Intro

Immerse is a the first virtual reality platform created specifically for live language teaching and learning. It allows for real-time student-to-teacher and student-to-student interactions so that learners can gain experience spontaneously speaking the target language they are studying. Currently, the app offers 40+ fully immersive, interactive, contextually relevant, customizable VR environments within which language learners can take language lessons, interact with others, and improve their language skills! There are also spaces where learners can practice independently or with their peers. You can watch overviews of all the different environments here. 

In Immerse, instructors teach from a platform on their desktop computer and students join in VR using Meta Quest 2 headsets. This ensures that the teacher can easily customize and implement their lessons and that the students have a highly-immersive learning experience. You can read more about the reasoning behind this decision here. For security reasons, each teacher and class of students have their own unique access keys and codes that they use to access the platform. This guarantees that students will only encounter their classmates while in VR! 

• Number of users: Currently, you can have 12 students + 1 teacher + 1 "observer" in a session together. 

• Pricing: 35$ per month for unlimited classes and AI practice; Immerse Research Partners can access the platform for free. 

• Ease of use:  Easy! 

• Platforms: Meta Quest 2,3 + Desktop Computers 

• Best for: Live structured language lessons within a customizable and interactive environment. 

First Steps

• Where to find it: immerse.com

  • • Teacher Tutorial 

    • Downloading the Immerse VR App

      • Opening the Immerse Application 

• How to Register:

  • • Using Access Keys and Codes  (Research Partners)

    • Lesson Login in VR

• Making Spaces:

  • • Selecting Environments 

• Changing your avatar:

  • • Teacher Toolbar

    • Avatar controls 

Pedagogical Tools

• Classroom Management 

• Teacher Toolbar

• Interacting with Objects 

• Student Support Panel

• Personal Voice Settings and Teacher Audio Controls and Managing Ambient Audio 

Potential Pedagogical Uses

• Example Activities with Prompt Cards 

• Example Activities with the Camera 

• Example Activities with the Graphic Organizer

• Example Activities with Nested Prompts

• Example Activities with Activated Prompts

• Example Activities with Multiple Choice

• Example Activities with Object Interaction

Pros/Cons

• Pros:  

  • Since Immerse was specifically designed for live language teaching in VR, it has a LARGE number of tools built in that can help facilitate lessons and manage students. It is also has 40 different environments already built in. 

  • Teachers can customize the different environments using images, labels, slides, etc. 

  • Students join Immerse using a class code, making it impossible for them to encounter strangers! 

• Cons:  

  • Although Immerse's pre-existing environments are customizable, you cannot build new environments completely from scratch. 

  • Currently, only Immerse Research Partners have free access to the platform. Other students have to sign up for a subscription online.

Additional Resources: You can find information about the latest Immerse updates here.