Sessions /
Virtual reality in tourism education: A case study #151

Sat, Jun 20, 09:45-10:20 JST | YouTube
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With the increasing amount of research and development conducted in the use of virtual reality (VR) in both vocational training and language learning, these two areas seem to be both represented in the context of tourism education. This study was conducted with 22 students in the Department of Global Tourism at a university in western Japan. The study was designed not only to detect English learning affordances, but also to glean insight into practical benefits and issues of using VR for tourism studies in the department curriculum. The students were trained to create virtual tours of their hometowns with Tour Creator, a VR platform developed by Google. Students then guided classmates on virtual tours of their hometowns in English, using smartphones and mini VR glasses. Following the virtual tours, all the students responded to a user experience questionnaire with Likert-type and open-ended items on virtual presence, perceived usefulness and future use of VR, as well as the pros and cons of the activity among others. The findings of this study have important implications for the use of virtual reality in tourism education in EMI (English-Medium Instruction) contexts. The experience also suggests other potentials in using VR in tourism education.

Mehrasa Alizadeh

Mehrasa Alizadeh

I am an assistant professor at Osaka University. I conduct collaborative research on learning analytics and in particular sensor technology to monitor and improve learner wakefulness, concentration, and engagement in e-learning contexts. I am also very much interested in the applications of XR (extended reality) in language learning. alizadeh.mehrasa@lab.ime.cmc.osaka-u.ac.jp
Eric Hawkinson

Eric Hawkinson

Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
Eric is a learning futurist, tinkering with and designing technologies that may better inform the future of teaching and learning. Eric is president and research coordinator of MAVR, a research group working in immersive technologies for teaching and learning, and more specifically, augmented and virtual realities in language learning. Eric's day job is at the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies where he teaches courses and conducts research on issues related to technology in tourism and education. Eric also leads a team of interactive media designers for TEDxKyoto. Eric's projects have included augmented tourism rallies, AR community art exhibitions, mixed reality escape rooms, and other experiments in immersive technology. https://erichawkinson.com