Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Jason Beach, jbeach@tntech.edu
P: 931-372-3069

Dr. Sandi J. Smith-Andrews, sjsmith@tntech.edu  
P: 931-372-3207

Dr. Jeremy Wendt, jwendt@tntech.edu
P: 931-372-3181

Please contact us and we'd be glad to come to your school and share information and answer questions about the program.

The new VISION Lab in Curriculum & Instruction to support the entire College of Education & Human Sciences.

The hardware and software will support multiple students and faculty members simultaneously in the virtual environment. In addition to the terminals, the lab is equipped with an Omni treadmill for full interactive immersive activities.

Led by Dr. Beach, the project began with an Improving Teacher Quality grant.

Students can immerse themselves in a variety of virtual environments as part of a research project in the College of Education & Human Sciences.

The Oculus Rift takes students into an immersive 3D virtual reality world, enabling simulations for students that may not be possible in real life.

Dr. Jason Beach, an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology, developed the project to help students with Autism practice interacting with everyday scenarios that most people take for granted.

Beach: "Students will have the ability to develop social skills and important life skills in a safe virtual environment. The environment can simulate situations that students will face on a day-to-day basis. Because it’s a simulated virtual environment, the interactions can be changed in real time to reciprocate student’s initiations of conversation and interaction. Each of the students will be able to work on skills specifically designed for them.”

More About Oculus

• Students on the Autism spectrum have a wide range of social, language, academic abilities, and interests. These elements make programming for them very difficult because of the diversity of needs.
• In general, social situations are difficult because there are so many factors involved including facial cues, tone of voice, figurative language, and body language.
• Many students with Autism struggle with translating these social cues in real people. Before being faced with real people and real situations, they will have the opportunity to practice with virtual people in virtual situations. What they will probably not realize is that the digital person they are interacting with is a real person on the other side of a computer!
• With the Oculus Rift, students will be able to immerse themselves in situations that are motivating to them to practice skills like conversation, initiating play, and common classroom skills within the safe environment of the virtual world.