Scenarios

Art students immerse themselves in the surrealist world of Salvador Dalí through a 3D VR representation of his artwork. This experience encourages critical thinking, emotional connections, and a deeper understanding of surrealist concepts.

In a virtual chemical plant, students simulate the conditions of industrial-scale reactors. They manipulate variables, explore chemical processes, and gain valuable problem-solving skills, all in a risk-free, hands-on environment.

Students practice safety protocols for high-risk construction tasks in a VR environment. This scenario provides a safe space for identifying hazards and applying safety measures, preparing them for real-world construction site challenges.

Students enter a virtual anatomy classroom, where they can interact with a 3D model of the human skeleton. Equipped with a VR headset and hand-motion controllers, students can explore the skeletal system in two modes: 

• Virtual Anatomy Class: In this mode, students are presented with a skeletal model on an operating table. Quiz questions prompt them to identify specific bones from a set of multiple-choice answers. Using their virtual hands, they select the correct bone by touching it on the virtual interface. Correct answers are rewarded with sound and visual cues, encouraging engagement.

• Virtual Anatomy Lab: Students are able to explore the skeletal system at their own pace. They can physically interact with bones by grabbing, rotating, and zooming in on individual bones using their virtual hands. Eye-gaze technology highlights bones that students are focusing on, allowing them to receive detailed information about their structure, function, and medical terminology.

1. Immersive Learning Experience: VR immerses students in a 3D environment, which increases their focus and engagement. In this scenario, the VR environment simulates a realistic anatomy class and lab, helping students visualize and internalize the information more effectively compared to flat diagrams or videos.
2. Intuitive Interaction and Spatial Awareness: The use of hand-motion recognition allows students to physically manipulate the skeletal model, fostering better spatial understanding of the human body. By rotating and exploring bones from different angles, students can understand how bones are connected and organized in a way that is difficult to achieve with 2D models.
3. Enhanced Retention Through Active Learning: By answering quiz questions interactively and physically engaging with the skeleton in the virtual lab, students move from passive learning to active participation. This increases retention of anatomical knowledge.
4. Multi-Sensory Engagement: VR combines visual, auditory, and tactile feedback, which enhances the learning process. The integration of sound cues (e.g., positive or negative sounds for quiz answers) further reinforces learning.
5. Self-Paced Learning: The lab environment allows students to control their learning pace. They can take time to explore specific bones in detail, revisit parts they don’t understand, and personalize their learning journey. 
6. Increased Motivation and Enjoyment: Preliminary results indicate that VR increases students' motivation to learn due to its novel and enjoyable approach. The entertainment factor contributes to sustained engagement. 

In this scenario, students enter a highly immersive VR environment where they can freely explore a 3D representation of Dalí’s artwork.

The application places students in a surreal, dreamlike world filled with iconic surrealist elements, such as praying mantises and marching elephants, all based on Dalí’s famous works.

Students navigate by pointing at spheres to move between different parts of the painting, allowing for non-linear exploration.

The experience is designed to make students feel as though they are physically present in Dalí’s world, providing a direct, multisensory engagement with the artistic elements.

1. Students move beyond passive observation, transforming them from viewers of art into participants in the surrealist environment. This active engagement fosters deeper  comprehension of surrealism and the cultural context behind Dalí's work. 
2. The immersive nature of VR promotes both cognitive and emotional connections to the material, which enhances memory retention and understanding.
3. The VR platform supports multimodal learning, combining visual, auditory, and gestural elements, which caters to various learning styles and increases overall learning effectiveness.  

In this virtual reality scenario, Chemical Engineering students navigate through a simulated environment to explore the inner workings of various chemical processes.

Students are placed within a virtual chemical plant where they:  

• interact with machinery,  
• adjust process parameters,
• observe outcomes without real-world risks.  

The virtual space replicates industrial-scale reactors and equipment. Instructors give students guidelines as to how they can experiment with operations, and then students identify potential safety hazards and respond to system malfunctions in the setting.   

 

1. VR reduces the safety risks and costs associated with traditional laboratory setups, enabling students to explore dangerous or expensive processes safely while fostering a deeper 
   understanding of complex engineering concepts. 
2. Students learn through experiential learning.
3. Students can engage with material in a hands-on manner that enhances retention and understanding. 
4. It also supports active learning, giving students the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a simulated practical environment. 
5. Students experience conditions that are difficult to replicate in real life. 

Students wear their headsets and get prepared to do training as roofing professionals (a group exposed to unique hazards due to the nature of their work at high altitudes). The first thing they do once they are in the virtual construction site is to inspect ladders, to secure them, and to use 
them to transport materials.  

Then, they evaluate the safest locations for ladder placement, ensuring that ladders are free from damage, and following proper safety protocols during ladder use.  

Students remove the immediate risk of injury, thereby providing a safer and more effective 
training environment. 

If instructors wish to replicate conditions of an accident, they can modify the scenario.  

For the final stage, students write a report or modify the protocol.  

1. It is a safe and cost-effective way to expose student workers to dangerous scenarios without the risks associated with physical training environments.
2. Student trainees gain hands-on experience, which is typically more engaging and effective for retention compared to traditional methods like videos or handouts in the classroom. 
3. VR training can be tailored to individual needs, offering specific scenarios that align with the workers’ roles, which helps to better prepare them for the hazards they will encounter on the job.  

Students from different countries and cultural backgrounds participate in a collaborative online international learning (COIL) project through social VR platform. First, students enter the high-immersion virtual space where they design their own avatars and enter their names. Then, they navigate in the environment to become familiar with it. Thirdly, they start conducting the various tasks their instructors had assigned them to do. The tasks can involve situated social activities, such as playing basketball or conversing in virtual living rooms, where they communicate using English as a lingua franca. Students also take advantage of the different elements of the environment to carry out their tasks. This scenario allows students to engage in meaningful, task-based interactions that simulated real-life communication and cultural exchange, all within an immersive digital environment.

1. It provides a safe, immersive environment that encourages authentic communication, fostering language proficiency while reducing speaking anxiety. 

2. It enhances students' motivation and engagement by offering a sense of presence and autonomy. 

3. It facilitates experiential learning, where students can explore and negotiate meaning collaboratively, leading to deeper intercultural understanding and a more dynamic, student-centered language learning experience.

Over a 3-week period, students are required to prepare and deliver a 5-minute academic presentation on a topic relevant to their field of study. 

 

Week 1: 

Students are introduced to Ovation VR and complete a brief orientation session. Then, each student performs a presentation in front of a virtual audience within the app, which generates analytics on eye contact, speech rate, filler words, and gestures. Students are given automated feedback.

Week 2:

Students watch recordings of their first presentation and write a short self-reflection guided by prompts. Then, they are assigned a peer to exchange and discuss feedback with (via LMS or in class). Finally, the instructor facilitates a feedback workshop using anonymized clips from Ovation for whole-class discussion.

Week 3:

Students revise and re-deliver their presentations in Ovation VR. Later, they compare analytics between the two presentations and reflect on their progress in a final journal entry.

 

1. It reduces speaking anxiety in English as a foreign language, which is very common in students. 

2. It enhances self-awareness through real-time analytics (gaze, speech, etc.), and it enables learners to pinpoint specific areas of improvement.

3. It supports reflective practice by combining self-evaluation with peer feedback for deeper learning.

4. It allows students to rehearse multiple times in a controlled, non-threatening environment before presenting in person.

5. It bridges technology and communication while encouraging digital literacy and improving oral skills critical in both academic and professional contexts.

Students create original virtual paintings as part of a classroom project, using Open Brush VR with Meta Quest 3 or Oculus Quest 2. The focus is on exploring the elements of art, especially space, in an embodied and immersive way.

The activity can unfold through the following steps:

1. Students begin by reviewing key concepts and vocabulary related to the elements of art. They then brainstorm ideas for their artwork, considering how to represent movement, texture, and space using the tools available in Open Brush VR.

2. Next, students put on the VR headsets and enter the 3D environment, where they create their paintings using a variety of virtual brushes, colors, and dynamic elements such as fire, bubbles, stars, and sound. They move around their virtual canvases, viewing and adjusting their creations from multiple angles to better understand the use of space and composition.

3. After completing their artwork, students prepare short oral presentations. They present their virtual paintings to the class, explaining their creative choices, the process they followed, and how the elements of art are reflected in their work. They also discuss how the use of VR changed or enhanced their understanding of space in visual art.

This scenario allows students to integrate art, language, and digital technology in a hands-on, engaging, and field-relevant experience.

1. Embodied learning: 

Students experience artistic concepts physically and spatially, reinforcing theoretical understanding.

2. Multimodal expression: 

The experience combines visual, auditory, and spatial elements to support creativity and communication.

3. Language in context: 

The experience enhances domain-specific language skills (e.g., art terminology) through authentic use in presentations and reflections while experiencing technology 

4. Digital fluency: 

Students develop confidence in using VR technology, which is increasingly relevant in their field of study. 

5. Student engagement: 

The immersive and hands-on tasks promote deeper involvement and motivation, especially in English for Fine Arts.

Instructors of Nursing and Healthcare courses, as well as ESP instructors teaching English for Nursing can use this scenario in their course for patient assessment and decision-making. 

Firstly, students receive a scenario about a 65-year-old male patient presenting with chest pain, high blood pressure, and shortness of breath. Then, they input the patient's symptoms, vital signs, and medical history into the AI tool (i.e. Gemini). The AI suggests potential diagnoses such as angina, myocardial infarction, or pulmonary embolism, and may generate relevant images. Students discuss whether the AI's suggestions align with their clinical reasoning and determine appropriate immediate nursing interventions, such as administering oxygen, monitoring the electrocardiogram (ECG), and notifying the physician.

It is advisable that the instructor prompts a discussion with the question, "Can AI replace human judgment in patient care?" Students explore AI's role as a support tool versus a direct decision-maker in nursing.

 

1. Enhanced Clinical Reasoning: 

Students practice integrating AI-generated data with their clinical knowledge to make informed decisions.

1. Ethical Awareness: 

The scenario creates discussions on the ethical implications of AI in healthcare. 

1. Technological familiarization with AI: 

Students gain hands-on experience with AI tools, preparing them for technology-integrated healthcare environments.

1. Language Development: 

The activity enhances medical vocabulary and communication skills through discussions and presentations.