ASU Study: VR Biology Labs Enhance Student Performance and Engagement - Campus Technology

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ASU Study: VR Biology Labs Enhance Student Performance and Engagement

• By Kate Lucariello
• 10/26/22

A Spring 2022 survey pursuing 2 VR biology labs astatine Arizona State University showed elevated pupil show and engagement successful respective areas, compared to results successful labs without the VR component.

Two years ago, ASU partnered with Dreamscape Immersive, founded by erstwhile Dreamworks Motion Picture caput Walter Parkes, for a collaborative task called Dreamscape Learn (DSL), devoted to merging "the astir precocious experiential pedagogy with the amusement industry's champion cinematic storytelling to present unsocial virtual world and 2D labs and afloat people experiences which are provably efficacious, readily scalable and emotionally engaging," according to the initiative's ngo statement. DSL created a VR laboratory to travel 2 introductory biology courses astatine ASU, 1 for majors and 1 for non-majors, during the Spring 2022 semester. Of the 660 students enrolled successful the courses, 486 agreed to enactment successful a survey of their experiences and their grades. Of participants, fractional were assigned to a VR laboratory and fractional to a accepted lab, selected nether balanced demographic and world factors. Those successful the VR laboratory wore headsets and manus controllers and created an avatar successful the VR satellite with which to interact successful a ngo to lick biologic problems successful a storyline setting.

Results showed that students successful the DSL labs, including those who person historically struggled successful past STEM programs, performed amended connected laboratory assignments and earned higher laboratory grades than those successful non-DSL labs. The people withdrawal complaint was besides little for DSL laboratory students than those successful non-DSL labs. Study authors drew 3 large conclusions based connected the data: 1) Students successful DSL labs engaged with each different much frequently, chatting astir people and non-course content, and collaborated connected assignments with each different much often than those successful non-DSL labs; 2) Teaching assistants (TAs) engaged with students successful the DSL labs much often than successful non-DSL labs, answering questions and being much friendly; and 3) Students successful DSL labs helped each different much than doubly arsenic often and discussed people contented much often with their TAs compared to those successful non-DSL labs.

The assemblage is truthful encouraged by the results and the implications for learning that it is readying to connection Dreamscape Learn labs for each introductory biology classes by Spring 2023. Other developments, specified arsenic offering DSL successful K–12 classrooms, and real-time DSL labs networked to each different anyplace successful the world, are being planned. Visit this leafage to work much astir ASU's Dreamscape Learn study. To work the afloat survey study with data, spell here.