Reflecting on eLFA2024: Innovations in EdTech at Hong Kong Baptist University
In the vibrant setting of Hong Kong Baptist University, eLearning Forum Asia (eLFA) 2024 unfolded over December 4-5, 2024, showcasing the cutting edge of educational technology. This event turned out to be a pivotal gathering for educators, technologists, and innovators from across the globe.
As a proud supporting partner, HKU’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) played a significant role in the conference. Their EdTech booth became a hub of excitement and exploration, drawing attendees eager to witness the latest advancements in teaching and learning technologies.
One of the standout features of the booth was the VR public speaking project. Equipped with Oculus Quest 3 headsets, visitors were transported into a virtual environment designed to hone their public speaking skills. The project also featured an AI-driven VR Interview prototype, offering participants a realistic simulation of interview scenarios. This hands-on experience allowed attendees to interact directly with the development team, providing invaluable feedback that will shape the future of these innovative tools.
The engagement at the booth was remarkable, with participants immersing themselves in the VR experiences and offering insights that will drive further enhancements. The event underscored the transformative potential of VR in education, demonstrating how these technologies can create dynamic and interactive learning environments.
VR Public Speaking Practice
Students often find public speaking challenging due to psychological factors such as the presence of a large audience, distracting noises like conversations and phone ringing, and unexpected disruptions caused by technical or non-technical issues. In order to help students overcome their fear of public speaking, TALIC partnered with the School of Chinese teachers to create virtual reality (VR) public speaking scenarios. This allows students to practice their public speaking skills in a virtual environment using an Oculus VR headset.
Students deliver speeches to a virtual audience in different environments, settings, rooms, background sounds, and times of delivery. They have the opportunity to upload their own PowerPoint presentations into the virtual environment that simulates the real setting and practice their speech using a timer. The scenarios currently provide a variety of Chinese courses catering to students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Dr. Carson Ka Shun HUNG
Lecturer / E-learning Technologist
Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre