Skidmore Students Use Virtual Reality to Experience “Walden”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College students in Assistant Professor of English Jamie Parra’s course on Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” are using virtual reality (VR) to experience the literary classic.

In the “Walden” VR game, students retrace the steps of American transcendentalist Thoreau — a naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher — during his two years spent living at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847. They explore Thoreau’s cabin and the greater Concord, Massachusetts, area; participate in daily activities like tending to the bean fields and fishing; and experience the natural world as it was in the mid-19th century.

Emerging technologies and interactive play experiences are also being used to further learning in disciplines ranging from Health and Human Physiological Sciences to Asian Studies.