Olúwátómiládé Ọlárìndé

I study how people learn with immersive technology, particularly Virtual Reality, through an interdisciplinary, participatory research lens. I ask whether a tool is pedagogically sound, rather than if it is innovative and exciting. At the heart of my work is a conviction that technology-enabled learning experiences should be designed around how people learn and not what the technology can do. To do this, I work with a wide variety of stakeholders- teachers/educators, designers, engineers, and in multiple contexts-physical classroom, online classroom, cross-cultural, and social impact context.

I hold a BSc and MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy from Afe Babalola University, Nigeria. After graduating, I spent over five years working in Higher Education in Nigeria as a university lecturer, where I had the privilege of teaching and mentoring over 300 students across different years. I then worked as a research assistant and administrator at the Virtual Human Computer Interaction (VHCI) Lab of the Lagos Business School, investigating the use of virtual reality (VR) to foster empathy and compassion among adolescents in secondary schools in Nigeria and Kenya. That work brought me to Northeastern as a PhD student.

As a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Design and Media, my research and design at the Extended Reality Education Lab revolves around the following areas: (1) how pedagogical design decisions in immersive environments influence learning outcomes, (2) the application of research methodologies in immersive technology studies, and (3) the role of learner agency in participant-centered virtual learning environments.

I believe the best learning experiences are built with people, not just for them. My work is grounded in that principle by combining participatory research, pedagogical rigor, and immersive technology. If you are working at the intersection of immersive technology, learning design, or social impact, or if you are simply curious about what thoughtful VR in education can look like, I would love to connect.