Esports, Virtual Reality Labs

VR applications can be used to increase students’ motivation to think critically and collaboratively. ECSU faculty will have access to the labs for the integration of virtual reality and gaming within their curriculum. Academic club competitions and events will also be hosted in the Esports lab.

“It is so exciting that we are able to offer this great opportunity to both students and faculty. This area has the potential to transform teaching and learning for those who participate and experience these spaces,” said Tarsha Rogers, Ph.D., director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and Interim Director of Distance Education at ECSU.

Both labs will help to further the experiential learning initiatives outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan, Forging Our Future. General statistics report Esports as a $175 billion industry that’s steadily growing. 

According to Farrah Ward, Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, “The virtual and esports labs place ECSU at the forefront of the growing technological revolution happening in higher education.”

“We determined that VR and Esports would provide more engagement for all of our students,” Rogers said. “When you think about how this can impact students who, otherwise, may not have the opportunity to explore technology at this level, virtual reality and augmented reality gaming will make this possible. The possibilities are endless.”