Supporting school student wellbeing through Virtual Reality

The transition from primary school to high school can be daunting for many students. Greg Millward, JCU Founder in Residence and future PhD@Work pilot participant, believes that his virtual reality (VR) wellbeing training will equip students with a better understanding of how character values can be used to support student wellbeing.

So far, VR headsets such as the Meta Quest 3 or the Apple Vision Pro are primarily known as expensive toys for gamers. Greg’s startup VGA (Virtual Guidance and Awareness), however, aims to offer a wellbeing program to senior primary and junior secondary students using VR headsets, and his concurrent PhD@Work research intends to scientifically prove that his delivery method works.

Classroom resilience via VR headsets

Greg, who works as a high school design teacher, has witnessed firsthand impactful topics that effect students. “The Australian Curriculum aims to embed personal and social capabilities within our schools. These programs are in use already, and they are generally called social-emotional learning (SEL) programs,” Greg says. “My program is building on that, covering classroom resilience, negative social interactions and mobile phone use,” Greg says.

Greg is also aware that teachers that are often overburdened with work already are tasked to deliver external SEL programs. “You have teachers that are worn out,” he says. “SEL is a very engaging topic where you need a lot of energy to deliver effectively. You have to interest the kids, and you have to get them all engaged and thinking about wellbeing topics.

“With wellbeing topics, the students can be reluctant to engage in, or they simply find it hard to open up about sensitive topics, especially if there are distractions from fellow students. This can be very challenging for the teacher,” Greg says. He thinks that these programs need to be delivered in a way that gets children engaged, and VR headsets may just be the perfect tool for the job.

Navigating troubling times in 3D

“The kids get to experience and witness other kids going through troubling times, and they get as close to the wellbeing topic as possible, without going through it themselves,” he says. “It's also an opportunity to speak about character values that can support students when navigating through these potentially tough times.”

This is where Greg’s program shines. “My VR program highlights character values that are expressed by other kids. We provide a definition of the concept, and then they see what it means in real life – via the VR headset.”

Greg thinks that the VR headset delivery supports children in making independent decisions. “If they can participate in a virtual experience where they've got no other kids talking out loud or giving their opinions on things, they get to experience it for themselves. This might just get them thinking a little bit more about it.”

Early trials indicate potential success

Greg says that he has conducted a small trial in a regional school with permission from the principal. “The results we've been getting so far have been great,” he says. “We are seeing increased results around social awareness and increased understanding of empathy for other people. It has improved their understanding of social impacts on others.”

That aside, Greg thinks that the cool factor of the VR headsets is a clear drawcard. “All the kids liked the headsets, and we had 100% engagement. They're all excited about it and recommended it for other students,” he says.

Combining PhD@Work research with a tech startup

Greg’s initial discussions with Education Queensland’s wellbeing department confirmed that SEL programs could be offered by third parties, such as his startup VGA, if they can prove they provide better outcomes than existing programs.

To prove that his method works, Greg would have to conduct scientific trials that have human ethics approval. Greg says that he shared his thoughts about the obstacles his startup is facing with Dr Sam Horseman, the head of the PhD@Work program. “And suddenly, it all fell into place when Sam said, ‘well, we're running a new program for people like you, PhD@Work. Are you interested in it?’ - And I said ‘yes’,” he says.

Helping schools to embrace VR learning

“Aside from testing the program on larger student groups, I’m looking to further develop additional units to help improve our students’ wellbeing,” he says. “Ideally, I’d like to see every school in Australia participate in my VR experience.”

Not only the students will benefit, but teachers would also benefit from the program, Greg says. “Using an external company like my startup would support teachers within the classroom. The expected outcome is an increase in student wellbeing, leading to reductions in poor student behaviour and reduced teacher administration workloads.

“Teachers could then reflect and improve on delivered curriculum,” Greg says. “If I can use VR to support our students’ social and emotional wellbeing, then I can’t think of a more fulfilling contribution to our society.”

Are you interested the PhD@Work pilot program? Get in touch with the team now.