Enriching The Virtual Learning Experience Using XR Technologies.

Bianca Alvarado, Associate Director of EdTech & Innovation Impact at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, University of San Diego

Online learning has quickly become one of the most cutting-edge and innovative fields of education, but it is failing learners in many respects. Through my work at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education (JI), where I currently serve as the Associate Director of EdTech & Innovation Impact and from my consulting experience as an EdTech expert, I have observed four areas in which online learning can intentionally improve its design. This is especially necessary in the context of multicultural and inclusive design.

Online learning, while versatile, requires design that prioritizes flexibility, customizability, as well as continuous technological upgrades to ensure inclusive engagement models reach diverse students. Specifically, online learning may benefit from design enrichment in the following four core areas-

1. Allowing learners to self-direct their learning with flexibility

2. Introducing online curriculum to hybrid engagement using both physical and virtual curriculum aids, especially through the use of XR technologies  

3. Fostering a virtual sense of connection and

4. Expanding inclusion and diversity through culturally relevant virtual spaces.

Allowing Learners to Self-Direct Their Learning with Flexibility

Most online programs are not flexible enough to allow learners to self-guide their learning. Instead, they often have a linear format that moves learners from one module to the next without giving them any flexibility. Flexibility in online learning is giving students different options to complete the curriculum without a strictly linear process.

"Online learning, while versatile, requires design that prioritizes flexibility, customizability, as well as continuous technological upgrades to ensure inclusive engagement models reach diverse students"

The Jacobs Institute currently runs an education program called Pactful, an award-winning app that supports teens in building an innovator’s mindset through gaining worldwide access to social innovation. Pactful works with educators worldwide to connect students with innovative instruction. These educators range from classroom teachers to school club leaders and even leaders within organizations that utilize social services to support teens in developing social projects.

Pactful is designed into a three-phase design thinking curriculum that allows students and educators to have the option to move through and complete each phase as they see fit. They might skip around and come back at a phase later on or follow the guided curriculum. We have various activities that educators can complete in any order with their students using the design thinking process. Our curriculum is not linear, and educators have the flexibility to jump back and forth between activities. We often find that being flexible in the curriculum allows for better online learning experiences that they then use to teach their students.

Another way to integrate flexibility into online learning is by giving learners tools to quickly and efficiently find specific answers to questions they are interested in without having to navigate unrelated material. This is achieved by short tutorials, YouTube-style short videos, and online forums that have been proven successful in providing quick how-to learning experiences. TikTok is one of the most notable platforms that teens are using to learn and access information rapidly and efficiently. Although, social platforms are currently facing criticism for not fact-checking their content, students choose this learning style to access information, a lesson educators may factor into their learning design.

Other types of learning options include podcasts, audio learning, and interactive videos. These are some of the learning tools that you can take into consideration when designing education based on the audience that you are trying to reach with your online learning content. Flexibility considers not just the platform in which learners engage, but the style in which information is presented as well. Especially when designing educational programs for learners from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) community, it is imperative that educators consider the cultural representation and culturally sensitive content material.

XR Technologies is a new technological tool that provides new opportunities to rethink and change what we have often gotten wrong with online learning and expand the capabilities of learning engagement, designing culturally-relevant content, and fostering relationships and connections. In this article, I will refer to XR technology as the umbrella term encapsulating Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and everything in between. 

Providing flexibility to the learner experience will be further developed with XR technologies. It is important to note that immersive experiences will inherently provide flexibility to educational content designers and learners as the environment where these experiences are being designed are part of the overall structure. For example, VR will design spaces based on land, communities, and worlds. Designers are already creating experiences for students to visit historic or culturally relevant virtual sites as part of their learning journey, providing options for how students get to interact with the provided environment. This is in sharp contrast to learning modules that provide information but without choices or interaction opportunities.

Implementing Online Curriculum Utilizing Hybrid Experiential Learning

As online learning designers, we have seen that creating an entirely virtual experience can be overwhelming for learners. We often read articles or come across social media posts that discuss how employees see online learning as a daunting or unrewarding task. Online learning experiences are often not engaging, lack creativity, and fail to connect with the learner. Here are a few examples of how you can make your online learning experience more engaging and how XR can help us address these challenging areas of e-learning in a positive and productive manner.

Creating entirely online experiences needs to be accompanied by physical aspects of a learning experience, such as through integrating physical components to contribute to the virtual environment. For example, if you are creating a virtual learning experience about branding, you might have learners come together in person to put together creative boards and color pallets. Although currently the idea behind creating virtual learning environments is to have no physical connection, having some form of a physical component would add richness to the learning experience. This is also where gift boxes come in handy or physician workbooks, as the current XR technologies don’t fully allow us to use all of our senses. Gift boxes are often sent by companies with swag while onboarding a new employer. However, they can also be used when implementing an e-learning by providing objects or printed materials that go along with the lesson.

The use of hybrid learning can be further developed with XR technologies. While studying Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality through MIT xPRO with D. Fox Harrell, he shared with us an example of how some of his students created an AR experience for local high school students to visit notable sites across the MIT campus using an App. Students scanned a QR code which connected them to an MIT research character who shared some of their experiences at MIT, and guided participants with clues of where to go next. The experience culminated into visiting the main campus office and having a real person engage with the students to discuss career mentorship. This experience illustrates how AR has the capability of providing hybrid learning experiences where the experience is not 100% online, but a mixture of physical learning blended with virtual or augmented education.

Online learning models struggle to create relevant content that is still experiential and varied in design. As we explore the potential of XR technologies, we see that some of its capabilities allow for the expansion of these aspects of virtual learning that we must reshape and expand for learners to enjoy and engage with during online learning.

Creating a Sense of Virtual Connection and Relationship Building

With the help of the US Department of State and an Alumni TIES grant administered by World Learning, I co-piloted a Casa Azul Productions Apprenticeship Program in 2019 to increase the number of Hispanic students who receive training and knowledge in careers relating to technology. During the implementation of our illustration course hosting both adult and high school students, the desire for connection and the ability to showcase products became a clear need early on. During the course design we had left out the ability for students to upload a draft of the hands-on project they had worked on throughout the course on the Leaning Management System. After we started to implement the course, we received various comments about giving this ability to students to share their work. They wanted to have the ability to share it with someone else and connect.

Seeing this feedback, we allowed students to upload their work to the platform and created a Facebook group page for them to share their work and gather feedback from their peers. This allowed learners to create a deeper connection with their peers, but also feel a sense of belonging. This not only allows learners to feel a sense of connection but also builds new relationships. This component of the process of sharing and connecting with others remains one of the greatest challenges of online learning. Allowing learners to connect with instructors and creating meaningful connections and relationships with their peers provides a deeper dimension for learners. This is another area in which XR technologies will allow us to better connect learners with their experiences. Below, I share one of the tools that XR technologies is using to create a sense of connectivity and community.

Using Spatial Audio Communication to Create a Sense of Connection

Spatial audio communication in virtual reality spaces helps members feel connected. One platform that offers this function is Mozilla Hubs, which has spatial audio communication that allows live experiences to get louder or quieter depending on a participant's location and proximity to others on the platform.

While completing my certificate in AR and VR with MIT xPRO, I was able to connect with classmates in this space and test it’s benefits in online learning. The instructor wanted us to experience networking within a virtual platform. I began in the main lobby and walked around the different rooms with different groups of classmates. Afterwards I wandered around the building, and with the use of audio, it felt more like a real experience.  The experience enabled participants to take part in conversations they wanted to engage in, and the ability to disengage in conversations by walking away just like in real life as a person would.

Although many functions need improvement within the platform, I enjoyed using the platform as it allowed for a deeper connection with participants versus a typical Zoom meeting. I am not conjecturing that this platform can replace Zoom; however, I think we are heading in the right direction with the use of spatial audio. With a set environment and the ability to use spatial audio, one senses being able to control and connect at a deeper level. This allows for a better sense of connection not only with the virtual environment, but also with those around you in the interactive setting.

Relevant Cultural Virtual Spaces

Through the various education programs that I have designed both in-person and online, I am pleased to see that education programs are beginning to design programs that consider the learner’s cultural background. I have observed that learners tend to engage more deeply with the content when they see themselves reflected or their culture reflected in the curriculum. As we move toward XR technologies it is essential to carry this cultural precedent forward as a component of education design. Technologies such as VR and AR allow us to amplify storytelling, character creation and culture integration, especially when designing educational programs for learners that originate from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities to represent cultural representation and sensitivity in content materials.

Personal Experience— Infield Research In Chiapas, Mexico

In 2018 I obtained a Student Opportunity Grant from the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, where I pursued a master’s degree in social innovation. I received this grant to study, research, and experience local “collectivos” with indigenous artisans from Chiapas, Mexico. A “collectivo” is a group of artisans that support each other in selling their handcrafted goods. I wanted to learn about their traditions, values, and the context of their cultural relationship with the world. My main start-up project was called Baja Urban, a social enterprise focused on fair trade. At this time, I also designed handmade products alongside the artisans. Therefore, understanding their values was a cultural component of Baja Urban.

This was an especially eye-opening experience, especially traveling to local and remote communities with the guidance of a knowledgeable community member. I engaged in unstructured interviews and received great insights into the everyday lives of indigenous people from various ethnic and cultural groups. Being able to align academic knowledge with field-based experience was essential in the formation and cultural-relevant design of story-based projects. This experience allowed me to gather insights and experiences to better understand indigenous people on a deeper level, allowing me to showcase their stories, history, and meanings behind their art. We are currently working on R&D to transform Baja Urban into a VR space where users can learn through storytelling from a variety of unique Hispanic traditions.

Creating and designing experiences based on field research, culturally-relevant content, as well as by taking into account social, anthropological, and historical context of communities create engaging and profound learning experiences. Using culturally-relevant content is an opportunity to produce unique hands-on learning opportunities that frontline representation as well as enhance the overall experience for users. In the past decade we have seen increased cultural storytelling in media, even in mainstream companies such as Disney in its effort to weave culture into its highly successful films Moana and Encanto. One can only imagine what learning opportunities can be designed for learners from different backgrounds, especially when considering hybrid teaching models and experiential learning. Creating XR experiences, for example, would allow for unique and hands-on opportunities to expand the integration of culturally-relevant content, storytelling, and creative expression to the user. Interactive cultural learning could be utilized in the workforce as well as educational spaces. Cultural context and background writing enhances projects in creativity and uniqueness to better connect with the audience, whether that by students, clients, employees, or board members.

Summary

Many challenges exist with online learning and it is essential to strengthen the areas that are the most crucial for learners. Learners must not feel isolated or disconnected. they must be included in the immersive experience by designing learning environments that foster engagement, connectivity, and collaboration. For this to become part of the educational practice, we need to strengthen curriculum design and continue to integrate technological capabilities that allow learning designers to strengthen online learning products.

It is imperative to prepare for using new technologies such as XR technology and continue to design innovative educational content to provide individualized cultural learning experiences. Through my personal experience I have seen the need to strengthen online learning by giving learners the ability to self-direct their experience, engage in hybrid learning curriculum, and have educators expand the capabilities of XR technologies. These improvements should foster a sense of connection as well as the integration of cultural-relevant learning environments.

While challenges to online learning may be enhanced by new technology, we must not forget the basic learner need to form relationships and learn by gathering feedback and input. Students also learn best through their learning by doing. I invite you to continue to foster your curiosity by exploring new technological capabilities not because you have to but because it is an opportunity to serve your learners better. When educators ask me how I design creative learning experiences, the first step is always trying something new, experimenting, testing, and learning from a multidisciplinary team or content, models, or processes. Most importantly, when designing content, I follow my own curiosity. When completing a project, I often look back to see how many connections of experience, knowledge, and testing are needed to come together to complete a project. Like they say in education, you can only connect the dots backward, preparing you to design your next learning adventure. 

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