Project: Institution-wide BodySwaps/Meta Virtual Reality Education Project

Description

Served as Technical and Instructional Lead for Queen's University Belfast's participation in the BodySwaps & Meta Soft Skills Education Research Project, one of 60 institutions selected globally. Led the implementation and critical evaluative discussions on the use and value of immersive learning technologies across multiple schools, facilitating important discussions about the role of emerging technologies in higher education.

Project Funded by BodySwaps and Meta

Key Achievements:
•Orchestrated evaluative discussions regarding VR's educational impact, leading reflective conversations with staff and students about learning design, accessibility, and the broader ethical implications of immersive technologies in education
•Facilitated critical discourse among academic staff regarding the benefits and potential limitations of VR platforms, encouraging honest reflection on whether such tools enhance or potentially hinder teaching and learning
•Designed and delivered VR taster sessions for 350+ students across disciplines, incorporating structured feedback sessions to gather insights on usefulness, accessibility, usability, and learning effectiveness
•Led regular collaborative meetings with academic staff to evaluate implementation progress and gather reflective insights on pedagogical impact and practical challenges
•Fostered open dialogue about inclusive design in virtual learning environments, ensuring accessibility considerations were central to implementation decisions
Technical & Pedagogical Leadership:
•Balanced technical deployment with critical discussion of educational effectiveness and accessibility
•Facilitated evidence-based talks about the role of emerging technologies in higher education
•Developed implementation strategies that prioritised inclusive learning design
Strategic Implementation:
•Coordinated cross-departmental collaboration between TIME Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work
•Co-led international knowledge exchange with global project leads, contributing insights on technical integration, educational effectiveness, and inclusive design
•Organised university-wide showcase events that combined practical demonstrations with critical discussions about the future of immersive learning
Critical Evaluation & Research:
•Facilitated ongoing dialogue about the pedagogical implications of VR in higher education
•Led reflective sessions with staff to evaluate the impact on teaching practices and student engagement
•Explored the broader implications of immersive technologies for inclusive education

Impact: Successfully integrated technical implementation with critical pedagogical evaluation, fostering important discussions about the role of emerging technologies in higher education. The project not only enhanced university staff’s technical capabilities but also contributed to broader understanding about metaverse and virtual reality learning interventions.
The initiative demonstrated how technical innovation can be balanced with critical pedagogical reflection, creating a model for thoughtful implementation of emerging technologies in higher education while maintaining focus on accessibility and educational value.

Period	15 Nov 2023 → 30 Apr 2024
Degree of Recognition	International