOttawa-IBM Cyber Range for cybersecurity simulations, INNOVA is the gateway to a network of spaces where innovation comes to life. Whether the goal is to transform a conference into an interactive experience, simulate international negotiations or classrooms, or design immersive games, INNOVA embodies a contemporary vision of learning, research and collaboration.
With INNOVA, the University of Ottawa offers a unique environment where creative minds come together to shape the future of education and innovation.
