Immersive Language Practice with Vision Pro – Enhancing Human Connection Through Virtual Worlds

We are currently developing immersive language learning experiences using Apple’s Vision Pro and other VR headsets. The provided example activities focus on language learning, but are applicable to any discipline:

Resource Example: Immersive Cultural Conversation Scenario

• Goal: To provide students with authentic, low-stakes practice in conversational skills and cultural nuances in a target language, thereby building confidence for real-world human interaction and fostering cultural understanding.
• Technology: Apple Vision Pro (or other VR/AR headsets capable of immersive environments), coupled with AI or pre-recorded conversational content.
• The Scenario:

1. Setting the Scene: Using the immersive capabilities of Vision Pro, students are transported to a realistic virtual environment in a country where the target language is spoken. Examples could include: a bustling market, a cafe, a train station or public square.
2. My favorite scenario we have created so far is a job fair, where students virtually interact with professionals from various disciplines in the target language, and those individuals also represent different culture and language variations (i.e. a healthcare worker from Mexico, a computer scientist from Spain, an engineer from Honduras, etc.).
3. Students experience the sights and sounds of the environment, gaining a sense of place and cultural context that static images or videos cannot provide.

• The Task: Students are given a specific communicative task to complete within the environment, such as: ordering food at the cafe, asking for directions in the market, buying a train ticket, or interviewing for different possible jobs.
• These tasks are designed to mimic authentic communication and require students to navigate typical social interactions and linguistic nuances.
• The Interaction: Students interact with characters within the virtual environment. In some scenarios, characters are powered by pre-recorded video (Spatial video and/or 360 video) interactions: Filmed with native speakers, offering realistic visual cues and speech patterns. In other scenarios, characters are powered by AI Companions: Leveraging Generative AI, these characters can engage in dynamic, responsive conversations, calculating the most probable appropriate response based on student input and the scenario's context. AI acts as a creative companion here, providing a constant, patient practice partner.
• Data Collection & Reflection: Students screen record their VisionPro interaction and then upload to a Pages template, where they take notes during and after the experience.

Enhancing Human Connection:

• Fostering Empathy and Understanding: The immersive environment provides a visceral, shared cultural experience. While interacting in the virtual space, students gain a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the context in which the language is used, going beyond mere vocabulary and grammar.
• Reducing Anxiety and Promoting a Deeper Human Connection: By providing a low-stakes, repeatable practice space for foundational communicative tasks, this technology leverages AI and spatial computing that provides an opportunity for language use and production without the fear of being wrong.
• Deeper Discussion: Post-simulation discussions provide an opportunity for to students reflect on their experiences, share challenges, analyze cultural insights, and connect the virtual practice to broader real-world communication strategies. This facilitates valuable student-to-student and student-to-teacher connection.
• Scaffolding and Differentiation: Designing follow-up activities, role-plays, or real-world tasks that build upon the virtual practice, tailored to individual student needs and comfort levels.

Applicability to Other Disciplines:

The core principle – using immersive technology to create realistic practice environments and freeing up the human educator for nuanced feedback and deeper discussion – is broadly applicable:

• History: Walk through a historical battleground or a specific historical period's city streets, using AI characters to ask questions about daily life or events. Human discussion focuses on interpreting historical context and primary sources.
• Science: Explore a molecular structure or geological formation in 3D. Interact with simulated experiments. Human instruction focuses on analyzing results, scientific reasoning, and connecting to broader scientific principles.
• Arts: Examine architectural details of famous buildings or analyze brushstrokes in paintings in their original settings. Human discussion delves into artistic movements, historical context, and critical analysis.

Professional Fields: Simulate job interviews, client consultations, or emergency response scenarios. Human feedback provides essential guidance on interpersonal skills, ethical considerations, and professional judgment.