Virtual reality – Is it just a luxury for the avid gamer seeking the ultimate immersive experience or does it have a place in Higher Education? Let's dive in.

In September,  CELT, the Center for Excellent in Learning and Teaching hosted a demo showcasing how virtual reality can be used in the classroom.

The room was split up into different sections to demonstrate how virtual reality, augmented, and mixed reality offer different experiences.

Instructional Designer Jenny Zhang describes the purpose of the event:

The goal of our Teaching Tips and Treats VR Demo is to introduce Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality,  and Mixed Reality as immersive teaching technology tools. Last year, Meta introduced the more affordable headset, Oculus Quest 2, which makes it possible for higher education institutions to use VR in their classrooms, online or onsite. VR can improve student engagement, social interaction, community building, immersive learning, group activity, and inclusiveness. Since VR is still an emerging technology, most faculty and students have limited experience with it. That’s why we came up with the idea of demonstrating the pedagogical use of VR tools, so faculty can come in for a test drive,  get comfortable with VR headsets, and have an immersive user experience.

We did some research on various tools and apps and decided to demo four different VR technologies - 360 photos, Meta Horizon Workrooms, Gravity Sketch, and FrameVR. They are all cost-free and user-friendly.

• Oculus Quest 2 headset X 3
• Big screen TV for casting X 2
• laptop x 4
• Apple Magic keyboard x1
• Tripod x1
• GoPro Max x1
• Greenscreen x1
• iPad pro x1 - for recording XR

Just like other emerging technologies, VR shows a lot of potential in many different fields. For example, healthcare, corporate training, real estate, marketing, etc. We also see a lot of growth in the higher education field. Many universities already use VR for virtual classrooms, labs, museums, field trips, and active learning classrooms. Research also shows VR can help students achieve their academic goals.  Adding VR components to college courses can enhance the student learning experience and it could lead to future career opportunities in the VR field. 

Yes, we will plan VR demos based on requests from faculty. 

CELT is growing!  Look for an updated video to include new staff. 

See the entire CELT family here!

Nothing here yet.