20256703745073

This proposal builds upon the findings from a prior teacher professional development (PD) program, the Agriscience Metaverse Academy (AMA), to address a major barrier to implementing virtual reality (VR) in secondary agricultural education - lack of existing, accessible, and appropriate VR content.

This program proposes two newly developed, year-long PD programs titled, Advanced AMA - Content Creators and AMA: Cohort II that will engage 30 agriscience teachers from Tennessee and Nebraska.

Advanced AMA participants who have completed prior VR training will participate in a 4-week long program learn how to capture and edit 360-degree videos to create immersive metaverse experiences (IMEs) and will develop problem-based (PBL) IME lessons.

These lessons will be shared with AMA: Cohort II the following year.

Advanced participants will attend the AMA: Cohort II, a 5-day, in-person workshop, to serve as peer mentors.

Cohort II will receive access to 10 PBL IME lessons created for this program along with a class set of 12 Meta Quest 3 VR headsets.

They will also learn to create their own PBL IME lessons from existing VR content.

A newly developed AMA website will host all developed curricula, resources, and trainings to help expand the access and impact of VR in education.

Expected outcomes include students with increased access to agricultural experiences, leading to increased levels of agricultural literacy and interest in entering the agricultural workforce.

University Of Tennessee

NOT APPLICABLE

10.310 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

Institute of Youth, Family, and Community (IYFC) [USDA - NIFA]

Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-4540 United States

Single Zip Code

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development (USDA-NIFA-AFRI-010693)