Stepping Inside the Story: Bringing AR and VR to Our Journalism Lab

From the New York Times to CNN, interactive media is the new standard. That’s why I am incredibly excited to announce the next phase of our lab proposal: we are officially integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) into the curriculum! ​
by Nathan Ulrey

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my design journey for the ultimate Interactive Multimedia Journalism Lab. 

If there’s one thing we know about modern news, it’s that storytelling has officially leapt off the flat page. From the New York Times to CNN, interactive media is the new standard. That’s why I am incredibly excited to announce the next phase of our lab proposal: we are officially integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) into the curriculum! 

We are focusing our AR and VR integration on two specific areas to maximize our students' skills: Immersive Observational Reporting and Data Journalism. 

First, let’s talk about VR. We are bringing standalone VR headsets (like the Oculus) into our equipment checkout. Using VR field trip platforms, our students will be able to transport themselves directly onto the bustling sets of professional news studios, like CNN, or into the center of a historical event to practice observational reporting. It’s one thing to look at a picture of a newsroom, but as one student aptly noted in a recent study, VR expands the experience so you aren't just looking at something, you are in something (ACE, 2023a). Research backs this up, showing that immersive virtual environments have a massive positive effect on academic achievement and recall (Akgun & Atici, 2022). 

Second, we are diving into AR for data journalism. Our students will use AR smartphone apps to design interactive 3D charts and graphics that actually pop up out of their printed news stories when viewed through a phone screen! This situated learning helps students take incredibly complex, abstract datasets and make them visually comprehensible for their readers (Chen et al., 2022). 

Of course, we're being smart about the rollout. We know that extended VR use can cause eye strain and nausea (ACE, 2023a; Stelter & Kim, 2023), so we are implementing strict time limits on those virtual field trips. Furthermore, because AR requires a bit of a learning curve, we are building dedicated software training right into the first few weeks of the semester so the tech doesn't get in the way of the storytelling (ACE, 2023b). 

By adding AR and VR, we aren't simply buying flashy toys; we are transforming our lab into a multi-dimensional storytelling studio. I can't wait to see the stories our students build! 
 


References 
Akgun, M., & Atici, B. (2022). The effects of immersive virtual reality environments on students' academic achievement: A meta-analytical and meta-thematic study. Participatory Educational Research, 9(3), 111-131. 

American College of Education. (2023a). TECH6363 - Technology Use in Educational Environments: Module 7 – Virtual reality. Canvas. https://2571531.kaf.kaltura.com/playlist/dedicated/405157422/1_w9hcvkid/1_txmx5grj 

American College of Education. (2023b). TECH6363 - Technology Use in Educational Environments: Module 7 – Augmented reality. Canvas. https://2571531.kaf.kaltura.com/playlist/dedicated/405157422/1_w9hcvkid/1_1bjx13au ​

Chen, C.-C., Chen, H.-R., & Wang, T.-Y. (2022). Creative situated augmented reality learning for astronomy curricula. Educational Technology & Society, 25(2), 148-162. 

Stelter, A. K., & Kim, E. (2023). Looking through the virtual glasses: Exploring student experience with augmented reality in human anatomy courses. Journal of Dental Hygiene, 97(1), 1-8. ​