The University of Arizona XR Collaborative explores immersive learning opportunities for students, faculty
Immersive technology has made significant strides in education, transforming how faculty and students approach learning. Aviva Doery, Assistant Director of Strategy and Program Operations at the University of Arizona Outreach, Distance, and Continuing Education and PhD student through the Center for the Study of Higher Education, is helping lead the charge in this new educational frontier through the XR Collaborative. This project was created with support of the Provost Investment Fund, with partners Jennifer Nichols, Director of CATalyst Studios at University Libraries, Georgia Davis, Director, Multimedia and Creative Initiatives at UCATT, and Gretchen Gibbs, Coordinator Professional Development - Online Instruction Coordinator at UCATT.
In this Q&A, Aviva discusses how the XR Collaborative came to be, its impact on faculty and students, and the exciting potential of virtual and augmented reality in creating accessible learning experiences for all.
Q: What inspired the creation of the XR Collaborative, and how did you identify the need?
Aviva Doery: When I started researching immersive pedagogical spaces on campus, it became clear that there wasn’t much connection between different projects. Collaborating with Jen Nichols, the director of the CATalyst Studio at the Library, we realized there wasn’t centralized support for faculty or staff interested in immersive learning. Together with UCATT, we secured a $180,000, two-year grant from the Provost Investment Fund, allowing us to pilot centralized support. We're gathering information, bringing people together, and providing a faculty learning community to address the gap in support for immersive technologies.
Q: How is the XR Collaborative helping faculty develop or think about immersive experiences, and how does it enhance student learning?
Aviva Doery: The collaborative meets once a month during the school year, offering a platform for members to share innovative ways they’re using immersive technologies. XR is a broad field—you can have someone talking about using iodine to 3D map alligator brains, and then someone like me using 360 video capture to create international cultural heritage experiences. We’re sharing information, interviewing collaborative members, and capturing data from institutions doing similar work. In the spring, we’ll offer a faculty learning community for those who aren’t already engaged in immersive technology but want to explore it. We’ll provide stipends and resources so they can develop ideas to implement in their classrooms.
Q: What support and training will faculty receive through the XR Collaborative and fellowship? How will this impact teaching methods?
Aviva Doery: We’ve been working closely with UCATT, which focuses on instructional and pedagogical design with high intentionality. Our goal is to create a space where faculty can ask questions, even if they don’t know exactly what they want to ask yet, and bring ideas for incorporating immersive pedagogy into their courses. The faculty learning community will not only offer stipends but also access to technologies. We’re hosting an XR Summit on November 1st, where anyone interested can come to the library and try immersive tools like 360 cameras and VR headsets. We hope these initiatives will lead to immersive technology being integrated into courses to benefit students.
Q: How do you plan to ensure that VR learning benefits nontraditional students, including those with financial and geographical constraints?
Aviva Doery: A lot of people think of XR technology as having a “wow” factor, but it has important implications for access and accessibility. My dissertation focuses on creating virtual reality study abroad programs for online and distant student populations. A recent survey showed that less than 1% of Arizona Online students study abroad, so we’re developing a program that provides a globalized educational opportunity for students who can’t travel. For example, in the “Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece” course, students will experience lectures in VR, recorded at archeological sites in Greece. It’s not meant to replace study abroad, but to offer an immersive cultural experience. Additionally, XR has accessibility benefits for students with disabilities. Many archeological sites in Greece lack paved pathways, so wheelchair users would have difficulty visiting in person. VR allows us to bring those spaces to students.
Q: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
Aviva Doery: I love talking to people who get excited about this work. We’re finishing up the initial editing of the lecture materials, and being able to show what the course will look like and see people’s reactions has been incredibly fulfilling. I’m also really looking forward to doing research when we launch the course in Spring 2025. I’ll be talking to students throughout, assessing how they engage with the material and whether the immersive lectures enhance their experience. Hearing student feedback will be one of the most exciting parts of this journey.
University of Arizona staff and faculty interested in joining the XR Collaborative can sign up for email notifications. A trailer for the upcoming “Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece” course is available for viewing.