Why VR

Unit 1 - Introduction to Virtual Reality

1.1 Why VR?

Social Work is a profession that centers around human connection. Often technology can be seen as a barrier to interpersonal connection with others. We start this unit with a quick video that provides a different perspective. It focuses on the potential of VR to improve empathy and connection between people.

As you watch this video think about how VR could allow your students to better understand the circumstances their clients are facing. Think about how VR might allow them to better understand the life experiences and perspective of the populations that they will be serving.

What are the potential benefits of using VR in education

Hopefully, that first video got you excited to learn more about the potential of using VR to help students explore deeper connections to the populations they will be serving and build deeper connections to the content you want them to learn about.

There are two primary benefits of integrating VR into your courses. First, VR has the potential to improve learning outcomes for students. Second, integrating VR into your classes is a way to enhance your students' professional development and increase their technical competencies.

In terms of learning outcomes, VR has the potential to:

• Improve student learning experiences by using immersive learning environments. VR can allow students to have experiences that they cannot have in a traditional classroom or field setting.

• Improve student engagement by situating their learning experiences. Virtual environments can be created to mimic real world environments so that students can more easily connect what they are learning to the real world expectations for their future practice.

• Improve social connections between instructors and students. Using social VR applications allows an instructor and students to experience social presence and connectedness with each other, this is especially important in online courses or programs.

From a professional development perspective using VR and learning more about VR will:

• Provide your students with exposure to emerging technologies that are being implemented within the field of social work.

• Provide your students with the opportunity to think critically about how technology can be used within social work and consider its implications for practitioners and clients.

• Position your students to be thought leaders on the use and adaptation of advanced and emerging technologies.

We will explore these benefits and how to leverage them in Unit 3 - Educational Applications of VR.

< Unit 1 Overview 1.2 Defining VR >