Equal access to instructor's time and attention can be a barrier experienced by many underrepresented minorities. An instructor's own biases will determine the nature of their interaction with students, and even well-meaning instructors can interact with students in differential ways which might prevent certain students from having access to the material in the class. This is an insidious problem which may or may not be recognized in peer and student evaluations, and an issue that might escape self-reflection even in educators that are committed to diversity and inclusion. The issue is complex because it is not limited to actual but perceived biases, introducing a complex dynamic between the teaching and learning partners. Virtual reality provides an avenue to generate materials that can be used to enhance or replace classroom instruction with a great degree of realism. This realistic simulations offer the advantage of minimizing instructor bias (since the instructor generates the material in the absence of the students) while offering students that might struggle with the instructor in a personal setting the opportunity to experience the best that the instructor has to offer. Analysis of the data collected in a user study of virtual reality materials created for an organic chemistry labs offers insights into the way that students interact with virtual reality instructors. Comments provided by underrepresented minority students point to the perceived impartiality of the instructor, ability to engage with the material independently, and remote access as some of the desirable features of the experience.

Virtual reality as a vehicle for inclusion of underrepresented minorities in chemistry education

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.