Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training Case Studies | Bodyswaps

Institution-wide transformation of soft skills training with virtual reality at Fanshawe College

Written by Georgia Read | Nov 7, 2024 8:55:03 AM

About

Fanshawe College, Ontario, is one of the largest colleges in Canada. It serves 43,000 students across multiple campuses with over 220 degrees, diplomas, certificates, and apprenticeships. 

Their mission lies in a promise to educate, engage, empower, and excite students. They approached Bodyswaps because they saw it as a solution that could provide essential skills for students, no matter their academic path

Goals

  1. Implement a soft skills training solution that could be used across all degrees at the college
  2. Increase student engagement by offering interactive, hands-on learning opportunities

Deployment

College-wide

The team at Fanshawe implemented Bodyswaps across a variety of programs, opening up soft skills training to a range of students

EDI for ESL

The team found that Bodyswaps’ EDI modules were particularly helpful for students who speak English as a second language as it empowered them to better understand nuances of communication, cultural difference, and appropriate language in professional settings, that might be different in another language.

Marketing promotion

Enlisting the help of marketing students to create promotional content about Bodyswaps, including a trailer, helped them spread the word about their deployment across the college.

DSW Program

Fanshawe’s Developmental Services Worker program trains students to work with individuals
with developmental disabilities. DSW students were frequent users of Bodyswaps, finding value in the variety of communication skills training they could engage in.

Results

  • 87% of students would recommend Bodyswaps to their peers
  • 92% of students identified areas to improve on their skills
  • 90% of students increased their understanding

Advice

  • Ensure you’re fully prepared with your equipment: charging VR headsets; having battery packs, headphones, and comfortable head straps for headsets.
  • Specialised technologists can help persuade time-poor educators to organise sessions, running the tech so that the educators can focus on the teaching aspect.

 

Future Plans

Fanshawe will be expanding their Innovation Village to reach more programs and achieve further success in immersive learning across the college.