Exploring Mississippi Soybean Production in Virtual Reality
Investigators
Objectives
- Work with Mississippi soybean producers to develop a series of 360 virtual reality (VR) experiences highlighting the soybean production process, careers in the field, and the impact of soybean production
- Develop a VR app showcasing Mississippi soybean production, collaborating with K-6 teachers to facilitate immersive learning experiences in classrooms
- Describe the impact of soybean VR field trips on teacher and student perceptions of soybean production in Mississippi.
Expected End Results
The nature of this project does not impact Mississippi soybean production directly in relation to monetary or acreage gains. However, by implementing immersive VR field trip experiences in K-6th grade classrooms the long-term impact on soybean producers and production can include future workforce development by sparking interest in production agriculture at young age leading to a larger pool of individuals entering careers in agriculture. Additionally, by featuring local producers we are fostering community engagement which encourages increased support and understanding of the soybean production process. Moreover, an informed community is more likely to engage in policy and advocacy dialogue positively impacting soybean production and producers. While it is difficult to measure the economic impact of the EMSPVR project, increasing public understanding and support for the soybean production process, especially at the formative K-6th grade age group, could indirectly contribute to increased economic profitability.