Objectives:
The “CVRriculum” pilot study evaluated the feasibility and benefits of introducing virtual reality(VR) as an experiential education(EE) medium into existing York courses. The goal was to help recognize and understand new perspectives (e.g. diversity needs on campus) by capturing these experiences and environments using 360-degree-VR-technology.
Based on existing theories that argue that comprehension of a topic is best achieved when the act of learning is accompanied by emotional reaction, we hypothesized that learning outcomes, specifically those related to interpersonal skills, like empathy building, can be better grasped through experience rather than lecture-style teaching. These skills are not only critical for certain careers like nursing, but are vital for the success of any student joining the workforce, and yet unfortunately, are not prioritized in our current educational context. Further exacerbating the problem is the increased use of information communication technologies resulting in virtual relationships that provide fewer and fewer opportunities for students to interact with one another honing their emotional intelligence through for example, empathy building.
Pilot Study:
In Nov 2019, faculty members(n=5) attended a workshop coaching them to implement VR into their classes and coursework; a complementary online-toolkit was also developed. In January 2020, teams of students(n=25) from the participating faculty’s courses volunteered to be part of the study whereby instead of a traditional assignment, they would complete an alternative VR-project addressing the same learning outcomes.
Our team conducted pre-post surveys with the control and experimental participants, took in-depth standardized observations throughout the semester, and upon project completion, students were asked to provide a reflection on their experience, additionally a select number of students were invited to participate in a focus group. While challenges were identified (and will be addressed in subsequent iterations), the overwhelming response was that VR-integration provides a fresh perspective and that both students and educators are keen to include this novel technology as a means for EE in their future curricula.
