Summary
Virtual reality is an audiovisual space created with the help of a computer and aimed at human perception. This immersive space is reproduced using a special headset or helmet, which allows you to perceive visual information in depth. Such helmets can be used both for entertainment purposes, for example, in computer games. However, this concept proves to be extremely effective in other more practical and vital areas of human activity. In medicine, virtual reality helmets that provide the most accurate interaction with the virtual environment can be used to train surgeons for future operations (Glockner et al., 2017). The use of virtual reality technology in sports can create a more detailed and believable simulation of the competition, which will give the athlete instinctive motivation and increase their efforts. Virtual reality technology has been discussed throughout the second half of the 20th century, but only now can we say that it has become available and almost universally used.
It is necessary to characterize the not immediately noticeable difference between virtual and augmented realities. Virtual reality is characterized by total immersiveness, in which a person is able to interact exclusively with virtual objects. Virtual reality concerns exclusively human perception, that is, sounds and images, but not real material objects for interaction. Augmented reality, in turn, is an augmented or altered picture of material reality. In fact, the world of reality becomes the basis on which augmented reality is completed from images, sounds, and intangible objects (Dick, 2021). This technology is also used in the gaming environment and may not even require a headset since, for example, games to collect virtual loot on the street do without the player’s full immersion in the virtual imagery. A hybrid combination called mixed reality is also possible, where technology developers strive for complete indistinguishability between virtual and material objects, making computer holograms visible to the naked eye.
In recent years, virtual and immersive technologies have been actively introduced into the field of education, for which there are a number of meaningful reasons. The digitalization of education greatly facilitates a number of practical processes necessary for receiving or teaching it, and now the vast majority of American teachers use computer technology in the classroom every day (University of Toronto, 2021). Immersive technologies like virtual reality can place digital educational content in the material space. This allows one to make the educational process much more visual, simplifying the processing of information for students.
Erasing the restrictions imposed by the physical space through virtual technologies allows you to create new innovative approaches to the presentation of information. Such technologies can be effectively applied in medical schools, where medical students will be able to visually explore and interact with 3D anatomical models (Iberdrola, 2022). It can also positively affect technology education by extending the application window system beyond the operating system desktop. In the arts and humanities field, new technologies can be exploited creatively, giving rise to new artistic methods in the fine arts. Thus, the advantages of integrating these technologies are the relative cheapness of technology, high immersiveness, and a wide range of applications in the educational environment.
Although many scenarios and situations can be simulated in virtual reality, they are not fully effective for the student’s practical training. Simulated communications in a service environment, for example, can only remove from the real work experience, replacing it with a completely artificial environment (Dick, 2021). The experimentality and widespread use of this practice is both a plus and a cause for concern since it cannot be guaranteed that the technology used is more useful, while it may be a novelty experiment. In the humanitarian environment, for example, the VR visualization of literary works, which is claimed to gain popularity, may not only reveal but distort and hurt human imagination in its natural manifestation (University of Toronto, 2021). Immersive classrooms that use VR technology can create a psychological distance between students, atomizing them as a team, and replacing real communication with a total simulation. Summing up, the disadvantages are represented by the novelty of the technology, the unproven practicality of a number of ways to use the technology, as well as the psychological complications associated with immersion in the simulation.
Headsets and Rigs Comparison
As follows from the comparison of headsets of different prices, the need to purchase a particular model depends on the technological requirements of the class. An elementary school might be limited to VR View-Master as it provides a fairly immersive experience and is easy to use. Platforms like LG are inconvenient because they require device compatibility. The HTC VIVE seems to be the best option for research universities, giving the smoothest high-definition experience.
Insta360 Pro seems to be the most appropriate solution for the standard university classroom as it is able to provide a VR experience without being overly expensive. The possibility of panoramic shooting on other cameras seems to require a deeper technical specialization (VeeR VR, 2018). Thus, only depending on the tasks set, it is possible to determine the need for truly complex and expensive GoPro technologies, while the Instagram camera seems to be the most convenient, albeit somewhat semi-professional, choice.
VR as Part of a Multi-Channel Strategy
Whether the introduction of VR technology violates the educational process or not directly depends on the quality of education itself and the meaningfulness of the use of this technology. An absolute danger in the case of a low level of motivation of the university administration and teachers may be the replacement of classical education with an artificially modeled virtual education of poor quality. The novelty of this technology can be used by unscrupulous employees as an excuse to avoid preparing for lessons and working with students.
A real class lecture and an online lecture can be somewhat mixed in categories, but this is possible only with the most direct and clumsy use of VR. In another situation, VR can be used in both formats as an additional interactive that will enhance perception and allow a deeper understanding of information from a neural-perceptual point of view. Exactly to the same extent, extra-curricular trips can be sabotaged by the ability to navigate virtual worlds without leaving the classroom. Thus, virtual technologies should be introduced not as a sensation but as useful auxiliary tools in a multiple-channel teaching strategy that will complement and not destroy the traditional educational process.
References
Glockner H., Jannek K., Mahn J., & Theis B. (2017). Augmented reality in logistics.
Dick, E. (2021). The promise of immersive learning: Augmented and virtual reality’s potential in education. Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.
Iberdrola. (2022). Innovative uses of virtual reality.
University of Toronto. (2021). Virtual reality in the classroom.
VeeR VR. (2018). Top 8 VR cameras for professionals and enthusiasts.Veer VR Blog.