Virtual Reality

By now, most people are aware of what virtual reality is as it has been around for quite some time. If you are unfamiliar with virtual reality, or VR as it is commonly referred to, it basically consists of immersing oneself in a digital environment. This is accomplished by using technology to stimulate a person’s senses and this can include all five of our senses; sight, hearing, touch, taste and even smell (popsci.com)! The more senses that are stimulated by VR, the more believable the environment becomes. According to Chris Woodford (explainthatstuff.com), there are two types of virtual reality…

Fully Immersive
This type of VR is the most comprehensive and requires the use of a head mounted display, stereo sound and sensory glove(s).

Non-immersive
This requires a wide screen display, audio and a realistic joystick or alternate control.

Collaborative Virtual Reality
This version of VR can allow social interactions in typical environments and can help individuals to create relationships, develop friendships and enhance social skills. It can teach children and others that actions have consequences.

New technological initiatives by companies such as Google and Discovery coupled with the commonality of technology is bringing VR to the forefront of education. One of these uses include letting students see and explore faraway places in an authentic manner that would not be possible without actually traveling there. And some of these destinations, such as space, the depths of the ocean, etc... would not be possible without years of training and incredible expense. Another use is letting students see the interworking of something that would not otherwise be possible like bodily functions, the inside of a machine and chemical reactions. Yet another use of VR is training students to use dangerous or powerful equipment in a completely safe, yet thorough, way.

But there are some barriers/concerns to the adoption of VR in education. One such concern is accessibility and how an educator can accommodate learners with disabilities (academia.edu). A second concern is the cost of devices. While there are some inexpensive housings for smartphones, such as Google Cardboard, not everyone has the requisite smartphone to use them. Cybersickness (like motion sickness) and other unknown health effects is also a concern.

There is research that supports the theory that one's education is deepened by incorporating related physical activity. For example, it is one thing to see how to change a tire, but to actually do it it brings about a deeper understanding. A middle ground can be changing a tire virtually as opposed to walking out to the parking lot and risking injury or damage to tools or vehicles.

According to Lindgren, et al, literature "supports engaging the body in learning activities... how people think and reason about the world is deeply connected to sensorimotor system and the body's interaction with he physical environment" (page 5). Cognition is defined as the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. A truer grasp of concepts can be ascertained by a better experience that utilizes more of our senses.

References
Lindgren, R., Tscholl, M., Wang, S., & Johnson, E. (2016). Enhancing learning and engagement through embodied interaction within a mixed reality simulation. Computers & Education, 95, 174-187. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.01.001