Beyond Textbooks: UNLV Opens Immersive Learning Lab

Students at UNLV can now step inside their lessons instead of just reading about them.

That’s the goal of the new Immersive Learning Lab in Frank and Estella Beam Hall (BEH) and the student-built Virtual Rebel Experience, both featured on The Real BS About AI podcast.

In the episode, Director of Immersive Learning Aundrea Frahm joins cohost Bob Soulliere to discuss how new technology is changing the way students learn. An artist, creative director, and educator at heart, she leads UNLV’s extended reality (XR) initiatives, encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and artificial intelligence (AI) that let students learn by doing.

Stepping Inside the Lesson
Located in BEH 114, the Immersive Learning Lab has 30 VR headsets for classes, projects, and hands-on learning.

In the lab, students can practice languages, explore buildings in 3D, create digital art, and take part in other interactive lessons. Instead of learning only from a textbook, they can move, build, and explore in a virtual space.

“This is just another perspective for learning that could really benefit you,” said UNLV alumnus and Immersive Learning Supervisor Pulasthi Thennakoon (BS ‘24), who oversees the operations and student workers for the new space and Dreamscape Learn. “Come check out what might be your everyday reality in a couple of years.”

Available to students and faculty, the space is open most days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A grand opening will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 24.

Students Build a Virtual UNLV
Launching alongside the lab is the Virtual Rebel Experience, a seven-scene VR experience that highlights aspects of being a Rebel created by six UNLV students using Unity software.

The app is available on every headset in the lab and lets future and current students explore campus in a new way. Users can climb a virtual rock wall based on the campus gym and take part in an interactive chemistry experiment.

Students Lyrissa Nicole, Isaac Morfinez-Solis, and Elijah Davis joined the podcast to describe how they combined engineering, computer science, and studio art to build the experience. Many of them had little or no experience with VR development before joining the project and used AI tools to help them learn new workflows and troubleshoot code.

“A space on campus that is doing things like this is very powerful,” Davis said. “There are a lot of students that come here for content development or game development.”

Building the XR Workforce Pipeline
Leaders say the biggest impact of immersive learning is not just the technology, but the job skills students gain.

The program now employs 12 to 15 student workers. This includes a content development team that builds original XR applications from the ground up. Many students are learning VR design, coding, and problem-solving skills while working in the lab.

“Content development is where you can create magic,” Frahm said.

She hopes to grow the student team and bring in professional XR developers to mentor them. Looking ahead, Frahm would like to see UNLV create a major focused on XR development.

“This is the job force of the future,” she said. “How can we help our students be prepared for jobs that aren’t even there yet, but will be?”

The Real BS About AI publishes new episodes every two weeks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. It blends humor, accessibility, and practical advice to make AI approachable for the UNLV community. View the AI Technology webpage for more information about AI at UNLV.

Content for this story was drawn directly from the podcast and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our communications team verifies all content for accuracy.