Project to bring virtual reality experiences to
students in rural and urban schools
Baton Rouge, La. – Southern
University’s Department of Agricultural Sciences, along with the Department of
Science and Mathematics Education (SMED), College of Sciences and Engineering, and the School of Education, will
bring virtual reality experiences to middle and high school students and
teachers through the ‘Building
Environmental and Educational Technology Competence and Leadership Among
Educators: An Exploration in
Virtual Reality(VR) Professional Development (BEE-Tech) project.
The project, which is supported by a grant from the National Science
Foundation, will leverage the Department of
Agricultural Sciences’ virtual reality projects to provide the teachers
and students of rural and urban middle and high schools with local virtual reality
experiences. Often these schools are lacking resources for field trips and the VR
project will allow students to be immersed in simulated field experiences.
“The Louisiana wetlands is an example of one of our nation's most
vulnerable ecosystems that exist near communities where there are little to no
STEM training opportunities for teachers and students in K-12 schools,” said
Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr., chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences. “Focusing
on these threatened natural environments and their connection to flooding will
put STEM concepts in a real-world context that is relatable to students living
in these areas while integrating innovative virtual reality technology into
their learning.”
Dr. Nastassia Jones, an Associate Professor in the Department of
Science and Mathematics Education (SMED), is the lead Principle Investigator of
this interdisciplinary, three-year grant. Drs. Christopher Chappell, Department
of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources; Dr. Christopher Guillory (SMED); Emily
Jackson-Osagie Department of Curriculum and Instruction; and Harold Mellieon,
Jr., Department of Agricultural Sciences, all from Southern University, are
Co-Principle Investigators on the grant.
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