Can virtual reality (VR) applications make us more open, empathetic, and understanding of those who are different than ourselves? Can VR motivate us to address systemic biases and oppression for racial and gender groups in particular? With the support of Lehigh’s CITL Digital Digital Scholarship Faculty Fellowship and Humanities Lab, I designed a freshman seminar to explore these questions with 19 inquisitive first year students (Fall 2021).

Course Overview: This course provides students with an understanding of how virtual reality (VR), and also augmented and extended reality (AR/XR), are being used to create a more empathic and socially just world. Students consider 1) the history and evolution of virtual reality in social science research, 2) the ethical challenges that VR poses on studying and engaging with “controversial” content and/or diverse populations (e.g., children, marginalized groups), and 3) its potential for increasing (or reducing) empathy and equity in our society. From these lenses, students examine how VR technological innovations can improve humanity while also grappling with the ethical and social justice dilemmas they may pose. This course draws primarily upon social psychology theoretical frameworks and spans research in Africana studies, communications, ethics, and computer science.

The course includes an experiential learning component in which students experience VR and AR simulations throughout the semester designed to increase engagement, awareness, perspective-taking, and empathy, reduce bias, sexism, racism, etc., and increase activism. To this end, students have an opportunity to engage in different simulations that demonstrate a variety of social justice possibilities and evaluate their effectiveness and potential challenges. Students also collaboratively build a VR simulation using Mozilla Hubs to explore a relevant social justice issue in the current US context.