VR Remote Learning for UConn’s Entrepreneurial Journey Course

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Connecticut’s Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation faced significant challenges in delivering its Entrepreneurial Journey course effectively through remote learning. The course, which emphasizes collaboration and the application of new technologies in business, struggled to maintain student engagement and facilitate meaningful interactions in a virtual format. Recognizing these difficulties, Professor Tara Watrous sought a solution that would replicate the interactive and immersive elements of in-person learning experiences. Virtual Reality (VR) emerged as an ideal technology to address these issues and enhance the course’s effectiveness for remote students.

To achieve this goal, the Werth Institute partnered with Foretell Reality, a subsidiary of The Glimpse Group, to implement a state-of-the-art VR platform designed specifically for educational environments. This platform offered a range of features to recreate the collaborative atmosphere of traditional classrooms, including multiple breakout rooms, positional audio for realistic sound experiences, and customizable avatars for student interaction. The VR environment allowed students to engage in a variety of activities that simulated real-world business scenarios, such as presenting final projects and practicing essential soft skills like public speaking, interpersonal communication, and networking.

The integration of VR into the Entrepreneurial Journey course proved to be a transformative solution. The immersive VR experience significantly increased student engagement and focus, addressing the inherent challenges of remote learning by creating a more interactive and participatory virtual classroom. The technology not only enabled students to experience a more dynamic and engaging learning environment but also aligned with the course’s objective of integrating emerging technologies into practical business applications. David Noble, the Director of the Werth Institute, praised the VR approach for making the course content more relevant and tangible, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for students during a challenging period.