What is Immersive Learning?

The immersive learning experience is the signature element of Ball State’s “Education Redefined.” Immersive learning is an intense learning and developmental activity that requires a student to progress well beyond merely learning to realize the intention and goal of education. The immersive learning experience is designed to bridge content knowledge, skill of application, societal need, and lifelong learning.

The citizen of the 21st century needs qualities and competencies not easily developed in a traditional teacher-centered classroom: the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams; an appreciation for an array of cultures; and an understanding of diverse and changing societies. At Ball State, we create an educational experience that engages the whole person and fosters professional competence relevant for a lifetime of careers.

Ball State’s immersive learning experiences shift much of the responsibility of learning to the student. Stretching students through creative rather than directed inquiry, these experiences develop the ability to synthesize and problem solve. Students are required to work collaboratively in teams that are both multifunctional and multidisciplinary.

Immersive learning experiences require students to manifest their learning in a tangible outcome that lives on and has utility beyond the duration of the experience itself. Through such transformative experiences, students should better understand societal issues in global, local, economic, or environmental contexts.