By Leela Welch
Background
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality -- or VR-- refers to the creation of virtual environments that mimic real world scenes, objects, scenarios, and experiences. This immersive experience can also take you into imaginative places (Educause, 2018). Although gaming might be the first application that comes to mind when you think about VR, the application of VR for learning and training are growing every day. |
A Brief History of VR
Virtual reality has been a popular futuristic concept since as early as the 1930s. Originally conceived as a fictional concept embodied in literature, the real-world technology has seen slow growth over the later half of the 20th and into the 21st century. Much of the development of VR has been closely intertwined with its sister technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) (Intel, 2018).
Virtual reality has been a popular futuristic concept since as early as the 1930s. Originally conceived as a fictional concept embodied in literature, the real-world technology has seen slow growth over the later half of the 20th and into the 21st century. Much of the development of VR has been closely intertwined with its sister technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) (Intel, 2018).
The Perks of VR
According to the 7:20:10 principle, 10% of what people learn and retain comes from lessons and direct instruction, 20% from peer interaction, and 70% from hands-on experiential learning. Virtual reality provides a way for both companies and teachers to provide their learners with immersive, hands-on learning opportunities (Wentworth, 2018). |
Virtual reality puts the learner in an active role allowing them to interact directly with the virtual environment. When you take a closer look at the interactions students have as they use VR for learning, the format’s constructivist principles become quite apparent: learners are active participants and interact directly with their environment. This has caught the attention of many educators and brought the technology to the forefront of educational-based conversations (Huang, et al., 2010). Put simply, people learn by doing and both teachers and trainers have begun to take notice of VR’s potential. From a student learning about the inner workings of a heart to a pilot learning to land a plane in dangerous conditions, these simulations provide vital, hands-on experience that learners cannot get from a lecture or by reading.
Addressing the Pros and Cons
The use of Virtual Reality for learning has both pros and cons. The purpose of this section is to discuss the applications of VR in more depth. We will look into specific cases and applications of VR, discuss VR’s benefits and drawbacks, and take a stance about whether this technology is worth the time and investment required to implement for learning. |
Connections
Applications and Cost
Virtual Reality can be costly. Many of the higher end options like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift also require a separate computer with a graphics card capable of processing and running graphics associated with your VR system. Luckily, Samsung and Google have developed cheaper alternatives that allow for use of a cell phone and do not need to be connected to a computer to work. Virtual reality is currently being used by many different fields for learning. With varying degrees of price entry points, it is easily adapted by many different schools, companies, and other entities with varying budgets and constraints (Educause, 2018). |
A Glimpse into The Future of Virtual Reality The future of virtual reality and learning looks bright. Many companies like Immersive Education VR in London are working to stretch the limits of virtual reality for applications like virtual schooling and distance learning. Check out this video for a glimpse of what the future of VR in education could hold. |
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Cases
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Virtual Reality in the K-12 Classroom
As demonstrated in this video, Virtual Reality can help children explore the world outside their classroom. Google’s Google Cardboard VR headset is a relatively inexpensive ($5 to $10) option for teachers to utilize VR in the classroom. The headset itself can be purchased from Google or there are directions you can follow to create a headset yourself. Students can place their own phones inside the headset and sometimes school districts or individual schools have sets of iPod touch devices available, which can be used with the Google cardboard headsets (Unimersiv, 2018). By utilizing VR headsets in the classroom, teachers can take their students on virtual field trips to places around the world, in space, in a human body, and so on. There are applications for every content area. Google and other producers have created a lot of free content for teachers and made an effort to get free devices out to schools. This inexpensive option has caught the eye of districts and schools around the country (Unimersive, 2018). |
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Virtual Reality in Healthcare Training
Virtual Reality has applications for adult learners too. In this video, resident doctors are learning how to react and treat patients in need of immediate care. Doctors need to practice how to respond to situations under stress. Simulating these experiences can help them determine what to do and treat patients without fear of hurting a real patient. Such an experience is invaluable and some hospitals are looking into adopting VR training to help prepare doctors and other medical professionals for dealing with stressful situations in a learning environment free of consequences that ultimately saves time, resources and -- most importantly -- lives. |
Impact
Is Virtual Reality a Good Fit for Most Industries?
There are some valid concerns about the use of VR for training in education but most concerns -- like lack of human connection, technology mishaps and overload, and limited customization -- can all be mitigated through the integration of sound teaching practices. Virtual reality cannot replace excellence in teaching. If VR is paired with a dedicated teacher or trainer who incorporates opportunities for meaningful interaction and other methods of learning into the lesson alongside the virtual content, many of these concerns would cease to exist. As for technology mishaps, all technology comes with the potential of glitches. Pricing is a prohibitive and contentious issue that has prevented many educational institutions and companies from adopting Virtual Reality. When the technology first emerged for mass consumption in 2010, the cost was not realistic for most people other than early adopters whose interest overrode the cost and larger companies with high budgets. Over the past eight years, however, the cost has steadily fallen and more affordable options have begun to hit the market. While not all school districts can afford high end Oculus Rift headsets, many school districts were given Google Cardboard headsets directly from Google. Others have invested in buying or making their own sets (ranging from $1 to $10) (Unimersiv, 2018, Steinbach, 2018). |
Virtual Reality is Here to Stay
Given the capacity for VR to allow for hands-on, experiential learning it is clear that virtual reality could have a powerful, groundbreaking impact on the educational and training landscape. As companies continue to develop content and the prices keep going down, this technology will soon be accessible to many. From a distant, hypothetical concept to a very real and powerful educational tool, VR appears to be here to stay.
Given the capacity for VR to allow for hands-on, experiential learning it is clear that virtual reality could have a powerful, groundbreaking impact on the educational and training landscape. As companies continue to develop content and the prices keep going down, this technology will soon be accessible to many. From a distant, hypothetical concept to a very real and powerful educational tool, VR appears to be here to stay.
Resources
General Resources to Help You Get Started With VR
A guide for teachers introducing Google Cardboard for instruction:
12 Ways to utilize Google Cardboard in the classroom
This link is a comprehensive list of different resources you can utilize when thinking about introducing VR, AR or MR as part of a training program:
How to Get Started with a VR Training Program
This is a list of links, videos and other resources about how to get started with VR creation, learning and gaming:
The Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started with VR
A guide for utilizing AR for training:
Using AR for Training
A guide for teachers introducing Google Cardboard for instruction:
12 Ways to utilize Google Cardboard in the classroom
This link is a comprehensive list of different resources you can utilize when thinking about introducing VR, AR or MR as part of a training program:
How to Get Started with a VR Training Program
This is a list of links, videos and other resources about how to get started with VR creation, learning and gaming:
The Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started with VR
A guide for utilizing AR for training:
Using AR for Training
Virtual Reality in Literature
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a fictional novel depicting the world in the year 2045. The world of 2045 is at the edge of destruction. Resources are depleted and most people escape to a virtual world called The OASIS. The enormous world known as the OASIS not only provides an escape from reality to many but it is also where the world's youth attends school. The book follows the quest of one school-aged boy named Wade as he navigates through his virtual world. Although it is a fictional story it is a compelling look into what a future with virtual reality could look like. Experience Virtual Reality Head Games VR is a Virtual Reality Cafe in Lakewood, Colorado. This will offer you look into virtual reality so you can experience it first-hand. They utilize HTC Vive viewers and offer a variety of games and educational simulations. They offer some discounts for educational purposes, upon request. |