Des Moines-based consulting firm Bâton Global has released a report from its 2023 research partnership with VictoryXR, a Davenport-based company offering immersive classrooms and campuses through virtual reality. According to a press release, the project was designed to develop a stronger understanding of VR in applied higher education settings and to study how immersive VR technologies support instructional design and learning during a course. “The equation of education includes students and educators working together to build and apply knowledge. This study doesn’t take just half of that equation into consideration – it focuses on the whole. We were curious how the inclusion of immersive virtual reality impacts pedagogical approaches for instructors and educational and social-emotional outcomes for them and their students,” Kathleen Ouellette, VictoryXR’s director of customer success, said in a prepared statement. More than 20 colleges and universities across the country participated, making the study one of the most comprehensive on VR in higher education to date, the release said.
Findings from the research include:
- Instructors found VR use highly successful (96%) and effective (98%), and 100% plan to use VR to teach the same content again in the future.
- All professors’ expectations for teaching with VR were met, with 40% saying their expectations were exceeded.
- 89% of students agreed that VR enriched their learning experience, and 78% agreed that VR had a positive impact on their learning outcomes.