Designing and Implementing the Use of VR in Graduate Social Work Education for Clinical Practice

Abstract

While higher education research supports the use of virtual reality in the classroom, literature on its use in social work education is limited. This article discusses the implementation of virtual reality assignments in two MSW courses. Students enter virtual experiences as “first-person” observers while moving through the environment, observing context, and experiencing participant verbal and non-verbal communication. There were multiple considerations in the design and implementation of these assignments, including theoretical framework, scenarios, scripting and filming, and student preparation. This paper will discuss the reasons behind implementation of virtual reality, the design, development. and lessons learned.