Florida University Turns to VR to Teach Personal Finance

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/04/21
virtual reality

A Florida university is adding virtual reality experiences to two courses. Nova Southeastern University worked with Adept XR to develop an immersive learning program for students taking a personal finance class and another for accounting students. The company, a subsidiary of The Glimpse Group, creates custom VR and augmented reality experiences for higher ed and corporations.

During the Fall 2020 semester, first-year students donned headsets for a course where they practiced life skills. The program allowed them to go through simulated decisions on weekly budgeting, home purchases, unexpected expenses and other aspects of personal finance. A second VR experience enabled accounting students to walk into a virtual warehouse and do inventory counts to practice conducting audits. According to the company, NSU is now considering creation of an avatar that uses artificial intelligence to enrich student interactions and engagement.

"We have high expectations for our students and we work to thoughtfully captivate and challenge them in memorable ways. That's why I am excited to offer VR experiences provided by Adept XR," said Andy Rosman, dean of the university's H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, in a press release. "Together with faculty, [the company has] managed to create two unique exercises that engage students in a way no other medium can."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • abstract pattern with interconnected blue nodes and lines forming neural network shapes, overlaid with semi-transparent bars and circular data points

    Data, AI Lead Educause Top 10 List for 2025

    Educause recently released its annual Top 10 list of the most important technology issues facing colleges and universities in the coming year, with a familiar trio leading the bunch: data, analytics, and AI. But the report presents these critical technologies through a new lens: restoring trust in higher education.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • Man wearing headset working on a computer

    Internet2: Network Routing Security and RPKI Adoption in Research and Education

    We ask James Deaton, vice president of network services, about Internet2's initiatives and leadership efforts to promote routing security and RPKI adoption in research and higher education networks.

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?