VREP: Students Learning & Leading in 3D Facilitating Transformational Learning Kirkwood Community College

Session Purposes:  To share the Virtual Reality Education Pathfinder story as a way to start a conversation about: What a “producer-oriented” learning environment looks like. The impact of disruptive innovation on the teacher/learner role. Implications for teaching & “school.”

Forrest’s story...

Peter’s story... Struggling student. No point to school, not experiencing the success he wanted. Knew he had to deal with school to meet parent and community expectations. BORED and doesn’t feel connected or successful.

Peter’s story... VREP provides avenues for personal expression – it allows him to showcase his intellect and passion areas – he’s given an avenue to produce something he and others VALUE. He leads his school in teaching other students the program. Teams with friends to create videos with special effects and creates complex gaming environments. VREP Guide consulting and training other VREP students – just got back from a VREP Institute in Red Oak. Re-engaged in school – moving on to college a confident and competent learner.

Traditional School Experience

 Learner motivation & interest secondary to adult-defined process for learning & content to be learned.  Ability to integrate and apply discipline knowledge is not required for success. A “Consumer Orientation” to Learning.

Traditional View of School Adult-driven & defined work. Simple, linear, de-contextualized tasks. External locus of control. Disruption/dissonance = “BAD”.

Reductionist/analytically oriented school structures & processes (consumer-oriented) “boxes” and “separates” content knowledge: Math Science ReadingTech Art History Art Music Science History Econ English Math Technology Health & Fitness Our world today demands the ability to seamlessly integrate the disciplines – to see their similarities and differences IN CONTEXT. Leaving the student to “figure out” how they are connected.

This is the “school” that students like Forrest and Peter see little reason or relevance for spending much time on. Enter a “new” model and example for what school can be – a truly “disruptive” innovation:

Virtual Reality Educational Pathfinders A simple concept: Put a 3D/VR system with modeling software in the hands of students without a formal “teacher”. Tell students they must connect with an adult on a project of interest that shows what they know and/or helps other students grasp important concepts. Give them unfettered access to the system. What: A 3D computer, projector, goggles, and open source, free software all costing less than $4,000. An administrator and/or teacher with a “Producer” orientation to schooling and learning.

Forrest’s Orbital Story  This story will trace how the producer oriented learning works.

Typical textbook depiction of orbitals

Forrest’s Rendition

Transformational School Experience Learner motivation & interest assumed to be central to the learning process and integration of discipline knowledge required for success. A “Producer Orientation” to Learning

Transformed View of School Contextualized, nuanced, “wicked” problems explored & solved. Driven by student interest/passion. “Producer” oriented – create value for self & others. Disruption & dissonance encouraged.

Kill me now!! SO... We can treat children as consumers or...

We can engage them with things like a 3D, fully controllable, actual MRI of the heart.

Examples:  Forrest and Peter share their work and what they learned.

Discussion & Questions:  Students guide own learning as they engage in content.  Teachers’ role becomes much more important – helping to nurture and grow learning.

Forrest’s story... Considered very successful in school – good grades. Inquisitive. Compliant. Didn’t learn deeply due to “brain flush.” Cared about my education, not about school. BORED and finds school tedious and largely irrelevant. “I saw school as a hoop I had to jump through to get to more interesting things.”

Forrest’s story... VREP (and a few other “producer-oriented, student- led” opportunities) re-engages him in his education. VREP leads to position at Rockwell in their Advanced Manufacturing Virtual Reality laboratory. A leader in VREP – travels the state and country training and consulting on VREP – just returned from Cincinnati yesterday!