Source: NORTHERN MARIANAS COLLEGE submitted to NRP
ENHANCING AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE NORTHERN MARIANAS COLLEGE (NMC) THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) TECHNOLOGY.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031281
Grant No.
2023-70008-41026
Cumulative Award Amt.
$151,370.00
Proposal No.
2023-05147
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2023
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2027
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[DEG]- Distance Education Grants for Insular Areas
Recipient Organization
NORTHERN MARIANAS COLLEGE
P O BOX 1250
SAIPAN,MP 96950
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
As a strategic priority, Northern Marianas College (NMC) recognizes the importance of offering a wide range of engaging programs. Through its Distance Learning Education (DLE) program, NMC is seeking funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to enhance education through the implementation of Virtual Reality (VR). By immersing students in realistic and engaging agriculture and food experiences, VR technology has the potential to revolutionize learning at NMC. Although this technology has yet to be integrated into any curriculum, its unique ability to spark curiosity and deepen understanding make it a promising tool for enhancing student engagement and achievement. If NMC students were able to experiment more with VR technology, they could unlock a world of possibilities that would stimulate their curiosity and allow them to overcome the constraints of geography and resources. By embracing these technologies, students could gain access to a wealth of knowledge and experiences that could help them thrive in their studies and beyond. The project objectives are aimed at exposing faculty and students to agriculture and food science VR experiences, enabling students to participate in interactive VR labs, and assisting with the creation of VR video content that highlights agriculture experiences in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The proposed project will leverage VR technology to provide faculty and students with immersive agriculture and food experiences. By implementing interactive VR labs, students will be able to participate in experiments and simulations. By creating VR video content, NMC can share a deeper understanding of the unique agricultural and food experiences in the CNMI with people both inside and outside of the CNMI. By providing students with access to cutting-edge technology, NMC's VR education project will enhance their learning experiences and potentially provide a gateway for students interested in pursuing a career in food and agriculture science. NMC's VR education project may also open the doors to future developments of VR use in education at NMC.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90374103020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
7410 - General technology;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Funding provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Distance Education Grant (DEG) program for Insular Areas will allow the NMC to utilize VR technology to expand learning in Agriculture and Food Sciences. The funding for the NMC VR educational project will allow the college to achieve three key objectives: 1) expose faculty and students to agriculture and food science VR environments, 2) enable students to participate in interactive VR labs, and 3) assist in the creation of VR video content that highlights agriculture and food experiences in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI).
Project Methods
Funding from USDA NIFA DEG will be used to procure VR headsets along with other supporting equipment (including laptops) and subscriptions to enable VR learning sessions. Training will be provided by VictoryXR to Instructors on using VR technology in the classroom. Learning sessions will be held in identified courses, exposing 560 students to VR over the course of the project. The Learning sessions will take place on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. To create VR content highlighting CNMI agriculture and food experiences, a 360 camera and the necessary equipment, accessories, and application subscriptions will be procured to produce experiences. In addition, the Project Director will work with a narrator to create four VR agriculture and food experiences in the CNMI.To evaluate the project, quantitative data will be collected on the number of instructors trained, number of students participating in VR sessions, and number of VR content experiences created. In addition, student and instructor surveys will collect qualitative feedback on satisfaction with VR learning sessions and effectiveness of VR technology. Overall project data will be evaluated to determine if goals and objectives were met. In addition, positive and negative findings will be identified and results will be shared through grant reports, making data available to support other similar initiatives.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:For the current reporting period, the anticipated target audience was an anticipated 30 instructors. Initially, the intent was to hold professional development (PD) sessions for these instructors. However, due to delays in procuring the necessary equipment and subscriptions for the project, the Project Director is now working with each identified instructor individually, providing them with a VR headset on loan until December 2024. Sign-out sheets for VR headsets were created and the first headset was distributed to an Instructor on October 25, 2024. TheVR headsets for identified Instructorswill be distributed through first and second week of November 2024.This will allow Instructors to independently access VR headsets, VR Apps, VR Subscriptions, PD resources and participate in in-app VR training provided by VictoryXR. Changes/Problems:No major issues have arisen, aside from a slight delay in procuring all the VR equipment and subscriptions. The anticipated timeline for procuring all equipment was June/July 2024; however, the majority of the primary equipment (VR Meta 3 Headsets and Insta360 Pro 2 Camera) needed to be sourced from off-island vendors. Since the required equipment is not available in the CNMI, all of it had to be shipped to Saipan. Factors such as equipment availability, shipping time, and other logistical challenges affected the delivery timeline. Fortunately, all the primary VR equipment (Meta 3 headsets) was delivered, and the necessary VR subscriptions were secured in August and September 2024. The project goal is still on track to conduct VR sessions in classrooms in Spring 2025. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?With equipment and subscriptionssecured, training and professional development for Instructors is currently ongoing. Basic VR operation and training is being provided by Distance Learning Education (DLE) Coordinator, while more extensive VR professional development is being offered through VictoryXR resources (through VictoryXR licensed subscription). In addition, both William Hunter, Project Director and Dr. Barbara Hunter, Co-Project Director were able to attend the USDA-NIFA Insular Area Technical Assistance Workshop and PD meetingin Kansas City, Missouri at the USDA NIFA headquarters from May 29-31, 2024.Attending the workshop provided valuable opportunities to build relationships with colleagues across land-grant institutions in insular areas, Hawaii, and Alaska. The sessions further enhancedunderstanding of federal grant requirements and the available resources for better project management and reporting. It was also verybeneficialmeeting USDA NIFA representatives, Dr. Kellyann Jones-Jamtgaard and Dorrisel Resto, who oversee our VR in education project, and to connect with other project directors to share best practices and explore potential future collaborations. Presenting our project alongside learning about other ongoing initiatives also enriched ourperspective on the impactful work being carried out in the region. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Currently, the Distance Learning Education (DLE) Coordinator is working directly with Instructors to familiarize them with the VR equipment and VR applications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Within the next reporting period and through the guidance of the DLE Coordinator, identified Instructors will be trained to implement VR in their courses. VR sessions in identified courses will be completed and continue throughout the period. In addition,VR food and agriculture CNMI experiences will also be created.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The majority of the necessary equipmentand subscriptions were successfully procured in August and September 2024, allowing NMC to take significant steps toward achieving the project's goals. Instructors have begun receiving VR headsets, which will be available as loaners until December 2024, with deployment continuing throughout November 2024. This process allows faculty involved in the project to familiarize themselves with the VR headsets, subscriptions, and navigating the VR environment. They will also have access to professional development and in-app training opportunities through VictoryXR. Additionally, secure storage has been arranged to ensure the safekeeping and proper maintenance of these valuable resources. Although some equipment is still being procured, preparations are well underway for setting up all 30 Meta 3 VR headsets with appropriate subscriptions and licenses. The subscription to ArborXR has alsobeen secured and is being currently configured and set-up to ensure all 30 VR Meta 3 headsets work seemlessly with application. These foundational steps lay the groundwork for engaging faculty and students in immersive VR agriculture and food science environments, supporting interactive learning, and fostering the creation of VR content that showcases local agricultural experiences in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI).

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Saipan Tribune. (2023, October 17). USDA awards NMC $151K to modernize agricultural studies through virtual reality. https://www.saipantribune.com/news/local/usda-awards-nmc-151k-to-modernize-agricultural-studies-through-virtual-reality/article_e96da9c6-6bf0-11ee-b001-ff490be40396.html
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Marianas Variety. (2023, October 17). USDA awards NMC $151K to modernize agricultural studies through virtual reality. Marianas Variety. https://www.mvariety.com/news/community_bulletins/usda-awards-nmc-151k-to-modernize-agricultural-studies-through-virtual-reality/article_f091d0b4-6c32-11ee-8a0d-9be25eeb45ac.html
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Northern Marianas College. (2023, October 16). USDA awards NMC $151K to modernize agricultural studies through virtual reality. Northern Marianas College. https://www.marianas.edu/proanews/usda-awards-nmc-151k-to-modernize-agricultural-studies-through-virtual-reality