Sacred Heart Students Use VR in Coursework

Communications students studying online at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University will be doing at least some of their learning via virtual reality. The institution's online master's program for strategic communication and public relations will send Facebook Oculus Quest headsets to students, enabling them to connect with their instructors and peers through avatars. In addition, students will work with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to learn how to create multimedia content with high-definition video.

The project-based coursework is meant to highlight the intersection of communication and technology. Participants will learn how to create multimedia campaigns and apply new and emerging forms of media to their public relations and digital advertising work. Students will also create their own agency and develop a growth management strategy.

student using virtual reality

Sacred Heart University's online master's program for strategic communication and public relations features virtual reality coursework to provide immersive learning opportunities and improve student engagement. Source: Sacred Heart University/Mark F. Conrad

"Sacred Heart is leading the way in public relations education with this innovative program, which prepares students to succeed as professionals in public relations, advertising and digital marketing," said Candace Parrish, program director and assistant professor, in a statement. "We've developed a progressive, forward-thinking program that incorporates cutting-edge technologies to deliver an unparalleled experience for online learners."

This 36-credit program is currently enrolling for the summer 2021 term.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • InCommon Academy in action with an Advance CAMP unconference activity at the Internet2 Technology Exchange

    Community-Driven IAM Learning with Internet2's InCommon Academy

    Internet2's InCommon Academy Director Jean Chorazyczewski examines how the academy's community-driven identity and access management learning opportunities support CIOs, IT leaders, and their IAM teams in R&E.

  • magnifying glass highlighting a human profile silhouette, set over a collage of framed icons including landscapes, charts, and education symbols

    AWS, DeepBrain AI Launch AI-Generated Multimedia Content Detector

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) and DeepBrain AI have introduced AI Detector, an enterprise-grade solution designed to identify and manage AI-generated content across multiple media types. The collaboration targets organizations in government, finance, media, law, and education sectors that need to validate content authenticity at scale.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.

  • abstract representation of diverse workers in colorful silhouettes

    87% of Gen Z Workers Feel Unprepared to Succeed in the Workforce

    A new survey from Instructure explores how prepared people feel to navigate today's workforce, utilize digital tools, and adapt to change.