Advancing Innovation, Research, and Instruction through Student-Faculty Collaboration and Virtual Reality Integration at a Two-Year College

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing interest and success in STEM programs through innovative virtual reality technology integration at two-year colleges. This project establishes a collaborative student/faculty-led Virtual Reality (VR) Research Lab and curricular enhancement initiative at Glendale Community College (GCC). With California ranked in the top quartile of states employing STEM workers, this project responds to workforce demand by creating pathways for more community college students to thrive in STEM fields. The significance of this work lies in making cutting-edge VR technology availabile to community college students while developing a replicable model that can be scaled across similar institutions. Project activities include engaging faculty in VR curriculum design, launching a student-driven VR consultancy, and creating a community college-based VR research hub focused on STEM education innovation. Through this cost-effective, student-centered model, the project aims to increase STEM major enrollment and improve STEM success rates across the STEM curriculum. The goals of the project include: 1) increasing faculty engagement with VR technology, 2) enhancing student engagement in STEM disciplines, and 3) improving STEM student outcomes through three interconnected strategies. The research scope encompasses evaluating the effectiveness of VR in classroom instruction, designing a student-centered model for VR learning material development, and implementing a work-based learning experience in this emerging field. Building on Arizona State University's evidence that VR technology can lead to 1.7 times higher course success rates and significantly higher lab scores for students, the research plans to address key questions about VR's impact in community college settings. For instance, to what extent do VR-enhanced STEM courses impact students' engagement and success? Do student consultants develop industry-relevant technical skills aligned with workforce demands? Methodologically, the project plans to leverage interdisciplinary faculty development, student-centered VR project design, and comprehensive assessment to create a blueprint for effective VR integration across multiple STEM disciplines. The project aims to create and systematically disseminate new knowledge about cost-effective VR implementation models specifically designed for resource-constrained community colleges, thereby maximizing adoption across similar institutions. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate and advance knowledge about the impact of emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.