Introduction to Virtual Reality in Education
The use of virtual reality (VR) is expanding across various industries, but its large-scale application in educational settings has remained largely unexplored. As VR tools proceed to enhance when it comes to technical capabilities and affordability, researchers like Dr. Ville Mäkelä are turning their classrooms into living labs to grasp how VR can enrich the scholar experience.
Exploring VR within the Classroom
Dr. Mäkelä, together with colleagues Dr. Daniel Harley and Dr. Cayley MacArthur, piloted the first-class in Canada to supply large-scale, VR-centered 3D design on the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. Throughout the term, students used VR headsets and the design software Gravity Sketch to create characters and objects in an immersive environment. This software is already getting used by firms like New Balance for product design.
The Impact of VR on Students
From its initial offering in 2024, Dr. Mäkelä has taught over 200 students across 4 sections and co-authored a groundbreaking research paper about integrating VR into the classroom. The prediction is that VR will turn into increasingly relevant to many careers, making it essential for future graduates to know how you can navigate VR technology and understand its opportunities and limitations.
Designing VR Education that Scales
The work positions Waterloo as a pacesetter in expanding our understanding of how technology adoption impacts classroom learning. There aren’t many examples of mass adoption of VR in university classes, making this a big step forward. Plenty of preparation was crucial, including budgeting for equipment, deciding on headset models, developing protocols for equipment use, and finding an area large enough to accommodate multi-user VR interaction.
Challenges and Solutions
After the first-class launched, cyber sickness, a type of motion sickness triggered by exposure to a virtual environment, presented a challenge. The symptoms and the way they develop can vary significantly, so moderating using headsets and offering non-VR alternatives for assignments became key strategies to support students. Despite these issues, students were very positive in regards to the VR experience and using the technology.
Another challenge was effectively communicating with students. Demonstrating a virtual application to someone outside of it presented a novel problem. Dr. Mäkelä turned to screencasting as an progressive way of lecturing that permits the VR user to stream their view from contained in the headset onto an external screen. This became an efficient tool to supply mass tutorials and support peer learning and group activities amongst students.
Fostering Student Agency
The class pushed the boundaries of traditional education not only through its content and delivery but additionally through its relationship with students, who were directly research participants and co-learners in navigating this recent technology. Being a part of this cohort meant that each student’s input was invaluable to further developing the course. Dr. Mäkelä was very open to feedback in any respect stages, which had a big impact on students’ experiences.
Shaping the Future of Education
In their paper presented in Japan earlier this 12 months, Dr. Mäkelä and colleagues shared key findings from their ongoing research on large-scale VR within the classroom, including the necessity for careful planning, flexibility, collaboration, and student-driven learning. This study plays a very important role in sharing best practices and opportunities with fellow educators, shaping the long run of technology within the classroom.
Conclusion
Thanks to the embodied way of seeing and doing things in VR, design becomes a more experiential practice. These immersive, embodied, and interactive facets of VR enable ways of learning that no other technology or approach can deliver. As VR continues to grow and turn into more relevant in various careers, it’s essential to integrate it into educational settings to arrange students for the long run. By understanding the challenges and opportunities of VR within the classroom, educators can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for his or her students.
