Dr. James Rund Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student Services/Interim AD | Arizona State Sun Devils Website
Dr. James Rund Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student Services/Interim AD | Arizona State Sun Devils Website
Arizona State University (ASU) is introducing a new virtual reality component to its Exploring Global Futures course, designed by student workers at SPLIT Studio and powered by Dreamscape Learn. This initiative, set to begin in the spring 2025 semester, fulfills the university's sustainability requirement and is open to all students on campus.
The course offers immersive experiences such as measuring Arctic ice thickness and restoring coral reefs off Hawaiʻi. The VR modules were developed using Dreamscape Learn's technology, a collaboration between ASU and Dreamscape Immersive. These components have been previously utilized in biology classes at ASU and are now expanding into other disciplines.
SPLIT Studio's team consulted with faculty members Stephanie Pfirman, deputy director and Foundation Professor in the School of Ocean Futures, and Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of Global Futures at ASU. They aimed to create realistic scenarios reflecting real-life research expeditions. Pfirman highlighted the educational value of these experiences: "We’re in this situation because of choices people have made in the past, and that's empowering because if we make different choices now, it can change our future."
Auryan Ratliff leads the SPLIT Studio team. He began creating extended reality content for EdPlus while he was a student worker in 2015. SPLIT Studio serves clients like ASU Online, Dreamscape Learn, and external partners.
The studio also worked with Greg Asner from ASU's Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science for the coral reef experience module. Neel Madhav Dogra, a senior majoring in computer science at SPLIT Studio, contributed to designing sound effects for these experiences.
Dogra expressed his enthusiasm for working at SPLIT Studio: “Working at SPLIT has really helped me because I know how to work on a large team and on large-scale projects with many stakeholders.”
The course aims to engage students through immersive learning experiences that emphasize responsibility towards global futures.
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