ThingLink Spotlight! Lighting Up Immersive Learning with Ivan Lai

Louise Jones June 13, 2026

ThingLink Luminaries is a series of guest blog posts highlighting certified trainers who are creating interactive and immersive experiences to make learning more engaging, accessible, and meaningful. Our educators and learning designers bring a thoughtful approach to immersive learning, and their work reflects a deep commitment to creativity, pedagogy, and innovation.

In each profile post, we’ll explore their background, teaching philosophy, and favorite ThingLink projects offering insight into how they’re making a lasting impact in their classrooms, organizations and communities! Enjoy!

Introducing Ivan!

I am a Lecturer, Senior Tutor, and Academic Lead (Student Experience and Success) in Higher Education. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and hold professional credentials including Recognised Practitioner Advisor, Microsoft Certified Educator and Elevate Expert, and Certified Mental Health First Aider.

My interests include student success, academic advising, digital learning, and educational innovation. I am committed to enhancing the student experience through evidence-informed practice, inclusive education, and effective use of technology.

Ivan’s ThingLink Project

This ThingLink project was designed as a learning roadmap, providing users with a clear sense of progression and continuity throughout their learning journey.

The structured approach enabled users to navigate the content in a logical and meaningful sequence, supporting exploration, engagement, and deeper understanding of operating the laboratory equipment.

Laboratory Learning Roadmap

→ Explore this fantastic ThingLink project in a fresh new tab.

What inspired you to create this project?

This ThingLink project was developed in March 2026 with three key objectives:

(1) to transform my Laboratory into a ThingLink-enabled learning space,

(2) to provide students with an interactive way to explore and familiarise themselves with the major laboratory equipment, and

(3) to showcase innovative, technology-enhanced learning experiences to prospective students and their families during campus Open Days.

From my perspective, ThingLink is a user-friendly platform with a clean interface; developing, organising, and managing multimedia content is straightforward. This enables me to focus on designing meaningful learning experiences.

How was this experienced by the students?

The initiative has been well received by university leadership and colleagues. Since its launch in April 2026, the project has recorded over 210 views, and the poll indicated 80% of the users agree that the project enhances their learning.

This reflects that the project has been successful in supporting both student learning and engagement through an interactive learning experience.

What do you love about ThingLink?

ThingLink allows me to focus on designing meaningful learning experiences rather than being constrained by the technical aspects of content creation.

Do you have any other project ideas planned?

I am planning to conduct student-facing teaching and learning activities, including staff training, within the ThingLink environment. I also aim to enhance my content with AR/XR capabilities to create more immersive and interactive learning experiences.

Fun Facts and Connect with Ivan!

We’d love you to connect with Ivan and learn more about his work. You can find him on LinkedIn. Ivan is based in Malaysia, where one of the most popular and much-loved dishes is Hainan chicken rice 🍚. In fact, Ivan’s fun fact says it all: you don’t really “decide” to eat Hainan chicken rice, you simply check what day it is and show up three or four times a week accordingly! 😊