With the expansion of remote learning, the adoption of virtual reality in higher education has drastically increased. But this technology is not limited to classroom instruction. When implemented properly, VR can serve as an invaluable tool for academic research as well.

It enables experiments that would otherwise prove impossible, dangerous or costly.

Both research and academic instruction are compelling use cases for VR in an education context. To that end, we’ll explore some of the many ways VR can be used across myriad university departments.

Sociology

It’s tempting to assume that VR only offers learning solutions related to technology; however, one case study demonstrates its efficacy in an unlikely realm: sociology. Whereas sociological experiments often have subjects respond to the likes of a computer screen, a VR lab offers a more immersive experience.

For example: Partnering with MACE Virtual Labs, sociology researchers at Kent State University built one of the first VR labs in an American university sociology department. When attempting to study the impact of stressful environments, the Kent State sociology team was constrained by concerns for subject safety.

VR enabled them to:

Simulate threats
Manipulate the subject’s environment at will
Track physiological metrics, like eye movement and heart rate

Medicine

Nearly every area of medical training can be enhanced with the use of VR. It allows for a cost-effective and immersive learning environment that allows for the feasibility of repeated practice without endangering the patient.

For example: The University of Texas San Antonio is currently providing STEM students with VR headsets to engage with simulated lab training for introductory courses. Elsewhere, Loma Linda University introduced augmented reality glasses to help healthcare students practice central line techniques without fear of upsetting or harming patients. With the assistance of augmented reality glasses, students could more easily practice central venous catheter insertion, performing simulated procedures dozens of times to prepare for interfacing with actual human patients.

In 2016, Stanford opened its Neurosurgical and Virtual Reality Center. This advanced environment allows doctors to create 3D images of a patient’s anatomy, incorporate these images with MRI and CT scans, and provide an up-close view of the patient’s brain. Ultimately, this technology assists with surgery planning, academic instruction, and overall patient care.

History

In history classrooms, VR can be used to make the often abstract nature of the past come alive. In the same way that VR can be used to simulate a trip to Mars, it can also recreate forgotten events of the past.

For example: At Brown University, a professor utilized VR to provide students with an immersive recreation of the Gaspee Affair, a significant event in the lead up to the American revolution. VR’s ability to travel to the past isn’t limited to generations, however. Another exciting development was Google Street View’s ability to “travel into the past.” While this photographic data only stretches back to 2007, this will also prove a useful way to gain an immersive look at environments that no longer exist in the same way. More so than a history book, VR offers presence and a greater understanding–even if that means a look at past infrastructure.

Engineering

From game design to buildings and mechanics, the world of engineering benefits immeasurably from VR. It allows for real-time, on-demand visualization, letting students and researchers alike interact with 3D virtual worlds that mirror real world scenarios.

For example: According to one study, VR-enabled product prototyping leads to a reduction in development time and costs, while encouraging student motivation and creativity. At Florida International University, their Arts and Architecture school utilizes a VR program called COMMUNITY. This program, geared towards first-year students, presents them with immersive puzzles that must be solved as a team. For example, rising water levels must be overcome by collaboratively building a structure to traverse them.

Business/Marketing

In a greater marketing context, VR has been touted for its ability to nudge along the buyer journey, allowing consumers to immerse themselves in an experience before purchasing. For that reason, business and marketing instructors are now introducing VR to students.

For example: At Emporia State University, marketing students help local businesses to uniquely and impressively market their businesses through virtual reality. By partnering with local businesses in hospitality, elder care and real estate, students learned to harness the power of VR as it relates to their field, creating digital environments designed to work in tandem with a greater business strategy. In the process, the marketing students learn a new discipline (VR creation) that can be used in future careers.

Biology

The immersive qualities of VR also lend themselves to challenging aspects of biology. VR experiences allow students to interact with subcellular anatomical processes in a previously impossible manner, ultimately helping them to better grasp the material.

For example: At Southern New Hampshire University, three different VR environments were created as part of a biopsychology course. As with other subjects, VR comes in handy when trying to contextualize and explain highly abstract concepts, in this case, neural transmission and neural conduction. By creating interactive visual representations of subcellular processes, students were better able to conceive of the processes that can’t be seen with the naked eye. One study found that the implementation of VR helped students to better engage with and understand molecular visualization. Another study that followed an undergraduate environmental biology course found that students using VR performed better than the control group who used traditional video methods.

Astronomy

In astronomy, many students often struggle with grasping topics–quite literally–beyond our scope of understanding. With VR, however, students can immerse themselves in celestial environments, helping them contextualize our relationships with them.

For example: San Diego State University showed that VR astronomical environments offer the potential for play and exploration, two elements that are essential to experiential learning but never before achieved (in astronomy) with traditional methods.

Beyond Curriculum

While the makers of course curriculums are finding ways to utilize VR, so are the marketing departments of universities. Particularly in the time of Covid-19, virtual campus tours provided a safe and effective way for people to experience a university setting from the comfort of their homes.

In addition to the traditional campus tours, colleges have also used VR to provide potential students with library tours and “day-in-the-life” scenarios, both of which provide a realistic picture of what life might look like at the university.

How to Create a VR Lab at Your University

Incorporating VR into higher ed is far more complicated than purchasing a few VR headsets. The process of creating a VR laboratory for research and instruction alike demands an entire fleet of VR equipment, which will have to be set up, integrated, regularly updated, and staff will have to be trained to use them correctly.

This makes it imperative to choose a partner with extensive expertise in the field of VR, like MACE Virtual Labs. With years of experience implementing and managing VR into organizations and higher ed, MACE has the knowledge to guide you through the process–from concept to execution.

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How VR Labs Can Be Leveraged in 7 Different University Departments