USQ Law students can now learn and interact in a virtual replica of Toowoomba’s No 1 Court Room.

Through virtual reality technology students can participate in the School of Law and Justice’s Moot Court proceedings from a computer anywhere in the world.

Appearing as ‘Me-Vatars’ students walk through the court room, role play, work in groups, and talk to their peers and engage with their lecturer while the full course is taught inside the virtual court room.

Head of USQ’s School of Law and Justice Professor Reid Mortensen said virtual reality technology had a number of uses throughout the bachelor and post-graduate courses.

“Moot court is a vital part of every law student’s education,” Professor Mortensen said.

“Advocacy skills that a moot teaches are invaluable and an important part of USQ’s law courses. Through the use of virtual reality technology external students can now participate and interact in real time.

“We will also be looking to use this technology in the USQ Secondary Schools Moot Competition where more schools from further away can participate.”

This landmark project is an outcome of USQ’s Technology Demonstrators Project.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Services) Professor Ken Udas said the virtual moot court would facilitate a real world, authentic, immersive learning experience similar to that of actually being on campus.

“In recent years learning via virtual reality has changed the face of education by becoming complementary to traditional methods of teaching, allowing students to learn in their own time and at their own pace, without having to step foot in to the classroom,” Professor Udas said.

“It opens doors for our students to access the best kind of education by blending together the best of the real world, the best of online applications and the best of virtual world technology.

“At USQ we know that the highest quality education must be social and interactive and this is another quality example of how we as an institution are looking into the classroom of the future.”

For further information on USQ’s School of Law and Justice visit: https://www.usq.edu.au/bela/school-law-and-justice

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