From Spring 2018 to Spring 2019, I was a member of the Technology to Enhance Learning (TELL) Lab, founded and directed by Dr. Xinhao Xu. Among the major research areas of the TELL Lab is designing and developing XR-based learning environments. During my time working at the TELL Lab, I contributed to the design and development of two VR-based courses (IS_LT 4888/7888 Introduction to VR-enabled Instructional Design and IS_LT 4361/7361 Introduction to Digital Media), wrote grant proposals, and designed and conducted research on the integration of VR into online learning environments.
THE CHALLENGE
The tasks assigned to me and other TELL Lab tem members were to:
Develop a VR learning environment in OpenSimulator - a 3D VR environment to help non-IT students to not only interact with others in that environment but also to become co-designers in that environment.
Develop learning activities including but not limited to learning content, learning objectives, discussion activities, and assignments for 3 modules which aim to introduce learning and teaching opportunities with VR
Curate and/or create tutorials to help non-IT students to use, navigate, and build the 3D VR environment.
MY ROLE
I worked with other TELL Lab team members under the supervision of Dr. Xinhao Xu to design and develop learning activities for modules 6 to 8 of the course. These modules focused on introducing opportunities for learning and teaching with Virtual Reality for students, most of whom were already teachers or planned to become teachers after graduation. I moderated students' discussion boards for these modules. I also led a grant proposal which was successfully funded to explore students' perceptions toward the integration of VR into online learning, Besides, I contributed to the design and development of pre and post-surveys to understand students' learning with VR in this module and conducted research on students' learning in these modules.
OUTPUTS
Funded award:
Student Teaching as a Research (STAR) successfully funded grant proposal
Publications:
Pham, M., Xu, X., Bueno, J. & He, H. (2019). Pedagogical usability in the design of a learning module on virtual reality. In K. Graziano (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 547-551). Las Vegas, NV, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Conference presentations (selected):
Pham, N-M., Xu, X., He, H., Bueno, J. (Accepted). Design principles for the integration of Virtual Reality learning environments into online learning: An exploration from student perceptions. 2023 American Educational Research Association, Chicago, United States.
Pham, M., Xu, X., He, H., & Bueno V., J. (2021, November). Teaching presence in a 3D Virtual Reality learning environment from students’ perspectives. The International Convention of AECT, Association for Educational Communications and Technology (Virtual presentation).