VR in Education

Episode 163-VR is Not Dead with Melinda Cuilty

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we dive into how virtual reality is being used for teaching and learning in real, practical, and meaningful ways. Today’s conversation tackles a big question in immersive learning right now: while some voices are saying “VR is dead,” what does it actually look like when VR is done well and scaled with intention? 

To help us unpack this, I’m thrilled to be joined by Melinda Cuilty from New Mexico State University. Melinda brings firsthand experience moving VR beyond one-off pilots and into sustainable, campus-wide use, working closely with faculty, leadership, and students along the way.

Episode 162-Finding Your Voice in VR: Learning, Confidence, and Resilience with VR Comedy

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore the use of VR for teaching and learning.

Today I’m joined by Aaron Sorrels, founder and world creator of The Soapstone Comedy Club, to talk about the recent launch of Soapstone Comedy – Heckler’s Bay in Meta Horizon worlds. We’ll explore how this social VR space supports confidence, communication, and skill development for teens and young adults, and what educators can learn from its approach to safety, avatars, and learning transfer from virtual performance to real-world settings.  Check out https://www.soapstonecomedy.com/.

Episode 161-Scaling Immersive Learning: Inside the Melcher VR Hub

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore how VR is being used for teaching and learning. Today we’re talking about one of the most important challenges in immersive learning: how to scale VR beyond a single demo or one-off experience.

Joining me is Dwayne Melcher, CEO of Melcher Studios, the team behind the innovative VR Hub — a growing library of job-role simulations, safety modules, and career exploration experiences designed to help institutions deliver meaningful VR training at scale, including in remote or hard-to-reach communities.

In this episode, we’ll explore the story behind the VR Hub, why so many organizations struggle to expand their VR use, and how Melcher Studios is creating solutions that make immersive learning more accessible and sustainable.

Episode 160-From Cubism to Laser Dance: The Art of Motion, Movement, and Mixed Reality

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education.
In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to reconnect with a returning guest — Thomas Van Bouwel, the creative mind behind one of VR’s most elegant puzzle experiences, Cubism. Last time Thomas joined us, we explored how Cubism invited players into a meditative world of calm, spatial problem-solving. Today, he’s back with something completely different — Laser Dance, a new mixed-reality experience that turns your physical room into a dynamic obstacle course where you move, dodge, and flow through lasers in real time. We’ll talk about how Thomas transitioned from designing quiet, contemplative puzzles to creating full-body movement experiences, how mixed reality is reshaping play and learning.

Episode 159- Preventing the Shiny New Toy Syndrome in Immersive Technology

Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore how virtual reality is transforming teaching and learning around the world.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Tyler Heaton, Research & Industry Liaison at Lethbridge Polytechnic. We’ll be talking about how to avoid the “shiny toy syndrome” when it comes to immersive technologies—ensuring that schools and institutions don’t just chase novelty, but instead focus on meaningful and sustainable integration. You can reach out to Tyler at Tyler.heaton@lethpolytech.ca or check out https://lethpolytech.ca/.

Episode 158-Creating Meaningful Learning Through VR Games with the Makers of Europa Prime

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of VR in Education. Today we’re diving into the world of educational game design in VR with a truly exciting guest. Joining me is Jeff Rayner, Founder and CEO of MXTreality and Drivers of Tomorrow, and one of the creative minds behind Europa Prime.

Europa Prime is a VR game set on one of Jupiter’s moons, where players uncover mysteries, restore systems, and engage in problem solving across a wide range of environments—from microbial labs to hydrothermal vents. It’s a project that blends science, storytelling, and immersive gameplay, offering learners a chance to engage with complex content in a way no textbook ever could.

In our conversation today, we’ll explore what it takes to build a game like Europa Prime, the challenges of balancing learning and fun.

Episode 157- Evolving Empathy: How Body Swaps Is Redefining Soft Skills in VR

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of VR in Education,  where we explore how virtual reality is transforming teaching and learning 

Today we’re reconnecting with someone I first spoke to five years ago — back when his company was just getting started. In 2020, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christophe Mallet, co-founder of Bodyswaps, a pioneering platform using VR to help people practice and improve their soft skills.

At the time, Bodyswaps was at the beginning of its journey, experimenting with modules on active listening, clear communication, and inclusivity — and already pushing us to think differently about how immersive technology could transform learning.

Now, five years later, Bodyswaps has grown, the technology has evolved, and the field of immersive learning has shifted dramatically. In this episode, we’re going to dive into the lessons learnt along the way — the big decisions, the surprises, the challenges, and the future of soft-skills training in an age of AI-driven avatars and adaptive coaching.

Episode 156- Intergenerational Learning in Immersive Environments

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of VR in Education. Today we’re diving into a fascinating topic at the intersection of immersive technology and human connection: how VR, can be used to bring different generations closer together.

Our guest is Beck Stewart, a PhD researcher at the University of South Australia and an affiliate member of the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments. Beck has an interdisciplinary background in digital immersive media and education, and she recently co-authored a scoping review that looked at how immersive environments can support intergenerational engagement.

Today, we’ll unpack what her research found. 

Episode 155- Making Immersive Learning Work: Teamwork, Holograms, and What’s Next

Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore how virtual reality is transforming teaching and learning around the world.

Today we’re excited to have Professor Gary Burnett from Loughborough University back to the show. Gary was on the podcast in 2023. Gary’s research spans some of the most exciting—and challenging—frontiers in immersive education. We’ll dive into his work on using VR mazes to transform teamwork and leadership skills, explore his groundbreaking experiments with holographic lectures, and discuss the heavy lifting that’s still needed for widespread adoption of immersive tools in higher education.

Episode 154- Teacher Competency in Virtual Worlds

Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore how virtual reality is transforming teaching and learning around the world.

In today’s episode, we’re honoured to welcome Dr. Kim Abel, Head of School at Optima Academy Online—one of the leading institutions pioneering fully immersive education.

We’ll be diving into what it takes to teach effectively in a virtual world, exploring how teacher competencies shift when the classroom is no longer bound by four walls. From managing student engagement and designing immersive lessons to training educators, Kim brings a wealth of insight into the evolving role of the virtual educator.