Joomi Lee and students participating in virtual reality research

Joomi Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, and a team of graduate and undergraduate researchers are conducting research identifying the possibilities and challenges of immersive virtual spaces for group collaboration in the Department’s Center for Communication Research (CCR).  

Soon after arriving on campus in Fall 2023, Lee created a student research team known as the Transformative Reality User Experiences (TRUE) lab. As the leader of TRUE in the CCR, Lee and her students investigate the transformative potential of social virtual spaces, especially the metaverse, to advance health, facilitate learning, and foster inclusive virtual interactions. 

In Spring 2023, TRUE conducted an experiment to determine if asymmetrical technological access, such as one person using virtual reality equipment and one person using a computer, may impede collaboration within groups. For this study, participants engaged in a hypothetical collaborative decision-making scenario in a social virtual reality platform called VR Chat. Most of the participants used a VR headset, while one participant only had access to a computer. Preliminary findings revealed that the use of different devices impacted users’ experiences in making decisions. Participants who used the VR headsets felt more immersed in the process and recalled fewer contributions made by participants who were assigned to only use a computer.  

Communication student using VR headset

This study is part of a larger project supported through the highly competitive National Communication Association Research Cultivation Grant, which awards first-time grant-seeking scholars conducting research that has the potential to make significant impacts to the study and practice of communication.  

Lee hopes these findings help organizations and educational settings who have increasingly pivoted to remote work and instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee noted, “VR can be more accessible than physically traveling somewhere, but digital inequalities do arise.” By identifying potential disparities, Lee hopes leaders and educators will work to create more inclusive virtual spaces.  

Rashad Landers, who joined Lee’s TRUE lab as an undergraduate student, described how working on team-based research with faculty was a transformative experience. “Working with Dr. Lee was an amazing experience especially for a first-generation college student like me. I was able to gain real research experience and grasp the importance of accurate data collection. My experience played a pivotal role in my decision to apply for grad school. The collaborative environment created by fellow grad students along with Dr. Lee ensured that pursuing higher education may be a fun experience.”  

The CCR facilitates collaborative, interdisciplinary social research within the University of Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas region, and broader intellectual community.  The CCR manages a research lab space that includes state-of-the-art technology, such as eye-tracking devices, virtual reality equipment, audio and video recording devices, products to collect heart rate, blood pressure, and electrodermal activity, and perception analyzer equipment.  

Written by Matthew Spialek, Associate Professor and Department Chair

Photos by Lacie Bryles, Marketing and Programs Specialist