Virtual Reality an Actual Reality
 |
| Screenshot from WildEyes, putonyourwildeyes.com |
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are buzz words in education that sound fancy but not practical. The thing is... They're everywhere already! Augmented Reality is a feature of SnapChat--you know, those filters that make people look like a dog or a vampire or an otherwise better enhanced version of themselves. Pokemon GO is another example of an overlay of virtual reality through the lens of smartphones.
Virtual Reality is less common but still evident, especially in higher education and entertainment. Training simulators give students a chance to put their skills to the test in a safe, controlled environment while Virtual Reality gaming headsets like Oculus Rift expand the imaginations of gamers around the world. The Mirror workout system offers a form of Virtual Reality that gives users the feeling of being in a social environment or connecting with nature through its mirror-screen.
As evidenced by Google's Expeditions AR "Bringing the World into the Classroom," students of all ages are engaged by the VR experience. Note: Google Expeditions will no longer be available in Google Play and Apple app stores after June 30, 2021, but its content will be migrated to Google Arts & Culture app (Input, 2020). VR apps can be truly useful for learning, not just tech for the sake of take; For example, "students in fashion design are assigned to use Tilt Brush by Google to create videos, virtual landscapes, and animations, while students in science courses are taught and tested with 3D Organon VR Anatomy, a medical app that allows users to view, interact with, and learn about the human body" (Young, 2020). There's another app developed for autistic students "to approach the characters, interpret the situation and initiate conversation that is relevant to the situation" (Snelling, 2019).
While it would be awesome to use Oculus Rift's "Wonderful You" program that "takes users on a virtual journey through the development of babies and the five senses" to teach home economics, biology, or even psychology, the HTC Vive Pro is far too expensive ($599) for my budget.
One solution is Google's Cardboard VR Headset, which can be paired with a multitude of different apps to bring educational experiences to students for next to nothing ($15 each, or 2 for $25). Many apps, like National Parks' WildEyes, also work with smartphones; no need for fancy new gear! WildEyes brings 360 degree views and sounds of US National Parks to students around the country, and it comes with a built-in mission for your kids--to support the campaign to fund this project and create 360 degree tours of these parks. What a great excuse to get outside and a great marriage of tech with nature. Also a great excuse for a field trip to your nearest National Park, so that students can contribute to the WildEyes project or compare the VR to the actual place. But if you can't make that trip happen, at least you can go there virtually!
What can you and your students do to help this cause?
Maxwell, T. (2020, November 14). Google's VR field trips app, Expeditions, is headed to the graveyard. Retrieved from https://www.inputmag.com/tech/google-is-killing-its-expeditions-vr-app-for-going-on-virtual-field-trips
Snelling, J. (2019, November 26). 25 resources for bringing AR and VR to the classroom. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/In-the-classroom/25-resources-for-bringing-AR-and-VR-to-the-classroom
WildEyes. (n.d.) "'Reconnecting to Nature's Story' in Virtual Reality." Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/embed/u2VzRC5d_cw?rel=0
WildEyes. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.wildeyesvr.com/Petrova, Magdalena. (2018, September 06). Watch yourself get buff with this $1,495 mirror that streams virtual fitness classes. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/06/mirror-is-a-1495-gadget-that-streams-virtual-fitness-classes.html
Young, L. (n.d.). Get the Most from AR/VR Technology Without Breaking the Budget. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=get-the-most-from-ar-vr-technology-without-breaking-budget-library
I hope this app truly can help to inspire another generation of nature lovers. I checked out their site and love that the app is offering students a glimpse into the beauty of nature. I hope that it gets kids wanting to experience the outdoors for real. As amazing as VR is, it cannot truly substitute for the majestic mountains and awe of nature. I have visited multiple National Parks and in my opinion, to grasp it, you need to truly be in it. To hear the sounds, smell the trees, see the animals in a natural setting, and feel the winds and texture of the land. I know that everyone will not be able to smell the sulfur from the pools of Yellowstone or feel the spray on their face from the waterfalls at Yosemite so I certainly appreciate that this app is offering a least an insight into those experiences. Plus as much as I love traveling, there is never enough time or money to see it all so I think I will find myself lost in this app to visit the many wonders of our nation. I will share this with my students and hope it will not only instill an interest in appreciating nature but in preserving it as well. Thank you for sharing your post.
ReplyDeleteKelly
Kelly,
DeleteYou make great points about how being in nature is so much more all encompassing than just the visual sense. It would be an amazing experience for so many kids to get to visit one of these parks, but it's not in the cards right now. Virtual field trips can inspire them to see the world around them with new eyes, and they definitely break the monotony of typical classroom lessons. Google Arts & Culture looks to be a big winner, too: https://artsandculture.google.com/explore.
-Tiffany Taylor Brewer