Virtual Reality in Social Work Teaching - Two Approaches to 360° Videos and Collaborative Working

Abstract

The use of virtual reality and 360° videos has been little researched so far, especially in social work studies and teaching. The reasons for this are the low prevalence of VR headsets in social work courses and the fundamental technological deficit in social work, which means the lack of clear causal chains within it. Professionals must adapt their practical knowledge to the individual framework conditions and problem situations depending on the case situation and field of work. In contrast, in simulation-based approaches, as used in the teaching of many rather object-oriented courses of study, fixed sequences of action usually lead to success. At the same time, 360° videos, with suitable didactic framing, can be used to convey case studies in an immersive manner that can then be continued individually, methodically developed and reflected upon. In the” Teilprojekt XR”, two approaches to the use of VR headsets were designed, the first enables remote collaboration, the second offers a chance for analysis and reflection using 360° videos. The first approach is Collaborative work using VR headsets, which is intended to be an addition to communication with existing video conferencing systems. It has the potential to counteract the previous challenges associated with zoom technology and create more proximity. The first few evaluation results (n=11) on the methodological implementation of collaborative work with VR headsets suggest that this approach can bring added value to students. However, getting started with VR headsets is challenging for students and only a few have taken up the offer so far. The integration of 360° videos in education has potential for social work, as the high degree of realism and immersion can improve the link between theory and practice. Students can thus obtain realistic insights into practical examples already during their studies and professionally reflect on their own perspective in the situations. The use of 360° videos using VR headsets has been tested and established in teaching in four seminars so far. The students experience the simulated case situations from the subjective perspective of the different protagonists and can thus more easily put themselves in their individual perspective. Didactically, these observations are professionally framed by teaching content taught in advance, group work in small numbers as well as a collaborative analysis and reflection within the seminar group. The results of the evaluation (n=60) of the integration of 360° videos into teaching are promising and show a clear potential for university didactics. A flow experience and an experience of presence were confirmed by the students when working with the 360° videos. Furthermore, the students reported that the methodological extension supported their comprehension of the course materials and validate the usefulness and advantages of using 360° videos during the seminars.