PANSIG 2021

VR for Tourism Education: From Mobile to WebVR

Mehrasa Alizadeh & Eric Hawkinson


Previous research shows that VR and immersive learning can be beneficial to learners. However, with the outbreak of the pandemic and the shift to remote learning, there are many difficulties in implementing mobile VR in online classes. Given the perceived need for quality remote learning, desktop VR can be an alternative which can enhance interaction among teachers and students in spite of physical distance. This presentation is a follow-up to our previous presentation at PanSIG2020, where we talked about the use of free VR apps in combination with mobile devices and mini-glasses for tourism education. The same study has been replicated with another group of students this year using a Desktop VR and has evolved into a project called My Hometown Project. We conducted a survey to collect data of the students’ evaluation of the desktop VR tool in our learning context. We will compare and contrast the findings from the two years of the study and provide tips to educators interested in incorporating VR into online education.


Methods for Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety

Josh Brunotte

Students, as well as the population as a whole, often suffer from debilitating levels of presentation anxiety. Public speaking phobia can have a negative impact on students’ ability to function in the classroom, as well as their ability to effectively acquire a second language. This talk will discuss an ongoing investigation into the best methods for reducing this anxiety in students, including virtual-reality and imagination-based home practice, as well as course work and exposure to in-person speech acts. This program used a combination of exposure training, mindfulness training, and interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to target presentation anxiety in the Japanese university student population. Preliminary results show significant levels of anxiety reduction within the participants, consistent with earlier findings within this ongoing program. How this experiment shifted to an online format in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will also be discussed, as will differences between participants who used more technological methods (VR) versus those who used more traditional methods for presentation practice. Participants’ comments from program interviews and surveys will also be presented to explore the nature of presentation anxiety and to help find best practices for classroom presentation activities and assessments by instructors.