How Pitt State Put 275+ Students in the VR Spotlight with Ovation

What if every student could face their fears in a supportive way, long before stepping into the classroom, boardroom, or job interview?

At Pittsburg State University (Pitt State) in Kansas, Dr. Alicia Mason is leading that charge. As Director of the Communication Center, Mason and her team are using Ovation to help students conquer communication apprehension, boost confidence, and prepare for the interpersonal challenges of the real world.

A Data-Driven Call for Change

When Mason first took on her leadership role, the data were clear: nearly 30% of incoming undergraduates scored extremely high in communication apprehension on the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), a widely used academic assessment employed by Pitt State and many other universities to measure students’ comfort with speaking and communicating across different contexts.

“I wanted to see how technology might help us meet the needs of students,” Mason explained. “And to familiarize them with technology they might be able to use throughout their life.”

From Research to Reality

Mason spent more than a year researching VR solutions, attending panels at the National Communication Association, and learning from peer institutions. When she discovered Ovation, the decision was clear.

“For our needs, Ovation was the best fit, hands down,” she said.

Mason secured a two-year proof-of-concept grant. After six months of implementation and training (everything from Institutional Review Board approval to graduate assistant onboarding), the program launched campus-wide in 2025.

The impact has been immediate: in their first semester of active rollout, 275+ students have already experienced Ovation orientations firsthand.

Expanding Across Campus

While the Communication Center is the hub, Pitt State’s use of Ovation is quickly spreading.

• Career Services offers Ovation’s Interview Scenario, giving students the option to practice mock interviews virtually
• Graduate researchers (six so far) are studying Ovation’s impact on growth mindset, self-efficacy, and communication skill development
• Psychology faculty are exploring how to use Ovation’s Therapy Scenario to prepare future clinicians
• Biology faculty in environmental education want to use Ovation to help students build the interpersonal skills needed to inspire conservation and ecological care
• Modern Languages and Literature faculty see the potential for Ovation to support students with language development

In addition, local high schools are asking to test-drive Ovation's Debate Scenario, while Pitt State researchers are exploring its potential to provide new pathways for measuring counter-argumentation in ways never before possible.

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More Than Just Public Speaking

At its core, Pitt State’s integration of Ovation is about communication in every form. Students choose their own simulations: everything from giving speeches to navigating social interactions. Surprisingly, one of the most popular choices isn’t a classroom speech at all.

“The first date simulation is getting a lot of attention,” Mason shared. “It goes back to that apprehension and interpersonal interaction, things students might not have had much practice in. It’s so cool to see them try it out in a safe, private space.”

Graduate Teaching Assistant Kelsie Smith has seen that excitement firsthand. “The walk-throughs with my classes went really well! We trialed the VR headset and projected it up on the projector screen for everyone to experience. We used the ‘first date’ setting and the ‘impromptu speech’ setting of a classroom, and the students were really in awe of how that worked.”

That wow factor continued when Smith demonstrated Ovation’s AI feedback: “When I showed them the feedback function after delivering a speech, there was definitely a unanimous ‘wow’ factor throughout the room. They seemed both impressed and relieved about the extra help available to them.”

Creating a Comfortable Space for Practice

One of the most valuable outcomes, according to Smith, is how Ovation lowers barriers for practice: “We’ve let them know that this is a resource for them to utilize, and I think it gives them more of a comfortable feeling knowing it doesn’t always need to be a teacher sitting and watching their speech. Ovation will be beneficial to those students who just want to practice with feedback, but maybe without an actual human present!”

For many students, this makes practice more accessible. As one student told Smith, it’s hard to rehearse speeches out loud in a dorm setup with a roommate nearby, but VR provides a private, judgment-free zone.

Group Work and Beyond

Ovation is also transforming group projects. “I also believe this is going to help students who want to work together in groups, specifically when it comes to the group speech project,” Smith explained. “I think Ovation in our Communication Center will allow students more of a fun, hands-on approach to working in groups, while receiving productive feedback from Ovation.”

That enthusiasm is already showing up in foot traffic. “After the walkthrough, some students mentioned coming back down to the Communication Center to use Ovation, and honestly, I think ultimately, it’s going to bring more students through the doors,” Smith said. “More than once, students have asked for our Communication Center hours after a Speech class, and I believe it’s in part due to their excitement about wanting to use Ovation to practice their own speeches.”

Graduate Teaching Assistant Garrett Hughes also weighs in on Ovation's expansion: “Our open house last semester had lots of out-of-department visitors. Ovation has allowed us to broaden the horizons of the Comm Center into a space and service that all facets of our school can use, like Career Services, International Studies, and Psychology.”

Building Toward the Future

For Mason, the vision extends beyond campus. She hopes to connect with Pittsburg’s thriving small-business community, using Ovation’s Elevator Pitch scenario to help entrepreneurs refine funding proposals and presentation skills, contributing to the economic growth of Southeast Kansas.

“The only thing I see is growth and promise,” Mason said. “Ovation is not only helping our students, but it has the potential to serve our region in really meaningful ways.”

A Partnership That Matters

Mason is quick to credit the role of Ovation’s support team in making the rollout a success.

“We are very grateful,” she emphasized. “Not only do we have a vendor of a technology that is helping us address an identified student need, it’s like we have a team of people helping us be successful in that journey. Jeff and the Ovation support staff have been incredible.”

A New Standard for Communication at Pitt State

In less than a year, Ovation has moved from an ambitious idea to an integral part of Pitt State’s academic fabric. With undergraduate students already trained, a growing network of graduate researchers, and interest from departments across campus, Mason sees Ovation as more than a tool.

It’s the foundation for a new ecosystem of communication training, one that blends VR, AI, and experiential learning to prepare students for the classroom and beyond.

Ready to replicate Pitt State’s playbook? New organizations can try Ovation free for 30 days. Learn more.