What does it do for learning?
VR technologies from the Immersive Technology Design team at UT Online allow students —wherever they are located—to engage with learning materials and activities that they would otherwise not be able to interact with. This allows students to learn and practice skills and activities that may be:
- too far away
- too dangerous
- too risky
- too high stakes
All this means that immersive technologies are ideal for online learning. Students can engage anywhere there is an internet connection, and can interact with one another in a spatial way across large distances. A student in New York can enter a virtual space with a professor in St. George! This also means that students can participate in labs, clinical practice, hands-on activities, and other learning experiences on their own schedule.
Immersive technologies are also ideal for transforming a traditional online experience into an active, applied, and authentic learning experience. Students can engage in hands-on activities and be immersed in a semi-real-world setting. And because VR simulates reality, the experience becomes active by nature. In a virtual setting, students can problem solve in a way that emulates real life.
What does this mean for you?
Utah Tech Online’s Immersive Technology Design Team consults with faculty interested in using VR to enhance the learning experience for online students. If you’re interested in using VR in your online course, contact Jordan Ellsworth at UT Online for a conversation.
