As the speaker begins his talk, a student strolls in the back of the auditorium. She goes down a couple of rows and then slides in a few seats.

Looking around the auditorium, there are other people sitting, each dressed a little differently from each other and with their name floating above them. Over the course of the presentation, they stand, raise their hand and even make facial expressions the speaker can see to watch whether his message is being understood.

Nobody in the auditorium is really physically there. Neither is the auditorium there at least not in a traditional brick-and-mortar sense.

Welcome to virtual reality instruction.

Davenport University, a private nonprofit college headquartered in Grand Rapids with campuses across the state, had been running a pilot program for the past year of software enabling virtual reality online classes, speeches and events.

With the school switched over to online instruction because of the coronavirus outbreak, the school is poised to expand its use.

Davenport is usingvirtual reality software VirBELA to run its virtual reality program.

A screen capture of a virtual auditorium from Davenport University. Davenport University is using virtual reality to deliver classes and events.(Photo: Davenport University)

"We want to try to make sure we are in front of the curve," said Brian Miller, Davenport'sdean of the global campus. "What really makes a school is a sense of place. That's missing in most online-learning programs."

Through the software, Davenport can designate classroom space, auditorium space, conference rooms and other places. Each person can set up their avatar, personalizing clothing, hair, skin color and other items. It is not photo-realistic.

The schoolrecently held a career fair using the software, setting up business representatives on a virtual soccer field. Students visiting the fair could walk their avatar around the fair and see the different booths.

A screen capture of the virtual campus from Davenport University. Davenport University is using virtual reality to deliver classes and events.(Photo: Davenport University)

Therealso canbe conference rooms, where students can gather around a table, with screens and boards in the background. The screens are saved even when users log out. The users' avatars sit at the table. Nobody else can get in. A professor can knock on the door to come in and check on students. The students' avatars will stand up and go open the virtual door to let the teacher in.

Rooms can be set up differently. For example, a large space could handleround tables with space for eight people at each table, or rows of chairs, or other configurations.

Once in, people using their avatar can raise hands, look puzzled or take other actions. If there is a conference going on, when one speaker introduces the next speaker, that person's avatar steps out of the audience and talks at the podium.

"It creates visual clues and a sense of being there," Miller said. "It's also good for helping with skills for students. For example, it's hard to replicate in online classes the feeling you get when standing up and looking at a bunch of people sitting there looking at you. This does that. It also offers visual feedback from the audience, so you can learn how to read an audience and adapt your message."

A screen capture of a virtual conference room from Davenport University. Davenport University is using virtual reality to deliver classes and events.(Photo: Davenport University)

The school plans to use the technology in its online bachelor's in health administration management program, starting this spring, and adding more courses after that.

"Davenport has a 20-year history of offering bachelor and graduate programs online, Richard Pappas, Davenport's president, said in a statement. That is why we are well-positioned, during this challenging time of a pandemic, to expand our university's use of online technologies and create an even more effective classroom experience for both our professors and their students.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj

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Davenport University using virtual reality to deliver 'you are there' classes, events - Detroit Free Press