Article written by Katelyn Clement
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality is a computer technology that creates a simulated environment. The term was coined by Jason Lanier, president of the VLP company, in 1980. "Virtual" refers to near, while "reality" refers to experience.
There are two types of virtual reality: immersive and non-immersive. Non-immersive virtual reality enables people to explore computer-generated worlds using a computer screen and mouse or similar navigation device. Immersive VR allows users to explore and interact with a 360-degree room-sized screen. Immersive VR is most easily recognized by VR headsets with controllers that simulate hearing, vision, and sometimes touch. Reality is made up of sensory inputs to the brain, and manipulating those sensory inputs gives people a version of reality that isn't real, but is perceived as real.
In 2018, Iberdrola predicted that VR would be used for dining, medicine, journalism, education, entertainment, architecture, industry, culture/art, and the military. The technology became much more accessible when Mark Zuckerburg purchased Oculus for two billion dollars. According to Cipresso, with the ongoing introduction of new and affordable VR technologies, researchers suggest that it "may be the next largest stepping stone in technological innovation.” While VR may have a variety of innovative uses, it is not yet mainstream enough to disrupt every facet of society.
History of Virtual Reality
The invention of immersive virtual reality dates back to the 1950s. There were a number of early devices introduced before the headsets that we know today.
Figure 1: Image of Sensorama. Source: Engadget.
Sensorama – 1962
The first VR device was called the Sensorama, which was a simulated motorcycle where users sat in a seat that played a three-dimensional video, gave off scents, and generated vibrations.
Figure 2: Front cover of Scientific American, October 1987, featuring the VPL DataGlove, one of the first commercial virtual reality products. Source: Britannica.
VLP DataGlove – 1987
In 1987, the VLP company created the DataGlove, which measured and identified hand gestures, similar to today's VR controllers. The company also created a body-tracking DataSuit.
Figure 3: Image of “It’s Tough to be a Bug” attraction. Source: Inside the Magic.
Disney’s “It’s Tough to be a Bug” – 1998
This attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park includes 3D and 4D effects that immerse guests in the experience.
Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality
Many people confuse augmented and virtual reality. Although the two of them are often referenced together and can overlap, the underlying concepts are vastly different. Virtual reality is fully immersive and gives users the perspective that they are somewhere else. VR blocks out surroundings, and the user’s physical location becomes irrelevant. VR users also have limited movement. The most commonly used device is a headset, although users can also use a specialized case for their phones. On the other hand, augmented reality adds to existing vision. Users can either use smart glasses or their phones’ cameras to track surroundings. AR allows users to experience a virtual world and move freely. The diagram below addresses some of these differences.
Figure 4: Diagram showing the differences between VR, AR, and MR. Source: RubyGarage.
How does it work?
In a virtual reality headset, LCD or OLED panels are refracted by the lenses to create a 360-degree image. Cameras use six-degrees-of-freedom motion tracking, so the headset can detect the direction that users are facing. Cameras also track any movements they make from that direction. Controllers allow users to use their hands to interact with virtual environments, although Oculus recently put out an update that allows users to bypass the controllers and solely use their hands.
Virtual Reality in Education
Recently, virtual reality has become more interactive and visualization has improved, which has drawn the attention of educators and scholars. Education requires students to grasp and comprehend abstract concepts. Teachers throughout history have used a variety of educational technologies, such as the chalkboard, projector, television, and internet connection. From 1997-2006, computers were introduced for collaborative learning. From 2007-2016, online digital learning became mainstream. Virtual reality education has been used for years in fields such as medical imaging and aviation, but only a handful of VR games from various fields focus on education. It hasn't been developed extensively for education yet because people don't yet consider VR to be a mainstream technology.
There was a growing trend in VR research from 2012 to 2018. In fact, in 2018, 94% of teachers in the UK believed that VR would improve the classroom, and 97% of teachers believed students were more engaged when learning in VR. Students engaged in virtual reality learn through play. They also retain and apply information better when learning in a VR setting. VR allows students to interact with imaginary worlds and experience scenarios from a first-person perspective.
Although there was a large number of teachers interested in teaching with VR, arts education gained the least interest in VR use from educators. VR can be costly, cause motion sickness, and can have considerable technology glitches like being able to pass through solid objects and getting lost inside of them. Many arts and music teachers wish to keep technology out of the classroom and allow students to have a physical, hands-on approach, but technology does have the potential to be useful.
Uses for students in and outside of the arts
Explore other cultures: Google Arts and Culture offers immersive VR experiences and access to online collections all over the world.
See moments in history: Students can watch historical events using Timelooper and YouTube.
Explore wildlife: There are many VR wildlife tours, including National Geographic and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
Tell a story: Story Spheres lets students upload a photo and tell a 360-degree story.
Using Virtual Reality to Understand Cultural Differences
A project at North Carolina State University allowed students to view different cultures and traditions by watching a global business meeting that took place in China but had attendees from the United States, China, India, and Singapore. They observed and commented on how a business deal could go wrong by not understanding cultural differences.
Google Cardboard
Low budget sets such as Google Cardboard enable everybody to take advantage of immersive virtual settings. As of 2020, the Google Cardboard was the least-utilized headset, despite it being the lowest cost option.
Figure 5: Image of Google Cardboard headset. Source: WhatVR.
Virtual Reality in Arts Education
Visual Art
Tilt Brush by Google allows students to paint and draw three-dimensional diagrams in VR. Panoform also allows students to paint and draw, but instead, they draw on specialized graph paper and then upload it to Panoform. Students can then view their image in a 360-degree format through Google Cardboard.
Music
The Teomirn Microsoft HoloLens is a mixed-reality technology that allows a piano instructor's hands to project onto a keyboard for students to follow. It differs from a light-up keyboard because it shows students which fingers to place on which keys. Teomirn scans a user's piano keys and finger movements and allows students to follow an instructor at their own pace. It makes piano more accessible to people who just want to learn specific songs without first learning how to read the music.
A project developed for CAVE2 and Microsoft HoloLens analyzed VR's capabilities to teach music. The applications taught the student how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the viola. The interface showed the student the tempo, music, fingering, and bow direction. It then played back what the student played, and the playback could be paused or re-winded.
Teach-U: VR lets young people learn to play music. It utilizes Google Cardboard and has an infrared sensor that tracks hand movement.
There have been other studies on the use of VR to teach vocal students. Author Bian suggests that by teaching music through VR, students better understand the organs used for singing, articulation, and error detection. VR is also highly interactive, visually rich, and provides immediate feedback.
Other institutions—such as The Hoffman Academy with 100,000 subscribers worldwide—have not yet jumped onto VR. Its web app gamifies piano education and makes the usually repetitive drills fun, just like Duolingo did for languages. They have not created a virtual or mixed reality app yet, but author Michael Rancic believes they may be one of the first to embrace it.
Virtual Reality Performances
Virtual reality gives students the opportunity to view performances—live or recorded—from across the globe.
With the onset of the pandemic, John Legend promoted his new album, “Bigger Love,” by performing as an avatar in VR.
Dutch composer Michel van der Aa premiered “Eight,” a 15-minute mixed-reality opera that integrated both music and technology. Audience members wore VR headsets while following singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke down a hallway and beyond. Audiences from around the globe can experience the performance—all they need is a headset.
The Philharmonia Orchestra created a number of 360-degree VR performances using the Sound Stage, which enables users to experience an orchestra performance right from home. The orchestra focuses on immersive sound and sights so that users can experience sitting in the center of the orchestra. They recommend sitting in a room with multiple people, surrounded by speakers. The video portrayed shows students in a classroom experiencing an orchestral performance.
Figure 6: The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Sound Stage. Source: YouTube.
Takeaways
I’m currently taking a class in VR at Carnegie Mellon. It’s easy to focus in and extremely engaging. I haven’t looked at my phone once since I began the class. It oddly feels like the most normal educational experience since learning has gone remote because it seems like I’m in a real room. That being said, there is also a learning curve. We spend quite a bit of time learning how to use the technology and learning what we can and can’t do while in virtual reality. Do I think VR is ready to implement into a K-12 classroom? Definitely not, but I think there are ways it could be useful, especially when the technology improves. It would help tremendously if students could connect their headsets to a computer so instructors could help troubleshoot navigation. I believe learning in VR is incredibly engaging and could be explored more for arts education.
Cover photo source: UPROXX.
+ Additional Resources
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