Montclair State University Opens New Virtual Reality Facility
Montclair State University has opened a new virtual reality learning facility designed to bring coursework into immersive environments and train students in virtual reality content creation. Built in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, the facility is housed in the university’s College of Communication and Media building and will serve more than 24,000 students.
The 2,450-square-foot virtual reality lab is part of Montclair’s efforts to expand immersive learning across disciplines. It is also intended to provide students with practical experience in virtual reality and digital media. The university’s partnership with Dreamscape Learn forms part of its broader approach to using new tools and technology in teaching and learning.
Dreamscape Learn is an immersive learning company that uses cinematic storytelling and virtual reality to deliver learning experiences grounded in research-backed pedagogy. Montclair joins other colleges and universities that use Dreamscape Learn, including Arizona State University, Rowan University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The facility includes a 26-seat classroom and a free-roam pod. The pod allows students to freely walk through a virtual world while working with course material. The combination of classroom and free-roam spaces is intended to support immersive coursework and practical learning activities.
Dreamscape Learn combines a student-centred approach with 360-degree motion-capture technology and advanced haptics. The haptic system uses physical stimuli, including vibrations and other motions, to simulate touch. These technologies are used as part of the immersive learning environment provided through the facility.
Montclair will initially offer Dreamscape Learn’s signature course, Biology in the Alien Zoo. The course places students in an alien ecosystem and involves a series of missions. Working together, students conduct virtual fieldwork, collect and analyse data, and apply scientific concepts to save an alien species from extinction.
The facility is partially funded through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s “New Jersey Film Works Grant Program”. It is also part of a statewide effort to strengthen New Jersey’s digital media industry.
The university is introducing the facility with a focus on both academic learning and skills development. Students will have hands-on learning opportunities in virtual reality, while the space will also provide training related to virtual reality content creation.
Montclair’s facility follows the opening of the first Dreamscape Learn Lab at Arizona State University in 2021. Students taking Biology at Arizona State University are nearly twice as likely to earn an A grade in lab assignments compared with students in regular course sections.
Montclair will expand its course offerings over time to provide greater access to the facility for students across majors. The expansion will allow the university to use the space for subjects beyond its initial Biology offering.
The facility will also give students opportunities to develop practical skills in virtual reality. The College of Communication and Media has identified skills such as storyboarding, design, and coding as areas connected to the training offered through the laboratory. The facility is intended to support students as they develop experience with virtual reality as a medium for digital media work.
The new laboratory is housed within the College of Communication and Media, linking the immersive learning facility with the university’s academic work in communication and media. Its classroom and free-roam space provide different environments for students to engage with virtual coursework and practical activities.
Dreamscape Learn is a collaborative venture between Dreamscape Immersive and Arizona State University. The venture combines pedagogy with storytelling developed within the entertainment industry. Dreamscape Learn is also focused on immersive teaching and learning and aims to address student learning gaps.
Montclair’s launch adds the university to the group of institutions using Dreamscape Learn as part of their educational programmes. Its initial course, Biology in the Alien Zoo, will provide the first application of the facility’s immersive learning environment. In contrast, the planned expansion of course offerings will extend access to students across the university.
