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Workshop

Digital Tools and Infrastructure

To Infinity and Beyond Zoom: A Case Study in Leveraging Digital Platforms to Foster Community-Driven Virtual Learning Environments

SESSION DATES & TIMES COMING IN AUGUST 2026
Audience Classification: Online Learning
Audience Expertise: All Levels - This session is intentionally designed to engage and provide value across experience levels-from beginners to seasoned leaders.
Grade Level Focus: Middle Schools, High Schools
Primary Audience: Content Designer, District Leader, Teacher
Does this session focus on a specific product? Yes - Created by another organization - The session focuses on how a school, district, or team uses an external product or service.
Abstract Description : How can virtual programs use digital platforms to foster genuine connection and community? At Shad Canada, we implemented SchoolSpace to complement live Zoom programming and create an interactive digital campus at our online STEAM and entrepreneurship summer program for grades 10 and 11. Shad leverages virtual platforms like SchoolSpace to encourage organic interactions and build a sense of belonging in online communities. Join us on our journey beyond Zoom where we’ll step into Shad’s SchoolSpace world, complete a community activity, and discuss successes, challenges, best practices and strategies you can apply in your own classrooms. The learnings about online community building will be applicable to other virtual settings. You’ll get actionable tools, design ideas, and insights for creating more connected and engaging online learning environments.
Discover how digital worlds can unlock new possibilities for engagement, collaboration, and community-building, moving beyond video calls to create spaces where learners truly belong.

Learning Objectives:

  • At the end of this session, participants will be able to consider how an immersive virtual world can contribute to community building among their learners and how a sense of community enhances academic progress.
  • At the end of this session, participants will be able to navigate SchoolSpace and facilitate a community building activity in a SchoolSpace world. This activity can be modified for other platforms or in-person learning spaces.