“Feeling the Content”
Image
credit: Mendel Grammar School in Opava City, Czech Republic
Virtual
biology and anatomy lesson: students are transported to a virtual classroom - a
skeletal model with interactive components, like bones and organs. Students
can manipulate parts of the model at will, using just their hands.
As the technology behind virtual and augmented reality becomes more
advanced, the possibilities of use expand in an exciting way. Now, virtual
reality is becoming a realistic option for classrooms.
According to Cornell
Chronicle, in a new study by Cornell University, scientists explore whether the
compelling, immersive nature of virtual reality (VR) provides a better learning
outcome than conventional hands-on activities.
For the study, scientists created a simulation called Learning Moon
Phases in Virtual Reality. The simulation is a part of a multi-phase
research study to determine whether the immersive quality of VR improves
learning.
The researchers randomly assigned Cornell undergraduates to one of
three methods: hands-on, computer simulation or VR. The instructions and quiz
questions were as closely matched to each other as possible, with the
activities modeled on common astronomy tutorials.
After completing their activity, each participant was shown the other
two methods. The VR activity was preferred by 78 percent of the participants.
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credit: Virtual Embodiment Lab (VEL) at Cornell University
Jack
Madden, doctoral candidate in the field of astronomy, watches as Andrea
Stevenson Won, assistant professor of communication and director of the Virtual
Embodiment Lab, uses a virtual reality simulator.
The study, was conducted in the Virtual Embodiment Lab (VEL)
in collaboration with the Cornell Physics Department. Together they built a
virtual environment in which students can learn about moon phases in an
interactive space. The environment situates students above the North Pole or
far above the earth as they grab the moon and move it around themselves while
watching it change phases.
Image
credit: Virtual Embodiment Lab (VEL) at Cornell University
Learning
Moon Phases in Virtual Reality
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credit: Virtual Embodiment Lab (VEL) at Cornell University
Established in 2016, the lab uses several different devices to research
virtual reality, from 360 degree videos to full virtual reality systems that
allow a user to pick up objects and interact with others. Students are
essential to the lab’s research and efficiency. They run experiments, create
virtual worlds, and work with professors to answer research questions. The lab
collaborates with people across Cornell, including faculty in the Department of
Physics, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
At the University of Warwick, a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry, England, three groups of students were assigned to three different types of learning: fully immersive VR environment, traditional textbook-style materials, or 2-D video of the VR environment. They all learnt about the same subject (biology), and had their learning, emotional response, and learning experience measured.
Researchers found that positive emotions were rated higher for the group who experienced the VR learning method, followed by textbook, then video learning. VR students also performed better than students learning with video, showing that the active interaction with the VR environment helped improve learning.
This study shows that VR can replicate or complement traditional
learning methods inside and outside a classroom setting. Such VR environments
can also allow for learning that cannot be replicated in reality, or would be
too costly to be accessible.
Last week, Columbia College
Chicago Online and Santa Clara University announced a new partnership that will
expand augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) education in the SCU community.
Starting this year, Santa Clara students enrolled through the
partnership will have access to SCU’s Imaginarium, a space that serves as a
laboratory for hands-on AR/VR experimentation. This “sandbox” for virtual and
augmented learning exposes students to VR systems including the Oculus Rift,
HTC Vive, and Microsoft HoloLens.
Students can choose between three 8-week courses (Producing Augmented
and Virtual Reality Experiences, Developing Augmented and Virtual Reality Apps,
and Sound Design and Music for Immersive Media) or enroll in all three to earn
an Augmented and Virtual Reality Professional Certificate. The courses cover
the process of AR/VR production, Unity software basics, and techniques for
integrating the technology into mobile app development or other creative
projects.
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credit: Columbia College Chicago
According to Dan Roy, research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, researchers are looking into how to make VR a realistic and helpful
option for students.
In an interview to EdTech Times, he reveals:
“We’re exploring now what VR is good for, specifically in the context
of education. And some initial thoughts about that: increased engagement, a
better way of experiencing environments that rely on spatial sense, so
something where size and scale are important,” he says.
“So like the very big, like outer space, or the very small like the
microscopic things that you couldn’t see very well in your day to day life, you
might be able to experience in a way that makes it feel more real, more relatable,
more compelling.”
With VR’s capabilities, students can learn subjects in an immersive way
like never before. But aside from the cool experiences, Dan says utilizing VR
to learn can help students develop school-related skills, as well as skills that
could benefit them throughout their lives.
Image
credit: Arlington Science Focus students
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