Student feedback and teaching innovation brings VR to the classroom
Things look a bit different in a recent class for KKB180 Creative Futures. When the first-year students enter the room, there is curiosity and excitement in the air. The set-up of the room shows no signs of lectures or essay writing; instead tables and chairs have been pushed aside to make room for virtual reality (VR) equipment, projector screens, and a wide range of painting motions.
First published 18 July 2019
Creating 3D art using Tilt Brush allows students to engage with their art from a new perspective.
Equipped with headset and touch controllers, students walk around the artwork and use a range of brushes from a virtual palette to create astounding, Alice in Wonderland type, scenes.
To ensure the best possible student experience, Dr Winter has partnered with Brisbane-based immersive art company, MAXART, to facilitate and deliver the workshops.
MAXART was founded in 2016 by QUT graduate Peter Clowes, who's team create digital content for a wide range of commercial and cultural experiences.
The introduction of these components has seen significant changes in student engagement, Dr Winter explains.
"What I’ve seen shift, from implementing these changes, has been a change in the mood of the unit. Rather than students engaging in the concept really cerebrally and worrying about this idea of skills, they’re actually engaging in quite full and open way. The conversation that comes out of these workshops is really positive," Dr Sarah Winter said.
The Tilt Brush technology used in this workshop is available from Google and lets the user paint in 3D space through virtual reality.
The full classroom setup includes the Oculus Rift headset, touch controllers, sensors, a laptop and a screen for group members to observe what the user is experiencing.
Most of the students are new to the tools when they enter the class but through peer support and collaboration, it doesn't take long for the group to be completely engrossed in the task and the creative process.
QUT's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital Learning), Professor Kevin Ashford-Rowe, has seen an increase in the use of virtual reality in units across the University.
"Introducing digital learning tools to the classroom can enhance the students learning experience and provide a close to real-world teaching experience", Professor Kevin Ashford-Rowe said.
Dr Winter has worked in partnership with Liaison Librarian, Ellen Thompson, to run a VR workshop outside of the Creative Industries Faculty.
The QUT Library has a number of VR headsets available for borrowing for teaching, learning and research activities.
The workshops have been so successful that the Creative Industries Faculty is looking to introduce a similar concept in a third-year capstone unit to build collaborative models.
These tools give students a different platform to collaborate on and figure out how they want to work together.
"Students can actually start to build their own collaborative digital environment or immersive world through using these kinds of tools and processes," Dr Winter explains.
You can contact Dr Winter for further insight into her experience teaching this unit, or Learning and Teaching Unit's Digital Learning Portfolio for assistance with teaching with technology.
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