ASU expands Dreamscape Learn virtual reality program to West Valley campus

ASU expands Dreamscape Learn

The successful virtual reality program at ASU is expanding to new campuses and additional fields of study. FOX 10’s Annalisa Pardo reports.

PHOENIX -Just because it’s back to school season doesn’t mean these Arizona State University students are “stuck” in the classroom. They are “immersed in a virtual world.

Those virtual worlds, there’s a couple of different ones,” Sr. associate dean for research at ASU

These students are actually on a beach.

“We investigated the beach to see what was going on because we noticed the reproductive cycle of a species was being a little bit later than expected,” ASU student Ryan Canning said.

Ok, so not really a vacation, but a break from traditional ways of learning. This is Dreamscape Learn, a virtual reality program teaching students through immersive experiences. Already running at ASU’s Tempe and Polytechnic campuses, it is now available at the West Valley campus.

“It’s able to block out your peripheral. You’re able to look behind you, up, down, all sorts of directions. Your avatar’s hands move with you everywhere you go,” ASU student Ansley Nunn said.

These biology students were investigating how rising temperatures impact reproductive cycles of a species, taking samples from the VR to the lab.

“Because it’s so immersive, so experimental, it might trigger their brains in different ways,” Morris said.

“It’s another thing to be able to walk through an experience and really have a personal connection to it rather than just taking notes off of a slide show,” Nunn said.

According to ASU’s research on the program, students participating in Dreamscape Learn are nearly two times as likely to receive an “A” in the course. And more than 40,000 students surveyed enjoyed the courses. ASU leaders hope it gives students the boost they need to enjoy learning and retain the information.

“Typically, we see that certain populations don’t perform as well. And we see every student is doing well in this class. That’s exciting for us. So, they like it, and we know that it works,” Dr. Lisa Flesher, chief of Realm 4 Initiatives at ASU, said.

ASU plans to expand Dreamscape from biology and chemistry to business school and history programs.

TheRyan Canning, Ansley Nunn, Dr. Lisa Flesher, ASU’s research, and FOX 10’s Annalisa Pardo

Arizona State UniversityTechnologyPhoenixNews