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Using virtual reality to learn when to ask your questions in class
What is AskVR?
What is AskVR?
AskVR is a virtual reality experience designed to help users learn about question-asking. We help learners do this by teaching them to focus on when to ask the question. We do this in 4 main steps in the VR experience:
The user will be placed in an American-style classroom at UNC Chapel Hill.
The user will be tasked to ask a set of questions in the classroom, with the goal of asking at appropriate times.
The user will be given feedback and will have a chance to implement a tip in a second try.
The user will be prompted to self-reflect on the tip used, the implementation and how this might feed forward into their real-world classroom.
Who is the AskVR target learner?
Who is the AskVR target learner?
AskVR targets international Chinese graduate students who have little or no exposure to American-style higher education environments. The sentiments shared below get at the heart of what makes help-seeking challenging across cultures.
"As an international student, I face many challenges. In fact, the language issue isn’t the biggest problem, the cultural issue is, especially during class. The nervousness arises from the moment I enter the school building. When I open that door, my nerves tighten even more. Many times, I don’t know when to participate in class discussions and am hesitant to ask questions. Is it appropriate to ask my question now? What if the professor doesn't agree with my question? Will my classmates think I'm interrupting the class? After a few seconds of hesitation, the moment is gone, the discussion on this topic is over and I miss the chance to ask questions. Although class times are long and there is plenty of time to ask questions, I really don't know when it is appropriate to ask what questions…"
What will I learn from AskVR?
What will I learn from AskVR?
Have you ever had a question, but you felt...
too afraid to ask in front of everyone else?
more comfortable asking the professor one-on-one?
an email would be easier?
The goal of AskVR is to provide a safe environment where learners can practice asking the questions that they otherwise might be too nervous to ask in front of a class or might relegate to an email inquiry to the professor. In our needs analysis process, we interviewed learners and consulted with members of our own group. We observed that our target learners had questions, could find ways to get the answers they needed, but found challenge in knowing when to best ask these questions to ensure that questions were asked and responded to immediately. As such, we focus on training learners to identify when to strategically ask their question, which will enhance the help-seeking skills that ensure they get the clarification and support they need, and exactly when they need it.
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