On November 8th, 2023, the Next Level Lab hosted a presentation by Dr. Eileen McGivney, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media, and Design.
Virtual reality can be a powerful tool to bring activities into the classroom that are otherwise difficult or impossible, like operating machinery in outer space or having unlimited practice interviewing for jobs. In her talk, Dr. McGivney discussed how such experiences engage learners’ whole selves, from their emotions to their bodies, and how design decisions impact what learners take from them.
Dr. McGivney opened by having listeners remember impactful learning experiences they’ve had in their educational journey– from field trips to immersive study abroad programs– and how these experiences spark learners’ interest but are unlikely to happen in traditional classrooms. Dr. McGivney highlighted the unique benefits of VR in education, such as visualizing the invisible, providing hands-on practice, and fostering a sense of presence in distant places.
Virtual Reality’s Affordances for Learning
While introducing VR’s affordances for learning, Dr. McGivney underscored two key elements: immersion and agency. These elements, as depicted in the cognitive-affective model, enhance the feeling of being in another place and empower learners with control over their educational experiences.
Dr. McGivney shed light on the disconnection in traditional classrooms, where learning often becomes decontextualized, emphasizing abstract concepts and minimizing emotional engagement. This disconnection, she argued, leads to a loss of intrinsic motivation among students and is a great place for VR experiences to reenergize curiosity and learning!
Engaging the Learner through Evoking Strong Emotions
To engage the whole learner, Dr. McGivney discussed the crucial role of evoking emotions in the learning process. She articulated how VR engages learners’ emotions, leading to more memorable and impactful learning experiences. She noted in her research that students often talked about feelings of awe, fear, and curiosity during the VR experiences. VR provides the potential for full-body interactivity, enabling students to have a sense of agency through their ability to control, focus, and choose.
As Dr. Eileen McGivney concluded her seminar, she left the audience with thoughts about the future implications of integrating VR into education. The technology, she believes, has the potential to bridge the gap between impactful out-of-classroom experiences and traditional learning settings.
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by Vincent Ferguson and Emma Fields, NLL Research Assistants