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

Fiona’s journey is anything but conventional: from clinical audiologist and university instructor to scaling a global edtech startup used by over 30,000 students at institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. She serves as the CEO and co-founder of Viewpoint Simulations. She shares how teaching during the pandemic revealed a gap in experiential learning—and how she and her co-founder turned a classroom tool into a thriving platform that transforms lecture content into active role-playing simulations.

Fiona shares her experiences building a fully remote, mission-driven team, why educator-to-educator referrals fuel growth, and how deep LMS integration became a non-negotiable key to adoption.

Whether you’re an educator looking to engage students in new ways, an edtech founder navigating early growth, or a leader curious about the future of experiential learning, this conversation is packed with real-world insights on innovation, empathy, and scaling with purpose.

Key Takeaways

1. Experiential Learning Fills a Critical Gap – Viewpoint Simulations transforms traditional lecture content into active role-playing, debate, and negotiation exercises—helping students move from passive consumption to engaged, perspective-taking learning.
2. Empathy-Driven Product Development – Fiona’s background as an audiologist and educator taught her that communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. This mindset shapes how Viewpoint designs for diverse learners and maintains an open feedback loop with educators.
3. Educators Are Your Best Advocates – Viewpoint’s early traction came largely from educator referrals and peer-to-peer sharing. Building tools that educators genuinely want to use—and making them easy to share—creates organic, scalable growth.
4. LMS Integration Is Mission-Critical – Deep integration with platforms like Canvas (via LTI) wasn’t a nice-to-have—it was essential for adoption. Fiona advises partnering with university teaching and learning centers to navigate integration smoothly.
5. Remote Teams Can Drive Creativity & Mission – Viewpoint’s fully remote, global team isn’t a compromise—it’s a strategic advantage. Hiring across time zones and cultures brings diverse perspectives and fuels innovation.
6. Play to Your Team’s Strengths – Successful leadership means knowing your own strengths and complementing them with team members who bring different skills. This self-awareness has been key to navigating startup highs and lows.
7. Partner with Publishers to Enhance Existing Content – Viewpoint’s publisher-integrated model turns static case studies into interactive simulations, adding value to existing educational materials and creating new avenues for adoption.
8. The Biggest Barrier Is Educator Adoption – While demand for experiential learning is growing, convincing seasoned educators to change long-established teaching methods remains a challenge. Success stories and peer advocacy are crucial to overcoming this.
9. Prepare Students by Bridging Theory & Practice – Higher ed can better equip graduates by fostering stronger partnerships between academia and industry—giving students a clearer picture of how classroom learning translates to real-world challenges.

 

Find Fiona Hayes:

LinkedIn                              

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionamhayes/

Viewpoint Simulations

https://viewpointsims.com/

 

And find EdTech Connect here:

Web: https://edtechconnect.com/

 

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - What are college students learning these days?
• (00:00:35) - EdTech Connect: Fiona Hayes
• (00:02:42) - Televisual Influencers: Learning From Experience in Healthcare
• (00:04:32) - How Learning Has Shape Your Tech Startup
• (00:05:30) - What Sets Perspective Simulations apart?
• (00:08:43) - Inventing Viewpoint: The Learning System
• (00:10:45) - How a Remote Team Helped You Lead
• (00:13:15) - WSJDLive: The Challenges of Experiential Learning
• (00:15:09) - What's One Thing Higher Ed Could Do to Better Prepare Students for
• (00:16:31) - Viewpoint Edtech's Publisher-to-Educator Integration
• (00:19:47) - Viewpoint Solutions: What's Next for the Software?