U Tennessee Experiments with VR Course Delivery

virtual reality

Courtesty of University of Tennessee

A fall 2021 capstone marketing course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business used virtual reality as a regular delivery modality. Students in an experimental hybrid section of Marketing Strategy attended both face-to-face and remote VR class sessions, while another section was taught entirely face-to-face.

Students in the hybrid section used Oculus Quest 2 headsets to attend class via the VR platform Spatial. While both sections achieved the same learning outcomes, the VR class "absorbed the material at a higher level," according to instructor Mark Collins, distinguished lecturer of marketing at Haslam and director of the college's Office of Technology-Enhanced Education. "Because it was so different, it made [students] focus and pay attention a lot more," said Collins, in a statement. He added, "The interaction and engagement by the students in VR is night and day compared to if we only had met on Zoom. Part of it, I'm sure, is the fact that they're an avatar, so they don't feel that self-consciousness."

"Having an avatar makes the classroom experience feel personal and like we are all in the room together but also makes it less intimidating," reported marketing student Bridgette Liederbach. "Zoom sometimes makes me uncomfortable to have my camera on and [unmute myself] because I know everyone will see my face pop up on their screen, but using Spatial makes talking in class easier."

Collins plans to use VR for virtual field trips in future sections of his course, and has spoken with other Haslam faculty members about the potential of VR for other courses.

"Across all disciplines, there are moments where we want the students to understand something at a really deep and meaningful level, and we can use VR to make that engagement and interaction happen," he said. "I can see using it in a focused, short time span, to keep it really powerful rather than just becoming the new normal."

About the Author

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

Featured

  • a glowing gaming controller, a digital tree structure, and an open book

    Report: Use of Game Engines Expands Beyond Gaming

    Game development technology is increasingly being utilized beyond its traditional gaming roots, according to the recently released annual "State of Game Development" report from development and DevOps solutions provider Perforce Software.

  • abstract representation of equity at the core of AI

    Why Equity Must Be a Core Part of the Conversation About AI

    AI is an immensely powerful tool that can provide customized support for students with diverse learning needs, tailoring educational experiences to meet student’s individual needs more effectively. However, significant disparities in AI access and digital literacy skills prevent many of these same students from fully leveraging its benefits.

  • 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.

  • network of transparent cloud icons, each containing a security symbol like a lock or shield

    Okta, OpenID Foundation Propose New Identity Security Standard

    Okta and the OpenID Foundation have announced the formation of the IPSIE Working Group — with the acronym standing for Interoperability Profiling for Secure Identity in the Enterprise — dedicated to a new identity security standard for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.