SERC Students Help with Project to Alleviate Anxiety

Students from SERC are helping a local charity in a project designed to help people who suffer from anxiety.

When Listening Ear, a mental health charity based in Newtownabbey, approached the College for some advice on virtual reality (VR) headsets, the team at SERC were keen to work with the charity on a project that would harness input from computing and performing arts students.

Lecturer Ryan Major said, “Initially, the charity was looking for some advice.  But when they explained they wanted the VR headsets to help alleviate some anxiety experienced by people, who perhaps found new situations or new environments challenging, we were keen to develop a project-based learning project that could be win-win for both the charity and our students.”

He added, “Students from our HND in Computing, the Foundation Degree in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics and the HND in Performing Arts are working together to storyboard, script, act, and voice a series of situations for use on a VR headset.   Essentially, this will give someone the chance to experience a new environment or situation so they could prepare for it in comfort, and at their own pace, until they felt ready to face the real-life scenario which may be causing them anxiety."       

Ryan continued, “Right now, we are working on a proof of concept which involves a visit to the college, but we are hopeful that we will be able to develop the scenarios for Listening Ear. He concluded, “This is essentially the type of project any of our students could face in the workplace where they will be challenged to find solutions.  It is a fantastic opportunity for students from different disciplines to see how their skills-set is part of the synergy that makes any organisation work successfully.”