UC Berkeley Uses VR to Teach Interpersonal Skills

business handshake with digital globe overlay

At the University of California, Berkeley, learners can hone their leadership and interpersonal skills through a virtual reality environment designed to help people navigate a global and multicultural workplace. The institution's Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL) is using customized VR simulations created by Mursion, a company that provides immersive VR training in career skills.

The Mursion platform "blends artificial intelligence with live human interaction to deliver training that prepares learners for challenging interpersonal moments on the job," according to a news announcement. The simulations engage students' emotional, cognitive and behavioral skills with a focus on understanding cultural differences, leading inclusively and building trust among diverse teams.

"We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to build effective leadership skills using emerging learning technology," said Jason Patent, director of CIL at UC Berkeley, in a statement. "VR simulation is the ideal way to practice high-stakes interpersonal skills because of the balance it offers between stress and safety. Learners experience authentic practice with the kinds of conversations they encounter routinely in the workplace. The flexible and seamless nature of Mursion's technology makes it ideal for deploying across dispersed learners in a global context, meeting learners where they are with targeted, ongoing practice."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract pattern of shapes, arrows and circuit lines

    Internet2 Announces a New President and CEO to Step Up in October

    Internet2, the member-driven nonprofit offering advanced network technology services and cyberinfrastructure to the research and education community has completed its search, which began this past May, for a new president and CEO to take the helm.

  • shield with an AI microchip emblem hovering above stacks of gold coins

    AI Security Spend Surges While Traditional Security Budgets Shrink

    A new Thales report reveals that while enterprises are pouring resources into AI-specific protections, only 8% are encrypting the majority of their sensitive cloud data — leaving critical assets exposed even as AI-driven threats escalate and traditional security budgets shrink.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    MIT Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    A recent report out of the MIT Media Lab found that despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return.

  • young man in a denim jacket scans his phone at a card reader outside a modern glass building

    Colleges Roll Out Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US has announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campuswide. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.