London School of Business and Finance has announced it is offering all of its online postgraduate students a new way to gain public speaking skills via virtual reality headsets. So far, hundreds of headsets have been sent to students all around the world, including Germany, Nigeria, India and the United Arab Emirates.
Education is expected to become the fourth biggest sector for VR investments, predicted to be worth US$700 million by 2025.
But while the technology is frequently used in the classroom environment to make teaching more engaging and interactive, its utilisation in distance learning is yet to be widely applied.
“Combining VR with distance learning will help students use the technology to its full potential”
Postgraduate students who enrolled on LSBF’s online programs in October 2019 received the zero-cost VR equipment this month.
The headset was offered to students enrolling on the Global MBA online, master in Finance and Investments online, dual master & MSc in Finance and Investments online, and the dual master & MSc in Strategic Marketing online.
The headset is part of the public speaking module, an optional assessment for students to refine their skills when it comes to delivering presentations or speeches through a fully immersive VR experience, as demonstrated in an introductory video.
LSBF said it is confident this offering will enhance the learning outcomes for students and will be extending the initiative to all future intakes for its online programs.
Academic lead at LSBF Christopher Jasko said that with this initiative, LSBF is giving its students the opportunity to be part of the technological revolution.
“Combining VR with distance learning will help students use the technology to its full potential, whilst encouraging self-learning in an even more flexible and independent environment,” he added.
The VR module re-creates high-pressured scenarios and then measures speaking speed, intonation, volume, and audience engagement, providing feedback on how to perfect the overall performance.
By successfully completing the optional module, students will receive an LSBF Certificate in Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
“This is only the beginning for VR in e-learning for LSBF,” Jakso continued.
“A small, yet very significant step towards bringing the full potential of VR and augmented reality into the distance-learning classroom, and we will be announcing further initiatives in the very near future.”
