VR Training and Facilitation with CAI

This artifact reflects my applied learning through a VR training session with Creative Studios and my facilitation support for a professional development workshop hosted by the Center for Academic Innovation. The workshop introduced U-M Human Resources staff to the pedagogical potential of immersive technologies. My role included assisting with equipment setup, onboarding participants to VR headsets, and supporting learning through guidance and presence. I prepared by attending hands-on training in headset use, safety, and facilitation techniques, and applied these skills to support adult learners—many of whom were new to VR. This experience strengthened my ability to support experiential learning environments that are both technically accessible and pedagogically grounded.

Core competencies

  • Fostering Workplace Skills and Professional Relationships

    This experience helped me cultivate professional presence in a collaborative, public-facing event. It required clear communication, technical competence, and emotional attunement—particularly as I helped participants acclimate to unfamiliar tools. I learned how to anticipate learner needs in real time and how to serve as a bridge between instructional design intent and learner experience.

  • Using Knowledge of Technology Affordances and Constraints

    This activity strengthened my ability to evaluate and support the use of immersive technologies in learning environments. I learned how to onboard users to VR headsets, anticipate common technical and physical constraints (like motion discomfort or headset fit), and guide participants through a smooth first-time experience. By facilitating a workshop for adult learners, I applied this knowledge to ensure that the affordances of VR—like immersion and perspective-taking—were accessible and meaningful, while minimizing barriers to engagement.

This artifact marks a shift from conceptual learning to applied practice. It deepened my understanding of what it means to support learning not just through design, but through presence. Facilitating a public-facing VR workshop challenged me to bring together technical fluency, interpersonal sensitivity, and real-time problem-solving. I had to adapt quickly—reading the room, translating the affordances of immersive technology into accessible experiences, and supporting participants who were often encountering VR for the first time. This experience sharpened my ability to support emerging technologies with both competence and care, and reminded me that learning design doesn’t end at the screen—it continues through the ways we guide others into new modes of seeing, feeling, and making meaning.