First Large-Scale VR Use in the Classroom Extends the Boundaries of Education

janrinok writes:

https://phys.org/news/2025-11-large-scale-vr-classroom-boundaries.html

The use of virtual reality (VR) is expanding across industries, but its large-scale application in educational settings has remained largely unexplored. As the technical capabilities and affordability of VR tools continue to improve, Waterloo researcher Dr. Ville Makela is turning his classroom into a living lab to better understand how VR can enrich the student experience.

Makela and colleagues Dr. Daniel Harley and Dr. Cayley MacArthur piloted the first class in Canada to offer large-scale, VR-centered 3D design at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. Throughout the term, students used VR headsets and the design software Gravity Sketch, already used by companies including New Balance for product design, to create characters and objects in an immersive environment.

From its initial offering in 2024, Makela has taught 200 students over four sections and co-authored a research paper about integrating VR into the classroom. The study is published in the Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

"Our prediction is that VR will be increasingly relevant to many careers," he says, "so future graduates need to know how to navigate VR technology and understand its opportunities and limitations."

The work positions Waterloo as a leader in expanding our understanding of how technology adoption impacts classroom learning. "There aren't many examples out there of mass adoption of VR in university classes," Makela says. "A lot had to happen before something like this was possible."

Between budgeting for equipment, deciding on headset models, developing protocols for equipment use and finding a space large enough to accommodate multi-user VR interaction, there was a lot to prepare on top of regular course planning.

After the first class launched, cyber sickness, a kind of motion sickness triggered by exposure to a virtual environment, presented a challenge. "It became very clear during these courses that the symptoms and how they develop can vary quite significantly," Makela says, adding that moderating use of the headsets and offering non-VR alternatives for assignments became key strategies to support students. "It's interesting that despite all these issues, students were very positive about the VR experience and using the technology."

Read more of this story at SoylentNews.