Marketing and Income Disparity: Virtual Reality as a Teaching Tool
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Marketing Curriculum, Comprehension, Content Understanding, Enjoyment, Sympathy, Cultural Intelligence
Department
Communication
Major
Integrated Marketing Communication
Abstract
This research examines the implications of using virtual reality as a teaching tool within the marketing curriculum. Although there is a limited amount of virtual reality content for use in the marketing classroom, this study aims to uncover a difference in comprehension outcomes between traditional teaching tools and VR as a teaching tool. It also introduces newly created VR content that was created for the sole purpose of marketing education. This video, titled “A Day in The Life of Malibu Labor Exchange Workers”, helps fulfill marketing learning outcomes by showcasing the lives of two lower income individuals struggling to earn a living in Los Angeles. The video highlights the Malibu Labor Exchange, which focuses on finding daily employment for struggling individuals. Our research plan compares VR and non-VR versions of this video by measuring students’ enjoyment, content understanding, comprehension, cultural intelligence, and sympathy. While the main test of this research is currently in progress, the pre-test of the video was completed in a research lab of Pepperdine University. Half of the students viewed the video in VR format with an Oculus Quest wireless headset. The other half viewed a non-VR version of the video. In order to assess the effectiveness of VR and non-VR, a survey was conducted. The results of the pre-test conclude that the students who viewed the VR version of the video experienced much more enjoyment than the students who viewed the non-VR version. Results of the other measurable factors were not as significant.
Faculty Mentor
Steven Bauer, Sarah Fischbach, Alice Labban
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
24-3-2023 2:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2023 4:00 PM
Marketing and Income Disparity: Virtual Reality as a Teaching Tool
Waves Cafeteria
This research examines the implications of using virtual reality as a teaching tool within the marketing curriculum. Although there is a limited amount of virtual reality content for use in the marketing classroom, this study aims to uncover a difference in comprehension outcomes between traditional teaching tools and VR as a teaching tool. It also introduces newly created VR content that was created for the sole purpose of marketing education. This video, titled “A Day in The Life of Malibu Labor Exchange Workers”, helps fulfill marketing learning outcomes by showcasing the lives of two lower income individuals struggling to earn a living in Los Angeles. The video highlights the Malibu Labor Exchange, which focuses on finding daily employment for struggling individuals. Our research plan compares VR and non-VR versions of this video by measuring students’ enjoyment, content understanding, comprehension, cultural intelligence, and sympathy. While the main test of this research is currently in progress, the pre-test of the video was completed in a research lab of Pepperdine University. Half of the students viewed the video in VR format with an Oculus Quest wireless headset. The other half viewed a non-VR version of the video. In order to assess the effectiveness of VR and non-VR, a survey was conducted. The results of the pre-test conclude that the students who viewed the VR version of the video experienced much more enjoyment than the students who viewed the non-VR version. Results of the other measurable factors were not as significant.