Dreamscape Virtual Reality Lab Opens in College of Communication and Media

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At Montclair State University, a new innovation will transport students into alternate worlds with the Dreamscape Learn Lab.

The 2,450-square-foot lab, which is located in the College of Communication and Media, opened at the start of the 2026-2027 academic year. It houses a 26-seat classroom and a six-person free-roam pod.

The facility was built in collaboration with Dreamscape Learn and will be used to educate students across different majors.

Ben Schwartz, director of immersive learning and head of Dreamscape Learn at Montclair State, described the mission of the lab.

“This isn’t meant to be a replacement for traditional classroom-based pedagogy, but a supplement,” Schwartz said. “We like to call it ‘narrative-driven storytelling.’ We are using that in order to engage students and also having the hand on haptics to engage them.”

Dave Schnepf, the Dreamscape pod operator, explained how the technology works.

“We have a couple different computers working to remote into the headsets,” Schnepf said. “They’re able to run highly graphic-intensive programs, where we can have these complex experiences that students would otherwise not really be able to experience. They’d be something impossible, or something that would be financially prohibitive.”

The lab offers several virtual reality experiences, including “The Curse of The Lost Pearl,” an Indiana Jones-esque, free-roam archaeological adventure experience in the classroom. The program allows students to perform medical testing for cancer on a dinosaur.

The haptic technology in the lab includes vibrations and shaking in the chairs and ground. Interactive elements such as torches and joysticks are also used to further immerse users.

Schnepf shared his excitement about the project and the opportunities it will provide for students and faculty.

“Many of the students that come in here have never used virtual reality before,” Schnepf said. “We’re excited to be able to introduce students to this new and powerful technology. We are excited to collaborate with professors at Montclair, to incorporate their methods of teaching into virtual reality modules that will complement their courses.”

Keith Strudler, dean of the College of Communication and Media, shared his hopes for the virtual reality lab.

“I think there’s a fair amount of data that suggests that this kind of immersive VR learning helps with retention, helps students grasp more difficult topics,” Strudler said. “[It] increases people’s interests in fields that they may not have been interested in.”

Strudler said the lab will also provide students with opportunities to develop skills related to virtual reality production.

“We’re going to start building courses where our students are learning how to develop for Dreamscape, how to build environments and educational experiences in a VR environment,” Strudler said. “We’re gonna give our students new production experiences that hopefully will lead them to different job opportunities in the media ecosystem.”

Students who had the opportunity to experience the lab shared their reactions to the technology.

Gabriel Colon, a freshman film and television major, experienced the Dreamscape Learn lab during the Summer Bridge program.

“It’s very cool and atmospheric,” Colon said. “There’s a lot of fans blowing, realistic textures, vibrations and it makes you feel more immersed in the learning experience.”

Abel Molina, a junior accounting major, experienced the lab during a summer educational program.

“Seeing the whole thing,” Molina said, “I was like, ‘this makes me want to do science,’ which is something I normally despise. I felt like it was an opportunity to bring an interactive form to education.”

Molina said he believes the technology could also benefit students who have difficulties learning in traditional classroom environments.

“[For] students struggling with ADHD, or students who can’t really learn in a traditional classroom,” Molina said. “This might be the next step to at least introduce technology, not as something that’s gonna combat education, but actually benefit in some respects.”

Vinny Ball, a freshman film and television major, shared his thoughts about the lab as a new student.

“I think, based on what I know about it, it sounds pretty cool,” Ball said. “I am a hands-on learner, so the idea that they’re trying to implement it into other majors beyond what it was originally designed for, so people can go in there, be more hands on, and get some experience in the fields that they’re trying to go into, I think it’s a really great idea.”