Biotechnology students' virtual reality experience

26 Apr 2019

Biotechnology (DBT) students are immersing themselves in a fun-filled and highly interactive Virtual Reality (VR) Experiential Term at the SP Library. This term, the students are teleported into a Spain farm to investigate a mysterious plant disease found at their uncle’s farm. By using confocal microscopy in a million-dollar virtual lab, they will reconstruct razor-sharp fluorescent images of the infectious agent and identify the infection that has spread in the farm. They will conclude the exercise by offering their uncle advice on a potential treatment to save his crops.

The adoption of VR technology into Biomedical Science (DBS) and DBT modules has enhanced student’s intrinsic motivation to do better in challenging modules such as Immunology and Confocal Microscopy. These award-winning VR simulations by Labster have increased our student’s self-efficacy in grasping complex and challenging concepts. VR has essentially enabled students to step away from their textbooks and apply knowledge directly in the “real world”.