What's Happening in the Learning Design Center
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"Give the students something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results." – John Dewey
Online learning has increased exponentially allowing educators the unique opportunity to explore innovative, non-traditional classroom approaches to meet the needs of learners. Instructional design (ID), “the process of creating learning experiences that makes the acquisition of a skill more appealing, effective, and efficient,” (Arshavskiy, 2017) guides instructors in designing instructional content and activities to support students to achieve learning objectives. Creating engaging, hands-on activities that will excite and motivate learners is essential. Emerging technology including AR/VR tools can positively challenge learners by providing an immersive, game-based learning experience while mastering skills and concepts.
What is AR/VR?
Although the two phrases augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are often paired together, it is important to understand the difference. Augmented reality occurs when digital elements are added to your surroundings or displayed on a screen to be informative or add information about the real-world (usually accessed on a cellphone, AR glasses, tablet, computer, etc.); for example, an online shopping experience that allows you to virtually place furnishings in your room using the camera on your cell phone. Popular AR apps include Pokemon Go, HoloLens, Hoverlay, etc. Virtual reality is an immersive experience that replaces a real-life environment with a simulated one (accessed on a phone, VR headset, tablet, computer, etc.); for example, virtually traveling to outer space in an immersive, 360° environment from the comforts of your home. Popular VR devices include Oculus, STEAM VR, PlayStation VR, etc. AR and VR are both simulated environments that are gamified and/or mirror real-life experiences and situations.
AR/VR in the ADDIE Model
How can AR/VR be incorporated into the instructional design process? The ADDIE Model, which stands for Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate, serves as the foundation for ID. Within this framework, the development phase allows instructors the opportunity to create and design learning activities, which can include game-based learning such as AR/VR tools. Additionally, in the evaluation phase, these tools can also be integrated to conduct formative and summative assessments to measure the achievement of learning objectives. Some examples of ways AR/VR tools can be utilized in an online course include collaborative learning (group meetings, galleries, tours, etc.), professional learning (presentations, workshops, conferences, etc.), and simulations (training, design, engineering, etc.). Many free educational AR/VR tools support equitable learning such as Spatial, Nearpod, ThingLink, Virbela, 360 Schools, and more!
Under the leadership of Ashley Kovacs, Director of the Learning Design Center (LDC) at the University of San Diego, there are courses currently offered that integrate AR/VR tools in their coursework. Kovacs states:
At the LDC, we strive to be innovative and intentional about the technology we introduce to students. AR/VR tools can be beneficial for learning activities such as role-playing, branching scenarios, simulations, and more. Many of our courses promote leadership development; therefore, immersive, authentic experiences can help students achieve learning outcomes such as developing emotional intelligence, customer service, and other skills.
One degree program utilizing AR/VR tools and other emerging technology is USD’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) in the School of Educational Leadership and Sciences (SOLES). The M.Ed. program offers a Technology and Innovation specialization in which students, who are practicing K-12 teachers, are able to explore EdTech tools for in-person, asynchronous, and synchronous learning environments. Academic Director, Dr. Joseph Lathan states:
Being that our world is becoming more technologically advanced, providing our students the chance to explore AR/VR technology gives them the opportunity to develop 21st-century skills through the lens of social justice and equity. One of the goals of the program is to provide various types of learning opportunities to meet students where they are despite their learning styles. This is one of the reasons we have created new courses that introduce students to AR/VR technology—so that students can deeply engage in content in different ways other than text, audio, and videos. AR/VR technology integrates all forms of content to help students succeed in the classroom and beyond!
AR/VR Tools Support Inclusion
AR/VR gives learners the feeling of “being there” physically, which allows learners who have physical limitations and mobility impairments to still gain a rich experience. “One of the best ways to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in online learning is to promote empathy through the use of immersive experiences, best accomplished using AR and VR,” states Jeffrey Simmons, Instructional Designer at the LDC. Many AR/VR tools support web accessibility standards, apply Universal Design for Learning principles, and include features promoting inclusivity such as captions and subtitling, vision enhancement, accessible UX (user experience) design, multi-sensory elements, and more.
Takeaway
AR/VR tools provide immersive experiences for learners which can be beneficial for students in both synchronous and asynchronous online learning environments. Within augmented and virtual worlds, students can analyze, solve problems, collaborate, experiment, create, and more as they learn new concepts and skills. As Dewey’s quote suggests when students are allowed to “do” thought-provoking and interactive tasks, naturally learning will occur.
References:
Arshavskiy, M. (2017). Instructional Design for ELearning. Your ELearning World
As a result of the need to move courses online during the COVID-19 pandemic, 95% of the University of San Diego’s (USD) faculty now uses the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) for courses, a substantial increase from 45% pre-pandemic. With higher usage of Blackboard across campus, the USD Learning Design Center’s (LDC) vision to be a trusted partner that continually advances innovative and high-quality learning experiences to address the changing demands of the educational landscape resonates now more than ever.
In Spring 2023, the LDC will launch Ally, a course content accessibility service that will integrate with Blackboard. Ally is designed to enhance course content to benefit all students by making it accessible in the following ways:
- automatically provide alternative formats for course content such as HTML, Audio, ePub, electronic Braille, etc.;
- check and score course content as well as provide instructors with feedback and solutions on how to make the content more accessible in the LMS; and
- provide a thorough institution-wide analysis of accessibility performance.
By addressing accessibility in the courses, the Ally service will give equitable access to students for an enriching learning experience.
The cross-campus implementation of Blackboard Ally, led by the LDC, is funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), and includes partnership with the Disability and Learning Difference Resource Center (DLDRC), Center for Educational Excellence (CEE), and the Copley Library. These campus entities will collaborate to reduce barriers to learning for students and provide support to faculty on pedagogy and technology implementation. “We proactively identified a need and strategically selected a technology tool to provide a fiscally responsible solution. The LDC strives to stay on top of trends and learning design models that have been proven to be successful to students and support faculty,” states Ashley Kovacs, Director of the LDC. With Ally, the LDC will continue to fulfill its mission of providing academic excellence through collaboration with community partners in order to lead learning design and support services that deliver a quality student experience.
Through Ally’s focus on the accessibility of digital course content—making learning inclusive and primarily supporting learners with disabilities—all students can benefit from its features. The Blackboard Ally integration addresses Universal Design for Learning, “a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people”. “Ally helps us meet the standards of UDL and achieve learning outcomes through presenting content in multiple formats, which ultimately supports good design,” states Kovacs.
To prepare for the campus-wide integration, which will be fully implemented in Summer 2023 both online and onsite, training and workshops for faculty will start this Fall with an “early adopters program” and continue through the Spring. An LDC internal task force has been diligently working on planning the process to integrate into course development.
After the CARES Act funding expires, the LDC plans to continue to use Ally at USD to support students.