by Alexandra Bassil
Imagine giving the presentation of your life and being heckled at, confrontationally questioned, or uproariously applauded. Each situation is likely to evoke different responses from the speaker, perhaps making her flustered and anxious. To help keep her cool, she may practice in front of her mirror at home a dozen or two times. But, the University of Miami School of Business Administration is helping usher into the 21st century the old adage of “practice makes perfect.”
“I view myself as not just a professor, but also a coach,” said Don Donelson, SBA business law lecturer. “And coaches know that practice is essential for perfecting a skill. Influencing people through communication requires both an understanding of theory and a lot of practice. When it comes to practice, it’s not only about the quantity of practice, but also about the quality: mimicking the actual environments you will face as closely as possible is essential.”
The use of virtual reality (VR) goggles was introduced earlier this year, in Spring 2017, in a graduate-level course offered at School of Business Administration—Critical Thinking and Effective Speaking. Taught by Donelson, the course is designed to improve critical thinking and public speaking skills, and to help students respond in real-time to specific questions and objections usually experienced when giving a presentation. The syllabus asks students to download and use Google Cardboard’s free phone app with a virtual reality headset to simulate a variety of audiences.
The experiential learning tool teaches students not only what it takes to make a great speech, but they also must present in class with the VR goggles, simulating presentations to a variety of audiences. The course topics include oral persuasion, prepared and impromptu speeches and dealing with the media, defending one’s view before adversarial audiences, displaying data and effective use of visual aids.
Although students have had experience giving presentations, they are still developing the skills to be persuasive and many haven’t had the opportunity to present in a real business setting. According to Donelson, the only other business school in the country using virtual reality in the classroom is the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, which also uses Google Cardboard. Donelson believes this class, utilizing a “practice makes perfect” approach, is one of many methods at the School of Business that helps students be market-ready after graduation.
