Wooclap raises $29M: Interview with Jerome Lo Wai, Director Learning Technologies at Nanyang Technological University

Why would you recommend Wooclap? What problems does it solve and what advantages does it offer compared to other tools?

Wooclap is a highly effective student response system that solves key challenges in higher education. It addresses student disengagement by transforming lectures into interactive sessions, turning passive listeners into active participants. The platform provides real-time feedback, allowing educators to instantly gauge student understanding and adapt their teaching on the spot. This creates an inclusive environment where all students, especially those who are shy, can contribute.

Compared to other tools, Wooclap stands out for its diverse range of over 20 question types, including discipline-specific options like "label an image," making it incredibly versatile. It also integrates seamlessly with our Learning Management System, providing a smooth and unified experience for everyone. In essence, Wooclap is not just a tool for engagement; it's a valuable platform that supports data-driven teaching and improves learning outcomes.

Do you participate in the co-creation of some Wooclap and Wooflash features? What do you enjoy about this process?

Yes, we have had the opportunity to participate in the development process for Wooclap features, and it has been a very rewarding experience.

What we enjoy most is the genuine sense of partnership. We appreciate how responsive their support team is and that they actively ask for our feedback every year. It shows a commitment to building a product that works for us. For example, they've included us in the beta stage for their AI features, which gave us a chance to test them and offer insights.

It's particularly gratifying to see features we've requested become a reality. Recently, they added a "Participation Mode," which our instructors had been asking for, as it helps create a more inclusive learning environment. Seeing our feedback directly influence the platform and benefit our instructors makes us feel like a genuine partner in their journey to improve learning technology.

What is your favorite use case?

Our favourite use case is leveraging Wooclap's unique "Find on Image" feature to facilitate group analysis and discussion, a key skill across many university disciplines.

For example, in a business course, an instructor can upload a graph or a financial model and ask students to "find the point of maximum profitability" or "identify the key inflection point." In a humanities class, they could use a historical map and ask students to "locate the strategic bottleneck" that determined the outcome of a battle. And in a mathematics or engineering class, they might present a complex diagram or schematic and ask students to "identify the circuit's failure point" or "locate the steepest gradient on the curve."

This approach goes beyond simple recall and instead prompts students to apply their knowledge, think critically, and perform a live, collaborative analysis of visual data. It's a powerful way to immediately see what students are focusing on and how they interpret complex visuals, which is a significant advantage over other tools. It turns a static image into a dynamic, interactive class activity.

Wooclap now has additional funding. Do you consider this good news?

Yes, we definitely see this as great news for everyone who uses Wooclap. For any educational technology platform, additional funding is a positive sign of health and future growth. And as active users, we expect to see this translate into a better, more stable, and more innovative platform for our students and faculty.

We're particularly excited about what this means for the platform's future. We hope to see them invest in even greater product innovation and integrate new technologies more quickly. This also gives us confidence that they can continue to enhance support and stability for the platform, which is critical for a tool used across our institution.

Do you think AI is a threat or an opportunity for higher education?

AI presents both a threat and an opportunity for higher education, but ultimately, we believe it's a powerful opportunity.

The main threat lies in academic integrity, as students can use generative AI to cheat on assignments and undermine traditional methods of assessment. We also must consider how an over-reliance on these tools could diminish essential skills. If students depend too heavily on AI for writing or problem-solving, it could hinder the development of their own critical thinking, creativity, and communication abilities, which are the cornerstones of a university education.

However, the opportunity far outweighs these risks. AI can be used to personalize learning for each student, offering tailored resources and feedback at scale, which is crucial in a university setting. It can also help our educators by automating time-consuming administrative tasks, freeing them up to focus on meaningful interactions with students. Most importantly, it encourages us to rethink what skills are most important for our students to learn in the modern world. Instead of rote memorization, we can now focus on fostering uniquely human skills. By teaching our students how to use AI responsibly, we are preparing them to be leaders in a future workforce where human and artificial intelligence will work in tandem.

Is there a book or resource you would recommend to teachers and trainers who want to teach more effectively?

While there are many excellent books on teaching, a fantastic and very practical resource we recommend is a podcast. They are great for professional development on the go. Two resources we recommend are Teaching in Higher Ed and Tea for Teaching.

Both are highly popular and well-regarded podcasts tailored specifically to university-level educators. They offer practical, insightful advice on everything from instructional design and edtech to student engagement and inclusive teaching practices.