As part of their Human Resource Management module, third-year Engineering and Business Science students have been able to combine the use of virtual reality headsets with time to discuss and reflect, allowing them to immerse themselves in and analyze several issues related to quality of life in the workplace.
Created and designed jointly by Klara Kövesi, an Associate Professor of Human Sciences at the ENSTA Bretagne, and Nathalie Chelin, a Professor at the IMT Atlantique, these immersive sessions allow students to tackle issues such as sexual and moral harassment, burn-out, drugs and alcohol at work...
The various virtual reality sequences allow students to take on the role of different characters and experience a situation from different points of view (someone being harassed, their HR manager, their family members...). The immersive nature of virtual reality creates a truly unique experience for students by creating a deeper emotional engagement.
Margot, an engineering student in her final year at the ENSTA Bretagne, tells us about her experience:
You become completely absorbed in the situation. For example, if a woman is being verbally abused, you experience the same emotions as if you were the one being abused. Putting yourself in the person’s shoes gives you a different perspective on the situation.
During the sessions, students first used the virtual reality headsets in groups of 4 or 5, and then took advantage of the discussion and debriefing time, which was important for delving deeper into the various issues.
This teaching method goes far beyond watching a simple clip or video. The sessions are enriched by an active teaching approach and the feedback from students is unanimous. They all agree that this technology makes a huge difference in this context
explains Klara Kövesi.
Working with virtual reality is a rare experience, one that will stay with you for a long time. I think that if I find myself in one of these situations as a manager in the future, 5, 10 or even more years from now, I'll remember what I learned from this experience
Margot concludes.
The high level of acceptance of these new teaching methods among the students has encouraged Klara Kövesi to consider developing this type of teaching. And why not extend it to other disciplines?
