What is Virtual Learning
Content
What is virtual learning
The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘near-reality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions. The person wears a head-mounted display (HMD) or glasses which displays three-dimensional images as part of their experience. Some systems enable the person to experience additional sensory input, e.g. sound or video which contributes to their overall experience.
Virtual reality and the Army
The Army use virtual reality in a variety of ways, from combat simulations through to medic training and even recruitment campaigns. In the latter case, the British Army has used virtual reality to recruit potential soldiers from the 18 to 21 year old group. They have used virtual reality headsets which display interactive content. The most obvious use is that of battlefield situations in which soldiers from infantry regiments need to be trained in dealing with life on the front line. Front line combat is a highly stressful situation which requires the soldier to have complex skills and techniques in order to handle this and most importantly, to stay alive.
Advantages of virtual reality training
Little/no risk Safe, controlled area Realistic scenarios Can be done remotely saving time and money Improves retention and recall Simplifies complex problems/situations Suitable for different learning styles Innovative and enjoyable
The last item is an important one. Training is easier if the experience is pleasant or enjoyable which means higher level of engagement and understanding. Time and money are also important factors. Training is necessary to ensure that people are able to perform their jobs or learn a subject in order to be fully productive. But the costs can be prohibitive, for example, developing a series of prototypes. Virtual reality removes the needs for repeated prototyping and/or implementation which we know can be expensive. What it does instead is to replace this with a single model which can be used time and time again. Plus it can be accessed from different locations. Both of these save time and money.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of VR are numerous. The hardware needed to create a fully immersed VR experience is still cost prohibitive. The total cost of the machinery to create a VR system is still the same price as a new car, around $20,000. The technology for such an experience is still new and experimental. VR is becoming much more commonplace but programmers are still grappling with how to interact with virtual environments. The idea of escapism is common place among those that use VR environments and people often live in the virtual world instead of dealing with the real one. This happens even in the low quality and fairly hard to use VR environments that are online right now. One worry is that as VR environments become much higher quality and immersive, they will become attractive to those wishing to escape real life. Another concern is VR training. Training with a VR environment does not have the same consequences as training and working in the real world. This means that even if someone does well with simulated tasks in a VR environment, that person might not do well in the real world.
The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘near-reality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions. The person wears a head-mounted display (HMD) or glasses which displays three-dimensional images as part of their experience. Some systems enable the person to experience additional sensory input, e.g. sound or video which contributes to their overall experience.
Virtual reality and the Army
The Army use virtual reality in a variety of ways, from combat simulations through to medic training and even recruitment campaigns. In the latter case, the British Army has used virtual reality to recruit potential soldiers from the 18 to 21 year old group. They have used virtual reality headsets which display interactive content. The most obvious use is that of battlefield situations in which soldiers from infantry regiments need to be trained in dealing with life on the front line. Front line combat is a highly stressful situation which requires the soldier to have complex skills and techniques in order to handle this and most importantly, to stay alive.
Advantages of virtual reality training
Little/no risk Safe, controlled area Realistic scenarios Can be done remotely saving time and money Improves retention and recall Simplifies complex problems/situations Suitable for different learning styles Innovative and enjoyable
The last item is an important one. Training is easier if the experience is pleasant or enjoyable which means higher level of engagement and understanding. Time and money are also important factors. Training is necessary to ensure that people are able to perform their jobs or learn a subject in order to be fully productive. But the costs can be prohibitive, for example, developing a series of prototypes. Virtual reality removes the needs for repeated prototyping and/or implementation which we know can be expensive. What it does instead is to replace this with a single model which can be used time and time again. Plus it can be accessed from different locations. Both of these save time and money.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of VR are numerous. The hardware needed to create a fully immersed VR experience is still cost prohibitive. The total cost of the machinery to create a VR system is still the same price as a new car, around $20,000. The technology for such an experience is still new and experimental. VR is becoming much more commonplace but programmers are still grappling with how to interact with virtual environments. The idea of escapism is common place among those that use VR environments and people often live in the virtual world instead of dealing with the real one. This happens even in the low quality and fairly hard to use VR environments that are online right now. One worry is that as VR environments become much higher quality and immersive, they will become attractive to those wishing to escape real life. Another concern is VR training. Training with a VR environment does not have the same consequences as training and working in the real world. This means that even if someone does well with simulated tasks in a VR environment, that person might not do well in the real world.
