Canada’s Northlands College Introduces Its Campus in Metaverse

Northlands College, which already has physical campuses in La Ronge, Creighton, Air Ronge, and Buffalo Narrows, has recently launched the Northlands College Metaverse Campus.

Northlands is among the few colleges in Canada to establish a full campus presence in the metaverse.

The college’s foray into the metaverse is considered a remarkable accomplishment, beginning a new phase of digital learning, enabling it to push the boundaries of education and technology integration across Northern Saskatchewan.

The initiative is part of Northlands College’s Year of Transformation in 2023, according to Karsten Henriksen, the President and CEO of the college.

Henriksen said: “That Year of Transformation is really about where we are going as Northern Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institution. Northland College is demonstrating leadership on a national level and I think it’s high time that northern residents are proud of the innovation that happens in northern and rural remote communities, not only in northern Saskatchewan but from coast to coast to coast.”

A Metaverse Campus is a web3-based platform that enables the faculty and students to hold online meetings.

The metaverse-based platform aims to connect learners, faculty and staff in Northern Saskatchewan and facilitate access to the college’s education and services regardless of their real-time location.

The new campus environment offers students the flexibility to attend recorded virtual lectures at their own convenience. This allows learners from different time zones or those who are working to follow experiential and “in-person” lectures on their own time.

The metaverse campus is designed to deliver on core principles, including community, the application of cutting-edge technology to support academics and innovative learning experiences. Northlands College considers these principles to be fundamental in line with its vision for achieving its digital transformation.

According to Henriksen, the metaverse will not only serve students but also help staff spread across the north.