Imagine a classroom that breaks down the barriers of traditional learning, a space where education is not confined to walls, but expands into immersive, digital landscapes. At UP Open University (UPOU), steps are being taken to enhance the learning experience through immersive open pedagogies.
Immersive technology allows us to blend virtual and real worlds so you feel that you are a part of the experience. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) are examples of immersive technologies.
Dr. Roberto Figueroa, Jr. is a leading researcher in immersive open pedagogies (IOP) in the Philippines. His passion for IOPs began while he was pursuing his doctorate in Educational Technology at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.
He shared, “I joined a special interest group focused on using immersive technologies for language learning. This sparked a line of research that included my dissertation and several projects centered on VR tour-based learning.”
Dr. Roberto Figueroa , Jr. leads UP OPen University’s Immersive Open Pedagogies (IOP) Program
After returning home and resuming his post at UPOU, he was appointed to head UP Open University’s research program on Immersive Open Pedagogies, which also manages the Immersive Spatial Technologies and Realities (iSTAR) Labs now housed under the Faculty of Information & Communication Studies (FICS). IOP aims to design, develop, and test immersive learning models, resources, strategies, and environments guided by learner-centered approaches and open access principles.
“One key driver behind this program,” Dr. Figueroa explained, “was the urgent need for more engaging and effective forms of online learning, and the potential of immersive technologies to transform passive screen-based learning into interactive, experiential education.”
Dr. Figueroa demonstrates immersive learning projects with IOP interns.
Though still in its infancy, IOP has implemented several projects designed to cater to specific learner needs. An example of this is the UPOU Digital Twin and the Metaverse Academic Nexus for Global Opportunities (MANGOs), which has created digital versions of key UPOU spaces and will serve as a digitally resilient hub for students and teachers from different countries to interact in an immersive learning environment.
VR version of UPOU key spaces
IOP has also developed openly accessible virtual reality (VR) photo- and video-based tours for various courses to make content that is hard-to-teach online easier to understand and more engaging for the learners.
They have also created a metaverse exhibit showcasing Galleria Sinag’s collection of wooden sculptures and wearable technology in a virtual museum setting, which has helped promote cultural preservation and digital innovation.
In all these projects, collaboration between experts and instructors proved to be essential. For instance, IOP has partnered with institutions like Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and University of California –Irvine to deploy collaborative platforms such as FrameVR for students to present projects in virtual environments and facilitate intercultural communication and teamwork.
Dr. Figueroa shared, “These international engagements have not only raised the quality of the students’ course outputs but also helped them become contributors to educational innovations that matter globally.”
For IOP, these initiatives have demonstrated that immersive learning can make online learning more meaningful and engaging. It also helps facilitate deeper cultural understanding between students of various backgrounds and locations.
Written by Leah Blescila S. Labastilla| Edited by Primo G. Garcia
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