VIRTUAL REALITY

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. 

COURSE: IS_LT 4361/7361 Introduction to Digital Media

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).