A mobile app and VR game to enhance learning and teaching: collaborative research with students

This presentation will reflect on, and discuss, a HEFCE Catalyst Fund project to engage students in student-led research to enhance learning and teaching through technology. The research had four main objectives. Firstly, to engage undergraduate students in an initiative to understand utilisation of technology in learning and teaching. Secondly, facilitate students in the research process to design and develop learning and teaching initiatives. Thirdly, to empower students in the delivery of training for staff. Finally, to employ students in the reverse mentoring of staff to enhance the learning and teaching environment. The presentation will discuss the research undertaken by the research team, a team that included academic staff and student researchers, in terms of the technological interventions (a university-wide mobile app- uBolt and a VR based resource) that were developed to enhance learning and teaching, as well as the evaluation of the interventions. Both interventions were co-created and designed with, and for, students. The App was a pilot of a university-wide mobile app (uBolt) aimed to be used by all students across the university. The app included an interactive map and games based on learning and students interacting with each other and the university campus. This mobile app developed by the students was then featured in the development process for university-wide implementation of the Campus M app. The second intervention was a VR therapeutic game for use with the counselling students at the university. Both interventions were designed by the research team, and input was sought from the wider student population at the university. Both resources were also developed by games students at the university. The interventions were then evaluated by the research team and this presentation will discuss and reflect on the whole research process with a particular focus on students as partners and the dynamics of change