Wojciech Lorenc, Chairperson, and Professor of the Department of Mass Communication is dedicating a lot of time in his “New Media Platforms” class, a class where he is using virtual reality for all lectures virtual reality for all lectures.
Lorenc explains that the technology is constantly changing, and the platform that he is leveraging toward as a consumer is going to be different from what his students will be using in the future as professionals. Lorenc says that the students need to be prepared for the career of the future and not the career of yesterday.
When Professor Lorenc started his career in 2008, the main study subject in his classes used to be YouTube. Today, his courses are curated around TikTok, reels, and the Metaverse.
Lorenc explains that there are “subtle actions” that people do with their bodies when they are in virtual reality. For instance, he says “Things like turning to somebody to look and give attention to somebody.” Lorenc further says that you can’t have such an experience when you attend a Zoom meeting but you would appreciate it more when you are in the Metaverse.
Students such as Genevieve Wilson have realized the significance of this themselves in post-pandemic time.
Wilson finds the metaverse to be much more fun than Zoom. He explains the participants in a zoom call never know if someone is actually in the zoom meeting unless they switch on their camera. This Wilson doesn’t like since he needs social interaction as a person.
Check out my latest story about @shsucam blending the latest technologies with teaching to take their students to the future of media… literally!
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Contrary to what many people believe Virtual reality and the Metaverse are much more than just games and fun, it’s an opportunity for students to work on their weaknesses and strengths with the ever-expanding platform.
Wilson further talks about how many people are choosing social media manager or an influencer as their career on those platforms. Therefore, it’s absolutely necessary to know about marketing yourself and your brand and optimize your videos. “If I hadn’t taken that class this class I wouldn’t have known any of that,” adds Wilson.
Wilson believes it will be an added advantage for him in the future meanwhile his YouTube channel has also profited from it.
In the semester’s “New media Platforms” class, the final project is to make a short film, produced and recorded entirely in virtual reality.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2022/04/23/what-is-metaverse-explains-shsu-professor-in-his-virtual-reality-class/