Student perspectives on using virtual reality to create informal connection and engagement: The Challenge of Educating EU Professionals

Following the global pandemic, educators relied heavily on live
videoconferencing options and online meeting spaces to host class in lieu of traditional,
in-person classroom learning. Yet, exhaustion and Zoom fatigue fueled a lack of
engagement in such online spaces, while simultaneously the need for more informal
connection to support learners’ emotional well-being emerged. This study aims to
better understand how online learners perceive the use of virtual reality (VR) as an
alternative platform to informally connect and engage with one another, and to
ascertain the impact on their satisfaction and motivation for such engagement.
Specifically, the investigation sought to examine participant perceptions of social
presence felt, the ability to connect and exchange informally, and the impact on
motivation, digital literacy, and satisfaction overall.

Following the global pandemic, the world grew to rely more heavily on
technology to maintain workflow, synchronous meetings, and connection (Vargo et al.,
2021). Videoconferencing platforms (such as Zoom, Skype for Business, Google
Hangouts, GoToMeetings, and Cisco WebX) replaced live, in-person meetings,
classrooms, and offices. In particular, higher education institutions rapidly transitioned
to online and hybrid modalities using learning management systems (LMS) and
supportive asynchronous communication tools (such as document sharing
repositories, screen sharing/recording tools, virtual workboards and workspaces).
Although these tools afforded a way to remain connected while learning and working
remotely, individuals also began to suffer from an abundance of screen-time and
overscheduled synchronous meetings using these technology-supported meeting
spaces–leading to “Zoom-fatigue”, distraction, and a lack of interest in online social
events (Fosslien & Duffy, 2020; Wiederhold, 2020). During this time, researchers also
discovered the need for more intentional and informal opportunities to socially connect
with classmates, peers, and colleagues–demonstrating the detrimental effect of
isolation, anxiety, and burn out as a consequence of unanticipated remote working and
learning (Brooks et al., 2020; Hwang et al., 2020; Toscano & Zappala, 2020; Wang et al.,
2020).
While individuals and organizations sought to combine (and simultaneously
felt overwhelmed by) the use of synchronous and asynchronous tools to maintain
productivity, they also unearthed the need for informal, social connection and
engagement to support the emotional aspects lost from the move to these online
environments (Toscano & Zappala, 2020). However, utilizing the same work-based
platforms (LMS and videoconferencing) proved to be somewhat exhausting,
unmotivating, and lacked the authentic feel of the social environments they tried to
replicate–from the office water cooler to celebratory events to informal conversations
over coffee (Fosslien & Duffy, 2020; Wiederhold, 2020).
InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching 29
With an understanding that learning and working remotely were essential
tasks at hand, the importance of supporting the social and emotional needs of our
learners and workers became evident. In particular, the need for meaningful social
engagement, informal exchange, and (for lack of a better word)–fun! Yet, given the lack
of motivation or interest to socially connect, using the same technologies that were
leading to exhaustion and fatigue, this investigator sought to explore options to
address this need by using virtual reality.