Virtual Reality Explorations

In collaboration with the Studio for Technology and Learning Innovation (STLI), Professor Shahrzad Ghobadlou and her French 102 students recently traded their textbooks for virtual reality headsets to visit the historic part of the city of Rennes, France. Their explorations took the form of an interactive, urban scavenger hunt completed in pairs. One student wore the VR headset to navigate a 20-minute virtual walk through old Rennes, serving as the “eyes” of the team. Meanwhile, their partner acted as the “guide,” using a physical map and a script to give real-time directions. Together, each pair navigated the streets to locate and decode information on slides hidden across ten key cultural landmarks. In the process students practiced the imperative and present verb tenses to give and follow directions (e.g., “tourne à gauche,” “prends la rue ....”). This activity therefore blended the week's new vocabulary, such as simple urban landmarks and directional terms, with historical facts about the city of Rennes. It even led students to discover fun elements from popular French graphic novels!

In addition to targeting interpersonal, interpretational, and presentational modes of communication, Professor Ghobadlou's goal was to transition language use from a traditional instructional setting into a performative, real-world scenario. This immersive activity lowered language anxiety and helped students build the cultural confidence needed for real-world autonomy and future study abroad programs. Students thoroughly enjoyed the experience, commenting on how fun it was “to use the terms we learned in class and apply them to something cool.”