
As a careers teacher, it was my job to ensure students learnt the skills they needed to move into the next stage of their life. Leaving school is a big challenge in itself, but moving on to college is an even bigger challenge.
Students have to have an interview before being offered a place on their course, and this can present a challenge for some students. I had to try and help them through that; we would do mock interviews with me being the interviewer. Some students still felt too anxious to do this and would refuse, even though they had built a very good relationship with me, they were still struggling.
I came to work for RedboxVR and was blown away by what VR can do for a lot of people.I came with only the knowledge I had from owning a VR headset myself, mainly playing games. I was introduced to software which allows you to sit in VR, go through a mock interview with an AI person and then switch roles so you can see how you did. Thinking back to my student who refused, this would have worked perfectly; they would have had privacy to do the interview and feel more comfortable. All I would need to do is look at it afterwards.
Getting students ready for the next phase in their life is always a tricky one. They may tell you “I can’t wait to leave school”, but deep down, they want to stay because it’s their safe space. So if, as teachers, we can prepare them as much as possible, it can make the transition a little easier.
In the short amount of time I have worked for RedboxVR I am seeing more and more ways it can be used to help people learn new skills in a way that makes them feel comfortable. If I am being honest, I would rather use VR to practise for an interview, I just find doing it with someone I know makes it feel awkward, and I am not likely to do it properly. If I know I will be marked on how I did then it feels more like a game, which I like as I love gaming. Playing to my strength!
I love how technology can improve the way we learn. I love how it can give people confidence; we really are in the future of learning.

Rebecca Kenyon
Immersive Learning Advocate
RedboxVR