Wonders of the World: Using VR technology and virtual study abroad to bridge the access gap
Concurrent Session 6
Brief Abstract
We will present ways of using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to develop a new genre of virtual study abroad to bridge the access gap with respect to experiential learning opportunities for online learners. Instead of bringing the classroom to students, we want to take our students to see the world.
Presenters
Additional Authors
Extended Abstract
Online learning allows institutions to make higher education accessible to those that would otherwise not be served by traditional brick and mortar operations. Courses can reach a geographically dispersed audience, students can adapt coursework to their own personal schedules, and instructors can spend more time interacting with students rather than conveying information in unidirectional lectures (Means et al. 2013). In short, online education has excelled in bringing the classroom to students.
Even with this increased access, many aspects of the student experience and experiential learning, like study abroad, remain out of reach for many online learners. According to the 2022 EducationDynamics Online College Students report, the top three (59% of responses) pain points for those enrolling in online programs are related to finances and family and work obligations (Aslanian et al. 2022). In our own context, over 70% of students enrolled in Arizona Online are over the age of 25, and most do not have the financial means or time to participate in a traditional study abroad programs.
In this panel, we will present our response to this problem, highlighting one solution to increase opportunity and improve equity for online students. Specifically, we will discuss how we are using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to develop a new genre of virtual study abroad that can be used to bridge the access gap with respect to experiential learning opportunities for online learners. By creating access to VR study abroad programming—Arizona Online Wonders of the World Series—online learners can virtually travel to across the world and immerse themselves within new and diverse cultures. We want to shift the paradigm. Instead of bringing the classroom to students, we want to take our students to see the wonders of the world.
Virtual Reality is a technology poised to revolutionize the delivery of digital education for all students, especially those in online settings. The adoption of virtual reality methods in the classroom is, of course, not entirely new. Recent studies have presented a variety of potential benefits to employing virtual reality as a teaching tool (Liu et al., eds. 2017), with a particular efficacy in conveying procedural tasks or step-by-step processes such as changing oil in a car or assembling a computer (Dede, Jacobson, & Richards 2017: 2). In the classroom, these benefits include increased interest and engagement in course content, improved creativity, and greater cultural competence (Lund and Wang 2019). Slater (2017: 23) sees five advantages to employing VR in education: “(i) Transforming the abstract to the concrete; (ii) Doing rather than only observing; (iii) The infeasible or impossible becomes practical; (iv) explore manipulations of reality; (v) go beyond reality to positive advantage.”
While VR technology is being implemented in classroom settings, it is in no way considered widely available nor fully developed, a blue ocean opportunity for educational institutions. In particular, faculty and university staff are only in the nascent stages of considering the impact that VR technology might have on expanding student access to novel experiences. Many of the benefits derived from the use of virtual reality center on its ability to provide immersive and situated learning. Of particular relevance to this panel is Dede, Jacobson and Richard’s (2017: 4-5) concept of sensory immersion, which allows students to feel as though they are in a new environment through the use of displays such as VR headsets. We explore how VR can be implemented within existing courses to visit international sites, explore world class museums, and engage with the material past in three dimensions (Garstki, Larkee, & LaDisa 2019). More broadly, we will discuss how through strategic curation of VR assets, larger study abroad experiences that might otherwise be unattainable for students can be made accessible.
Though the use of virtual reality technology as a pedagogical tool seems promising, it is not without challenges. These include cost, logistics (especially at scale), not to mention the physical nausea that can arise from VR headsets. Discussing our initial process of course design and development with our pilot program Wonders of Ancient Greece, we will highlight both successes and challenges, provide tangible advice for prospective adopters, and imagine opportunities for the future. The primary aim of the panel, however, will be to provide fruitful reflection on the larger pedagogical and methodological frameworks through which virtual study abroad experiences can be additive to overall learning. We will discuss methods and strategies to go beyond noted cognitive pedagogical difficulties beyond the novelty of the technology (Allison 2008), cognitive overload, steep learning curve, issues of identity, quality or lack thereof regarding the digital environment, as well as those related to assessment, including supervising and evaluating student work within a VR environment (Liu et al 2017).
To facilitate active learning, attendees will be encouraged to participate in the VR experience during the presentation. We will provide Google Cardboard viewers, and those in attendance can experience the VR study abroad to better understand the process of development and how students will experience the program. This experiential practice will be used to foster a more engaged and robust discussion of VR technologies and potential challenges faced with integrating them into real world pedagogical practice during the presentation.
In summation, we will provide a framework through which we can expand access to immersive learning experiences to all online learners that will allow students to travel the world regardless of their other obligations and financial constraints.
Works Cited
Allison, J 2008 History educators and the challenge of immersive pasts: A critical review of virtual reality 'tools' and history pedagogy. Learning, Media and Technology, 33(4): 343-352. DOI: 10.1080/17439880802497099
Aslanian, C.B., Fischer, S, and Kitchell, R 2022 Online College Students 2022. Hoboken, NJ: EducationDynamics
Dede, C, Jacobson, J, and Richards, J 2017 Introduction: Virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in education. In Liu, D et al., eds. Virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in education. Smart computing and intelligence. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited. pp. 1-16.
Garstki, K, Larkee, C, and LaDisa, J 2019 A role for immersive visualization Experiences in teaching archaeology. Studies in Digital Heritage 3(1): 46-59. DOI: 10.14434/sdh.v3i1.25145
Liu, D, Bhagat, K, Gao, Y, Chang, T-W, and Huang R 2017 The potentials and trends of virtual reality in education: A bibliometric analysis on top research studies in the last two decades. In Liu, D et al., eds. Virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in education. Smart computing and intelligence. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited. pp. 105-130.
Liu, D, Dede, C, Huang, R, and Richards, J (eds) 2017 Virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in education. Smart computing and intelligence. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited.
Lund, B and Wang, T 2019 "Effect of Virtual Reality on Learning Motivation and Academic Performance: What Value May VR Have for Library Instruction? Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings, 9(1): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.4148/2160-942X.1073
Means, B, Toyama, Y, Murphy R, and Baki, M 2013 The effectiveness of online and blended learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Teachers College Record, 115. pp. 1-47. DOI: 10.1177/016146811311500307
Slater, M 2017 Implicit learning through embodiment in immersive virtual reality. In Liu, D et al., eds. Virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in education. Smart computing and intelligence. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited. pp. 19-33.