In partnership with Harvard University

While completing my Masters at Harvard University in Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology, I focused on researching and evaluating how immersive experiences could be leveraged for educational settings. This concentration allowed me to take courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, MIT, and Harvard Business School.

Below are three key research presentations that I wrote, designed, and conducted.

How to design motivation, educational Vr experiences

While conducting research with Eileen McGivney, Ph.D, we showed various VR experiences to 30+ students in classrooms. The Nat Geo experience was a student favorite. I wanted to research why it is so motivating and engaging & how its experience design can be utilized for future educational VR experiences. I evaluate:

• Key theories of motivation

• Discussion of interviews with students about VR experience

• General strengths and limits of the experience’s motivation and learning 

Increasing the immersive exhibit’s climate change awareness and Engagement

The Museum of Science launched their new immersive exhibit — Gaia — placed at the center of museum’s entrance. They were interested to learn how visitors engage with the exhibit and whether the exhibit inspires visitors to learn more about climate change.

To address the museum's goals, our team generated an evaluation plan — in partnership with the museum’s Chief Learning Officer and Director of Research — to address the following questions relevant to the exhibit’s objectives:

• Awareness - In what ways, if any, are visitors connecting to the exhibit?

• Engagement - In what ways, if any, are visitors engaging with the exhibit?

• Interest - In what ways, if any, does Gaia prompt further interest in climate change?

Implementing VR in classrooms

This research analyzes the role of VR in classrooms, in hopes of strategizing how to bring VR and its content into school settings. Readers will understand the educational goals and learning theories needed to create compelling VR learning experiences.

Looking to bring VR into classrooms? Here's your guide on how VR learning experiences can be integrated.