EdTech Connect: Ep. 76 – Fiona Hayes: Why Perspective Is the Most Underrated Skill in Higher Education

Date: February 27, 2026
Guest: Dr. Fiona Hayes, CEO & Co-founder, Viewpoint Simulations
Host: Jeff Dillon

Episode Overview

In this standout episode, Jeff Dillon sits down with Dr. Fiona Hayes, co-founder and CEO of Viewpoint Simulations, to unpack why the skill of perspective-taking is essential but undervalued in higher education. Fiona brings experience from healthcare, academia, and edtech entrepreneurship, fresh off of leading Viewpoint Simulations to rapid global adoption. This lively conversation explores the need for more interpersonal and experiential learning in institutions, the realities of edtech adoption, and unique insights on building impactful, scalable teams. The episode is rich with actionable takeaways for anyone aiming to bridge innovation, technology, and student engagement on campus.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fiona’s Unique Journey: From Audiology to EdTech

[02:42 – 03:40]

• Fiona shares how her roots as an audiologist and early leadership roles in healthcare taught her operational flexibility and empathy—skills that laid the groundwork for her transition into edtech entrepreneurship.
• Quote:

  “For me that was really critical in just getting experience working in different environments … it gave me a lot of foundational background that you might not expect from a traditional healthcare field.” (A, 03:23)

2. The Spark Behind Viewpoint Simulations

[03:52 – 04:32]

• The challenge of delivering experiential clinical education remotely during the pandemic inspired Fiona to co-create an active learning simulation platform.
• Serendipitous connections during her MBA studies accelerated the company’s founding.
• Quote:

  “One of the biggest challenges I had was during the pandemic, we went to Zoom teaching … We just didn’t have really great tools to do that.” (A, 03:57)

3. What Sets Viewpoint Simulations Apart

[05:44 – 06:48]

• The platform stands out by focusing on interpersonal connection and real-time role-play rather than replacing social learning with VR/AR.
• Educators can either create or choose from immersive activities, helping students debate, negotiate, and step into new perspectives.
• Quote:

  “We are really leaning into how do we get these students to connect with one another better, … and how can we get them to come to common decisions with all of that?” (A, 06:09)

4. Why Perspective-Taking Is Transformative

[07:12 – 08:41]

• Students today are overloaded by passive content, leading to disengagement.
• Active simulations force students out of their comfort zones and deepen learning retention—sometimes for semesters afterwards.
• Memorable Moment:

  Anecdote from George Mason University, where a student learned more by embodying a senator with opposing beliefs:
  “I think I learned more being in the shoes of somebody who I very vastly disagree with…” (A, 08:11)

5. Rapid Traction—Keys to Early Success

[09:02 – 09:49]

• Viewpoint emerged from years of classroom-tested innovation at the University of Michigan (thanks to co-founder Dr. Elizabeth Gerber).
• Faculty partnership and feedback loops with colleagues accelerated product-market fit.

6. Balancing Scale with Educator Focus

[10:05 – 10:45]

• Scale comes only if educators genuinely value the tool. Continuous feedback and partnership are core to growth.
• Quote:

  “I don't necessarily think that there's a trade-off in that. … It's really just getting people onboarded and excited and seeing what they can do and then the message spreads itself.” (A, 10:25)

7. Building a Remote, Mission-Driven Global Team

[10:49 – 12:09]

• Distributed staffing emerged naturally by serving clients worldwide—early hires in Africa mirrored institutional expansion.
• Team is united by a shared mission and authentic creativity; diversity boosts innovation.

8. Leadership & Start-Up Lessons

[12:32 – 13:15]

• Knowing your own strengths, and those of your team, is vital.
• Fiona intentionally complements her skills with diverse hires, a practice reinforced during her executive MBA.

9. Adoption & Resistance in Higher Ed

[13:36 – 15:09]

• Experiential learning is a hot priority for students, administrators, and funders alike.
• Biggest barrier: Getting tenured educators to risk changing tried and true course methods.
• Quote:

  “If you’ve been teaching the same class for 15 years and you finally got it where you want, it’s really hard. It’s really hard to change that and reshape that and teach it in a different way.” (A, 14:22)

10. Preparing Students for Real-World Challenges

[15:23 – 16:31]

• Higher ed should directly integrate practical/industry experiences and cross-sector partnerships.
• Fiona’s own teaching benefited from academia-industry course co-leadership, which she sees as a transformative model.
• Quote:

  “I think more of that integration between … business and educational sector is really important for getting students to know what they’ll do in their fields post graduation.” (A, 16:08)

11. The Power of Educator-to-Educator Word of Mouth

[16:48 – 18:38]

• Most new institutional adoptions come via instructor referrals, crossing disciplines far faster than expected.

12. The Critical Role of LMS Integration

[19:03 – 19:47]

• Seamless integration with campus platforms like Canvas and LTI was a “mission critical” early focus.
• Advice for EdTech Teams:

  Build strong connections with university instructional design teams to make integration easier.

13. Looking Ahead: Partnerships & Platform V2

[20:00 – 20:41]

• Major partnership with the William Davidson Institute (University of Michigan) pairing case studies with simulations.
• Fall 2026 brings a new, upgraded platform version co-designed from extensive educator feedback.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Perspective as Empathy:

  “Just because you say something in a way that makes sense to you, doesn't mean that it makes sense to everybody who's listening.” (A, 04:58)

• On Role-Playing Transforming Beliefs:

  “I think I learned more being in the shoes of somebody who I very vastly disagree with…” (A, 08:11)

• Student Engagement Crisis:

  “We are in an age of information overload at every corner … a lot of them have honestly checked out.” (A, 07:20)

• Educator Buy-In as the Only Path to Scale:

  “The only way the scales really effectively is if the educators are really excited to use it.” (A, 10:11)

• Building Mission-Driven Teams:

  “Viewpoint seems to attract really creative, really mission driven individuals and people who want to have better teaching and learning experiences within their home areas.” (A, 11:39)

Important Timestamps

• 02:52 – Fiona’s audiology background & leadership lessons
• 03:52 – How pandemic remote-teaching challenges birthed Viewpoint
• 05:44 – Active learning, role-play, and what sets the platform apart
• 07:12 – The impact of simulations on student engagement
• 08:11 – Student anecdote on changed perspective
• 09:02 – Secrets to rapid traction and faculty partnership
• 10:05 – Scaling without sacrificing educator satisfaction
• 10:49 – Building and leading globally distributed teams
• 13:36 – Adoption opportunities and friction in higher ed
• 15:23 – Real-world preparedness: Partnerships across sectors
• 19:03 – Why LMS integration is mission critical
• 20:00 – Future directions: Partnerships and Platform V2

Takeaways for Higher Ed Professionals

• Focus on Perspective: Simulated, interpersonal learning helps students wrestle with uncomfortable viewpoints, strengthening critical thinking and empathy.
• Faculty Buy-In Over Everything: True innovation in the classroom spreads peer-to-peer and grows fastest with strong instructor advocacy.
• Integration Matters: Tech adoption skyrockets when platforms fit seamlessly into existing campus workflows (LMS).
• Practical Application: Partner academia with industry wherever possible to prepare students for post-graduation realities.
• Team Composition Is Strategic: Complementary and mission-driven teams are essential for creative, scalable edtech.

“We are really at the beginning, early stages of helping educators see how they could maybe enhance the way they're teaching … to get their students really engaged in the learning process.” — Fiona Hayes (A, 14:49)

For more episodes and resources, visit edtechconnect.com.