Incorporating Virtual Reality in the Adult Education Classroom

About This Session

Description

This presentation will examine the process and outcomes of two pilot projects designed to explore how virtual reality can be incorporated into the adult education classroom. Participants will gain greater awareness of the tools and skills needed, as well as the possibilities of this technology. Attendees will learn how immersive education can be used to promote the academic development adult learners.

What we'll cover:

This presentation will provide an overview of two virtual reality pilot projects. These pilots ran consecutively; they began in October 2021 and concluded in May 2023.

Pilot participants were comprised of a few NCFL staff members, and a group of instructors and students from four Kentucky Adult Education programs. The focus of the pilot projects was to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) could be used in the adult education classroom.

After introducing the participants to virtual reality through VR headsets and platforms, each program was tasked with creating an immersive learning experience that addressed an academic subject area and incorporated a contextualized approach. One goal of the pilots was to develop and enhance the capability and comfort of instructors with immersive learning technology. Another goal was sustainability, such that the acquisition of skills would lead to continued use of virtual reality as a supplemental instructional resource for adult education instructors and students.

The presentation will also provide evaluation data highlighting the experience from the perspective of instructors and students, as well as lessons learned within our organization.