Pilon School of Business adding virtual simulations to enhance learning experience

Virtual simulations will soon be a reality in the classrooms of Sheridan's Pilon School of Business (PSB).

Next semester, Sheridan's new Supply Chain Management - Logistics Automation graduate certificate will become the first PSB program to incorporate the use of Meta Quest 3 headsets into curriculum, providing students with immersive access to ports, warehouses, assembly lines and other industrial environments — all without leaving the classroom. Shahrzad Farzinpak, Dean of PSB, says the Faculty is exploring options to expand the use of virtual reality (VR) exercises in additional programs in the coming years.

"We've chosen Supply Chain Management - Logistics Automation as the pilot because supply chain concepts can often feel abstract," Farzinpak says. "VR headsets transform that experience by making the inaccessible accessible, bringing real-world visuals into the classroom and creating environments where students can see, interact and truly understand what’s happening."

Use of VR simulations is quickly becoming more common in the business world. DHL and UPS are among the companies who have incorporated VR into their onboarding and training programs, providing employees with a safe place to practice skills and experience various scenarios. VR is also a cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to field trips, allowing PSB students to interact with a wider variety of environments.

"We’re committed to staying aligned with industry. If businesses are embracing VR because it's efficient and impactful, we want our student to experience that before they enter the workforce," Farzinpak says. "This is the future: industry moving towards automation and tech-driven processes. The sooner we can expose our students to these realities, the better prepared they’ll be to enter modern business environments."

PSB professor John Laugesen and technologist Dayan Ginige recently led a demonstration session for students and staff at Sheridan’s Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga, where participants learned how to use the headsets and imagined the possible applications of VR in curriculum.

“I didn't really see how (VR) could be used in higher education. (Now) I can see the benefits and I'm really looking forward to using VR in our classes.”

– Supply Chain Management - Logistics Automation student Matthew Williams

"I knew that VR is used in various programs for children, but I didn't really see how it could be used in higher education," says international student Matthew Williams, who previously taught math and accounting in Barbados. "After this session, I can see the benefits and I'm really looking forward to using VR in our classes. The way things are done in Barbados is very different from how things are done in countries like Canada, so VR is a great opportunity to expose people to how things work overseas."

Shushena Blackwood, an international student from Jamaica, is also excited about VR's potential — both in the classroom and in the business world.

"VR could be a cost-saving way to do research and development because you don't need physical equipment to test an automation process; you can design it in VR and then see the impact of your actions," she says. "I can also see VR being very effective in training people to control robots and do physical work from remote locations. This could be a very big step for people who prefer to work from home or managers who want to multi-task, even if they're in other countries."

Pictured in banner photo and body photo are Supply Chain Management - Logistics Automation program students during the recent demonstration event at Hazel McCallion Campus. Photos by Marianne Sy-Lucero.

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