Course Improvement Grant Spotlight: “Virtual Reality in World Languages”

Posted by fowlinj on Thursday, March 3, 2022 in Grants.

by Julaine Fowlin

Patrick Murphy, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Coordinator of Intensive Elementary Spanish 1103, talked about his Course Improvement Grant, “Virtual Reality in World Languages,” in an interview with CFT assistant director Julaine Fowlin. The interview was done from the CFT’s Digital Media Lab. Patrick’s project involves purchasing Google cardboard virtual reality (VR) viewers so that students can have a more visceral or tactile experience while watching cultural videos of places they are studying. Thus, generating greater interest and engagement. Patrick was inspired by his kids at first as he observed the sheer enjoyment, they got from viewers for Christmas one year. He then saw how this technology could be used to engage students in his class. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he had an entire class share a few viewers. The pandemic presented a need for each student to have their own, allowing them to use these viewers beyond the class. In the video interview, Patrick shares his passion for allowing students to appreciate themselves and others from different cultures. Patrick will also be collaborating with Immersion Vanderbilt. Currently, a student in Barcelona is doing a VR immersion project with a 360 camera. She will provide videos for editing and cataloging that can be used with the VR viewers. Patrick encourages faculty members to step outside their comfort zones. Doing so has allowed him to grow as a professor and teacher. The grant opportunity is an excellent start for moving ideas forward and improving teaching and learning. His teaching philosophy is focused on getting students to be effective communicators who are interested in bridging gaps with people within the same country and from other countries. He thinks it is vital that our students are global, culturally competent citizens.