Stacy Suhadolc, The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA

Most ITA programs in the U.S. do in-class activities that focus on interactional communication. One of the most used activities is the office hour role play, where the ITA plays the role as the instructor and another student in the class plays the role as the student. The student simulates a problem that they present to the ITA and the ITA must navigate and sometimes negotiate the situation with the student. While these activities have been useful for future ITAs to prepare for these kinds of situations, they are still removed from an authentic location and sometimes context. Immersive videos are a type of video content that are designed to make viewers feel like they are inside the video. Typically, a headset or smart phone is attached to viewing goggles and a person can move their head around while watching a video that tracks their movement, thus creating a virtual reality (VR) space. This article will explore literature on VR in a language learning environment as well as an idea for creating 360° videos for an ITA
context. Finally, a framework for leading a 360° video activity will be presented.

Virtual Reality and Language Learning Research

The use of virtual VR with language learning is still a new phenomenon, but recently, several studies as well as reviews have been done to measure the trends, impacts, and perceptions of language learning in a VR environment. In Kucher Dhimolea et al.’s review, out of the 32 studies examined, “only three studies used 360° videos while eight studies combined 360° videos and 3D elements, such as pop-up text and sentence prompts, to aid the conversation” (2022, pg. 5). The use of VR is known to reduce users’ anxiety (2022). Studies show that “even one-time exposure to VR helps students recall some of the language learning content even weeks after the experiment” (Kucher Dhimolea et al., 2022, pg. 10).

Kucher Dhimolea et al. also found that “computer-generated VR spaces were more prevalent than 360° immersive videos” (2022, pg. 9). This is because it is easier to modify a computer-generated space than a pre-recorded 360° video (2022). Although computer-generated content is easier to modify, creating 360° videos is more user-friendly for supplementing course content. 360° videos are recorded with a 360° camera that captures all angles of a given space from exploring the Amazon rain forest to watching a conversation of two Korean speakers chat in a Korean restaurant. YouTube has a Virtual Reality channel that shows several kinds of videos recorded in 360° that could be used for educational purposes.

360° Videos in ITA Classes

ITA programs could explore making 360° videos for communicative and embodiment practice. These practices can help students develop and sustain empathy as well as embodiment in an immersive reality. Office hour role plays are one activity that could use 360° videos to supplement student learning in and out of the classroom. For example, a 360° video could be recorded of a student coming into an instructor’s office and requesting an extension on an assignment. During this video, the student would pause while the instructor speaks and then the student responds with a general answer. Recording these types of videos could be reused for other ITA programs if they are uploaded to an open source, such as YouTube.

Framework for 360° Video Activities

Jayong Song created 360° videos and activities for her Korean as a second language class while working at Rice University. See one example below. In her class, she used low tech by using the students’ smart phones and attaching them to headset goggles that run relatively cheap (about $20 per pair). Her activity could be implemented into an ITA classroom using the same steps as below:

1. Raising awareness of the target interactional features
2. Language analysis with authentic 360° VR video
3. Practice with 360° VR video
4. Assignment with 360° VR video
5. Assessment

Discussion

Even without the use of the VR headset, these activities could be used with a smartphone or desktop computer. They have the potential for helping the student become familiar with these types of settings and situations that they will encounter as a TA. While it may seem like a lot of work up front, the students could benefit from these videos by practicing in authentic contexts by actually seeing a TA’s office space in the video. Several collaboration efforts could be used while working with university resources that are available to faculty.

References

CLIC Rice University. (2019, February 22). Korean VR 360 – Invitation refusal. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/frcvd7zQEoc

Kucher Dhimolea, T., Kaplan-Rakowski, R., & Lin, L., (2022). A systematic review of research on high-immersion virtual reality for language learning. TechTrends. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00717-w

Song, J. Immersive language learning with 360 virtual reality videos. Center of Languages and Intercultural Communication. [Presentation]. Rice University.

YouTube. (2022). Virtual reality. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzuqhhs6NWbgTzMuM09WKDQ