Yavapai College is bringing VR to the student experience. We have been exploring the implementation of Extended Realities (XR) in various courses.
Get a Demo VR and immersive learning is revolutionizing education because of it's effectiveness. It doesn't replace hand-on activities, but can add experiences that are DICE: dangerous, impossible, counterproductive, and expensive. Immersive learning gives our students the edge they need for today’s competitive workforce environment.
Learn more The Media and Extended Realities Certificate offers students a comprehensive curriculum focused on digital design, extended realities (XR) development, and 3D modeling. Students will learn about architecture, lighting, sound design, hardware components for XR, 3D visualization software, and will culminate their studies with an experiential capstone project. This program equips graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in the field of digital design and extended realities.
Instructors in Art, Computer Science, Automotive, Construction, and the Skilled Trades have increased student engagement in their classes through the use of this emerging technology.
“In less than an hour, I watched a rocket launch, met a tiger, poured a pot of tea, traveled to space, wandered through a dissected pig, stood next to a beating heart (so freaking cool) I drew Japanese calligraphy, rode a horse, stood under a blooming cherry tree while koi fish swam nearby, and put an engine together (I caught on to that quick) and lastly watched a newborn baby be resuscitated. This is the future, brothers and sisters.”
“As an Early College advisor, we took two of the headsets out to a college/career fair at [a rural] High School. It was a way to help drive student engagement and conversation at our booth when students were walking around talking with all of the different schools.”
Request training In the coming semesters, Yavapai College will be offering more and more opportunities to study and learn with XR, and we're looking forward to you joining us on the experience. Do you want to create virtual reality activities for your department? Request training and get a VR headset.
Building Support Systems- Endorsement from leadership, including the President, ELT, SLT, Deans, and Division Leaders.
- Robust tech support and resources to ensure campus-wide access to immersive learning.
- Collaborative efforts among IT, Library Tech Team, Instructional Designers, and faculty pioneers.
- Regular workshops for faculty and staff.
- Art History: Virtual museum tours.
- Computer Science: Team-based computer building.
- Sculpture: Creating 3D objects in virtual spaces.
- Healthcare: Simulated patient care scenarios.
- CTE: Real-world applications in auto, construction, HVAC, and more.
- Student Development: Enhancing recruitment and program interest.
Total Engagements
1080 (Fall 2023: 489, Spring 2024: 591)
Breakdown by Groups
- Student Development: 106
- ART: 46
- Library: 113
- XR Team: 155
- Health Science: 32
- CTE: 586
- Computer Science: 42
Breakdown by Courses
- 3D Design, Computer Science, Art History, Auto, CNC, Construction, Culinary, E&I, Healthcare, HVAC, Interior Finishes, Manufacturing, Welding.
Platform Usage
- Transfr Career Exploration, VHC, VTF; Library Demos, Gravity Sketch, VictoryXR.
Experimental Studies: Conducting research to explore the effectiveness of XR in educational settings.
Explore Alternative Products: Investigating various XR products to find the best fit for our needs.
Faculty Training and Classroom Implementations:
Workshops and custom training sessions to increase interest, confidence, curiosity, and skills in delivering XR content.
Explore Partnerships: Collaborations with Transfr, VXR, Engage, and SimX. Future partnerships are being explored.
Certification in XR: Offering an MXR certificate program that equips students with skills in designing and developing immersive experiences, meeting the growing industry demand.
Customized XR Experiences: Creating tailored XR experiences for different educational disciplines.
Dedicated XR Space: Establishing a Center for Learning and Innovation focused on XR technologies.
Distance Learner Experience: Enhancing XR applications to support remote learners.
Support for K-12 Schools: Training collaborations with the Yavapai County Educational Technology Consortium.
AI Integration: Integrating AI avatars in the VR environment to enhance interactive learning experiences.
Adding more classes: continue to work with instructors and instructional designers to bring XR to more courses.
Perkins Grant
Funded the purchase of Transfr headsets for classroom use and student recruitment in CTE programs.
Meta and Victory XR Grant
Provided the initial headsets for our XR initiatives.
Ongoing Efforts
Actively securing more grants to ensure the sustainability of the XR project.