October | 2017 | Bellevue College XR Lab: Voyage of Discovery

BC eLearning Makes a Case: Using Virtual Reality Tech for Teaching at Bellevue College

On October 18th, 19th and 20th members of the Bellevue College eLearning Center staff attended the 2017 NWeLearn Conference, which promotes itself as the place “where teaching, learning and technology converge”.

The reason for this trip was to connect with other tech-based educators in the Northwest, discuss online teaching issues and introduce virtual reality displays as an emerging approach for technology-enhanced education. We also laid out our plan for teaching two new courses in virtual reality design and communications at Bellevue College as a way to bring attention to this new medium, for students and faculty alike.

Photo: James Riggall, Bruce Wolcott and Vivienne McClendon describe the Collaboratory — James Riggall, Bruce Wolcott and Vivienne McClendon describe the Collaboratory within the Bellevue College library and RISE learning center. Photo credit: Gordon Hom

How to Connect Worlds 8000 Miles Apart

Fulbright scholar James Riggall presenting — James Riggall describes makerspaces and plans for a long distance learning lab.

Makerspaces are technology equipped informal learning spaces that put mentors and students together to build projects ranging from drones to virtual reality communities. Fulbright scholar James Riggall has spent close to a decade creating makerspaces in Tasmania, notably in the cities of Launceston and Hobart.

During the conference, Riggall outlined his plan for helping Bellevue College create a makerspace learning community at the RISE project-based teaching center and BC library Collaboratory space. A long distance learning lab is planned to make use of virtual reality networking, video conferencing, and other communications tools to connect makerspace teams in Tasmania and Bellevue College.

Opening the Doors of Perception with VR

A primary objective for the Bellevue College eLearning team was to provide hands-on immersive virtual reality experiences to online teaching administrators and instructors – most of whom had never tried it before. For many, it was a transformative experience.

Bellevue College instructor Keith Rowley demonstrates the Vive VR system. — Bellevue College eLearning instructor Keith Rowley demonstrates the Vive VR headset with BC library dean, Vivienne McClendon. Photo credit: Gordon Hom

eLearning faculty from all over the Northwest had a chance to try virtual reality for the first time, with comments such as “Amazing”,
“Wow”, “Fantastic”, and “I’ve never seen anything like this!”.

Photo credit: Gordon Hom	Photo credit: Gordon Hom
Photo credit: Gordon Hom	Photo credit: Gordon Hom

Roll On Columbia

On the road back from Pasco to Seattle, Washington, members of the BC eLearning crew Keith Rowley, James Riggall and Bruce Wolcott stopped for a photo break on the Columbia River. The sudden switch from green Cascade Mountains to the dry arid plains of Eastern Washington was a startling change for Tasmania native James Riggall.

Keith Rowley, James Riggall and Bruce Wolcott stop for a photo break on the Columbia River in Eastern Washington State. Photo credit: Gordon Hom

On September 22nd, 2017 staff from Bellevue College’s RISE Institute, Learning Media Center, Faculty Commons, and eLearning Center met in the recently completed RISE labs to welcome Fulbright scholar James Riggall.

Members of RISE, Learning Media Center, Faculty Commons and eLearning Center welcome Fulbright Scholar James Riggall — Bellevue College welcomes Fulbright scholar James Riggall. Photo credit: Gordon Hom

James Riggall Brings Makerspace Experience to Bellevue College

Over the past six years, James Riggall has developed a number of community-based makerspaces in Launceston and Hobart Tasmania. The goal of these makerspaces is to provide a place where students of all ages can develop hands-on projects under the mentorship of experienced tutors. These can be considered as informal learning environments that not only teach through hands-on projects but provide a service to the wider community in Tasmania.

These makerspaces are given logistical support from organizations such as BitLink, Innovation Circle, Enterprize, StartUp Tasmania and the TasCatalyst Project. As one of the goals of his Fulbright scholarship, Riggall intends to contribute his entrepreneurial startup and makerspace experience to help kickstart a hands-on, project based educational community at Bellevue College.

Bellevue College Makerspace Movers and Shakers

In 2015 efforts were initiated by Gita Bangera, Interim Vice President of Instruction and Vivienne McClendon, Dean of the Library Media Center to create a Collaboratory space in the Bellevue College library. This “noisy” section of the library is dedicated to live and streaming presentations, courses, team projects, and panel discussions.

Collaboratory space photo — Collaboratory space located in the Bellevue College library

The Collaboratory is supported by several key organizations on campus that share a common cross-disciplinary cooperative culture. These include the Library Media Center Collaboratory, RISE Learning Institute, Faculty Commons, and the eLearning Center.

Collaboratory and support organizations diagram — Diagram showing relationship between Collaboratory and key cooperative organizations at Bellevue College.

Michael Reese, director of the RISE Institute recently opened the RISE lab, which provides a variety of project-based makerspaces to support student hands-on learning.

RISE makerspace lab, opened in September, 2017. Photo credit: Gordon Hom

Bellevue College XR Lab: Voyage of Discovery

Monthly Archives: October 2017

BC eLearning Center brings Virtual Reality to the 2017 NW eLearn Conference