Montclair State University opens new virtual reality facility
The university officially opened the 2,450-square-foot facility Tuesday in Partnership with Dreamscape Learn.
Montclair State University is bringing virtual reality into the classroom with a new facility designed to give students a more immersive, hands-on way to learn.
The university officially opened the 2,450-square-foot facility Tuesday in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, an immersive learning company that combines cinematic storytelling, virtual reality and research-backed teaching methods.
The facility, located in Montclair’s College of Communication and Media building, includes a 26-seat classroom and a free-roam pod that allows students to physically move through a virtual environment.
The technology combines 360-degree motion capture with haptic technology, which uses physical sensations such as vibrations and movement to simulate touch to create more immersive learning experiences.
One of the first courses offered will be “Biology in the Alien Zoo.” The virtual experience places students inside an alien ecosystem, where they work together to complete missions, collect and analyze data, and apply scientific concepts while trying to save an alien species from extinction.
University officials say the facility will eventually offer more courses and expand access to students across different majors.
“It's going to give students the opportunity to learn how to create media experiences that are at the cutting edge. When new Jersey has invested a lot of taxpayer dollars to bring movie studios here. It's paying big dividends. But we need to prepare our students for the jobs that are going to be created,” Montclair State president Jonathan Koppell said.
The facility is partially funded through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s New Jersey Film Works Grant Program, which is part of a statewide effort to strengthen the digital media industry.
Montclair State joins a growing number of colleges and universities using Dreamscape Learn technology, including Arizona State University, Rowan University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Arizona State opened the first Dreamscape Learn Lab in 2021. According to Montclair State, biology students there were nearly twice as likely to earn an A on lab assignments compared with students in traditional course sections.
Montclair State says the new facility will serve the university’s more than 24,000 students and expand its course offerings over time.
