Rich Shivener and Elizabeth Caravella, professors in the Writing Department at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, have completed a study exploring how immersive technology is changing how students work. The study, “Writing in Virtual Reality: Understanding Invention, Collaboration, and Friction in Hybrid Spaces," was published in the journal Written Communication.
The two researchers used virtual reality (VR) headset recordings to document writing tasks in both virtual and hybrid settings to see how VR would impact writing practices. VR enhanced the writers’ feeling of collaboration by allowing them to share virtual environments but there were also negative aspects to the technology, such as issues with hardware, software and accessibility. However, the researchers concluded that VR holds potential for enhancing the learning experience for both students and educators.
Read the full study published in Written Communication.