Elevating Interview Skills with Virtual Reality: The Hub’s Deep Dive into BodySwaps
Learning through doing
At the Innovation Hub, we are about experiencing. We believe that the best way to learn is by doing, and that’s why hands-on learning is at the core of everything we do. It’s this that drove us to help facilitate an extraordinary two-part workshop on April 1st and April 10th, with Tanea Fortin leading the workshop for her Child and Youth Care (CYC) class. Her mission was simple yet ambitious: to use the power of virtual reality to help in the process of transforming the students into confident, skilled interviewees ready to take on the professional world.
The Magic of BodySwaps
Enter BodySwaps, a cutting-edge VR application designed to simulate real-world professional scenarios like interviews and public speaking engagements. But what sets BodySwaps apart is its stress-free environment. Students can step into the shoes of a job seeker, answer interview questions, and receive instant feedback—all without the pressure of a real job hanging in the balance. The app’s intelligent design offers personalized tips to improve eye contact, body language, and speech, empowering students to refine their communication skills in a supportive virtual space.
Optimizing the Experience
Our commitment to providing an immersive learning experience led us to fine-tune every aspect of the workshop. We created a dedicated ‘hot seat’ for the interview simulation, ensuring that each student could fully engage with the VR environment. We streamlined the transition between VR sessions, making the process smooth and efficient. This attention to detail paid off as we watched the students grow increasingly comfortable with the VR technology, eventually reaching a point where they were not just participants but also mentors to their peers. The spirit of collaboration was strong, and the sense of community it fostered was a great thing to be a part of.
Boosting Confidence
As they practiced, something great happened. Their interview skills got sharper, their confidence soared, and they became better at expressing themselves. We did surveys before and after the workshops. The results were impressive: a 16% increase in confidence among the students! Bodyswaps worked wonders for their professional development. But that’s not all—every student felt more prepared for interviews because they knew what to expect and what areas they needed to improve on. Students used Bodyswap to continue to improve their skills in other aspects of professional development as well, such as; public speaking and presentations, managing interview anxiety, and even resolving conflict.
Come collaborate
This journey has been more than just a series of workshops; it’s been a celebration of learning, innovation, and teamwork. We’re eager to continue this momentum and invite you to be a part of it. If you have ideas for incorporating innovative technology into your classroom, we’re here to make it happen. Connect with us or book a room at Innovation Hub Rooms, and let’s explore the possibilities together.
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success (2008)