Secondary Collaborators
Jordan Galczynski, Manager of Instructional Technology Group UCLA Humanities Technology
Erika Snell, Instructional Technologist UCLA Humanities Technology
Tom Garbelotti, Humanities CIO / Director
ARC (Augmented Reality and Culture) Hub
Building on the pilot module completed during the Spring Quarter of 2025 with the support of the Tier 2 Sandbox grant, we propose to develop ARC Hub (Augmented Reality & Culture), a pioneering initiative that leverages immersive technology to enhance language acquisition, cultural fluency, and professional skill-building. By integrating Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and AI-driven conversation tools, ARC Hub will provide UCLA students with an unparalleled interactive experience—allowing them to engage with real-world cultural scenarios, multilingual environments, and career-focused simulations.
Initially launching within the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS), ARC Hub will focus on French, Italian, German, Dutch, and Swedish. However, this project is designed to scale, with the potential to expand across UCLA, incorporating a diverse range of languages and disciplines. Moreover, a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese has expressed interest in developing a similar VR-enhanced language learning initiative, further demonstrating the broader institutional relevance of this approach.
A key component of ARC Hub will be content creation using real-world cultural experiences. During the summer, project collaborators will travel to Europe to capture authentic cultural and linguistic environments using a mix of still photography and 360-degree video. These recordings will be used to develop pre- and post-activity modules, allowing students to engage with immersive experiences before practicing their language skills in AI-enhanced virtual environments.
ARC Hub will incorporate AI-driven conversational tools to provide real-time, adaptive language coaching within VR environments. This feature will allow students to engage in dynamic conversations with AI avatars that provide instant feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary use. By analyzing student responses, the AI can adjust difficulty levels and personalize learning paths, ensuring each student progresses at an optimal pace.