Summary
What is Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (abbreviated as VR, from the English Virtual Reality) refers to a fictitious 3D environment into which the user drops and with which he or she can interact through the use of specific peripherals (helmet, VR goggles, gloves or controller, headset).
The term originated in 1987 by Jaron Lanier, a developer, philosopher, artist and co-founder of VPL Research, which produced the first (very expensive) devices to interface man and machine.
The concept of Virtual Reality, however, has its roots in science fiction, more specifically in the short story Pygmalion’s Spectacles (1935) by Stanley G. Weinbaum, whose protagonist stumbles upon a pair of glasses that enable him to watch a film by engaging all five senses, immersing the viewer in the story and allowing him to interact with it.
Which is then what happens with newer video games, right? Those using VR visors and glasses. It will be the world of video games, from the 1990s onward, that will give the development of Virtual Reality the decisive propulsion. Not surprisingly, entertainment is the area where we hear most about VR, as well as being one of the few with concrete feedback.
The final piece of the domino, the one that unites E-learning and VR, is that of gamification. Before adding it, however, it is good to take a step back by examining the “light” rib of VR: Augmented Reality.
What is Augmented Reality
It was 2016 when Pokémon GO arrived on the phones of millions of players, becoming the world’s most popular smartphone video game. Pokémon is one of the most popular video game franchises, set in a fictional world populated by creatures with singular powers that players can capture and make fight each other.
Pokémon GO’s leap forward is to mix game dynamics with a real map of planet Earth (borrowed from Google Maps) and, through the combined use of GPS and camera, integrate the game into the real world. Players can wander around their city (or anywhere else) and view the creatures they want to capture within the urban context in which they find themselves.
In the world of video games, Pokémon GO is perhaps the most striking case of Augmented Reality (AR for short). It is an implementation of the surrounding reality, which is displayed through a handheld device (a smartphone, a tablet, or a pair of smartglasses) and enriched with new digitally created information, called up on the screen automatically based on what is framed by the camera, without the need for QR codes or other matrices.
Another famous example are the selfie filters on Snapchat, Instagram and Messenger, which modify the user’s face by superimposing specially created graphic elements on it.
Differences between Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
We said earlier that Augmented Reality is but a rib of Virtual Reality, a small version of it, so to speak.
The main differences between these two environments are:
- the devices needed: for AR only one device is needed, while for VR a smartphone, a VR kit and a pair of headsets are just the minimum set to get started, with the primary goal of ensuring continuous, large-scale training within companies;
- The degree of immersiveness, which is greater in VR;
- the level of interaction, again much greater in VR.
Wanting then to venture a summary, we could say thatVR provides interactive contexts in which to move and learn, while AR is more like something like an always-on handbook.
Fields of application
VR and AR are technologies with immense potential, the surface of which has only been scratched. There are industries that have realized this and thus decided to invest in their own development to improve the user experience and make it more meaningful.
Applications of virtual and augmented reality in E-learning
From gaming to smart packaging, which reveals the contents of the box or delights us with videos or animations involving the product (Lego, Ikea, and Tesco are some of the big brands that make use of AR in this way), via advertising and print (think magazine SPAM, in which each page is “augmentable”), VR and AR also come to education.
VR and E-learning
The strength of VR is simulation. The greater immersiveness and interactivity of VR allow one to step into a “scene” while protecting oneself from any possible risk. Some medical facilities and construction companies, law enforcement agencies and the military use them.
One example is Walmart, which provided its employees with a Black Friday simulator.
AR and E-learning
Portability and relative inexpensiveness on the user side turn AR into a kind of interactive manual or virtual assistant, which contains all the useful information for a specific context.
It is possible, for example, to find the use of AR in:
- Technical training (interactive manuals for assembly, maintenance and repair of mechanical components);
- Distance support and training;
- Training by play;
- Compliance training (e.g., training on safety regulations in a particular work setting);
- Training with click-and-scan technology to integrate content with AR insights;
- Facilitate collaboration among online groups, synchronously;
- Ensure greater involvement for in-person events.
Case studies
Virtual reality applied in the field
To date, VR has focused mainly on areas where it is necessary to simulate impractical situations.
Consider, for example, the headquarters of a bank that decides to undertake onboarding for new hires at all locations in Italy. The goal is to acquaint employees with its physical structure, the link between all branches, the heart of the business.
What is the advantage of structuring an E-learning course in VR in a case like this?
That of realistically replicating the physical location through an immersive VR experience, extendable to all employees and repeatable over time. The user can also simulate behaviors just by wearing the special glasses.
Another very frequent field of application concerns all those situations in which the user has to contend with dangerous situations for his or her own and others’ life, for the environment, and for equipment with which he or she has not yet gained the proper experience. We speak, for example, of:
- Activities carried out in the presence of flammable materials (what do you do in the presence of a serious fire?);
- Surgical interventions;
- Flight and navigation simulations;
- Promotion of natural and artistic heritage.
Augmented reality: examples of development
AR, on the other hand, finds greater application in industry, where the technology makes it possible to access a wealth of information.
An example of application?
For maintenance of technical facilities, AR can help decrease maintenance time and costs.
Again, anything having to do with instruction or reference manuals can be entrusted to AR; an example is the replacement of a printer cartridge, for which simply framing the printer itself will suffice.
Or finally, in the everyday setting, think of simply browsing a restaurant menu.
From an international perspective, it is interesting case of Bosch, which owns the own AR platform to educate both service technicians and its customers on car repair. Just use a classic mobile device or make use of smartglasses: by focusing on the affected area of the car, the system will show the names of the different elements, allowing the causes of faults to be identified and precisely locating the responsible component.
Benefits and limitations of virtual and augmented reality for E-learnig
Opinions on the effectiveness of VR and AR in terms of usefulness and convenience are divergent. Let’s see how they behave according to five basic parameters.
User experience
VR focuses on the experience and offers a higher level of immersiveness. AR, on the other hand, mixes elements of real life and technology, satisfying the need to learn a greater amount of content.
Relational dimension
There are those who fear that training effectiveness is compromised by the lack of human contact between teacher and user and between different course participants. However, this is not entirely true: VR and AR do not necessarily imply isolation or solitude, as they involve moments of sharing before, during, and after the experience.
Technical and economic aspects
It is true that the initial investment required might be expensive, but in the long run AR and VR save on the expense of materials and equipment as well as training.
On the technical side, these technologies can show their limitations in case of technical problems with the device, damage, lack of connection, or any other problem.
Gamification components
All the mechanics of gamification can be applied to VR and AR, indicating a challenge between users, establishing levels of interactions and scores, rewarding the user with access to extra content or experiences.
Training tracking
At one time, one of the main limitations in the applicability of VR and AR in E-learning was the difficulty of keeping track of the learning experience undertaken by the user by means of these technologies. Today this obstacle has been largely overcome. In general, it is indeed possible to have numerous insights, such as:
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The number of users who initiated the virtual or augmented reality experience;
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The average time spent by each user;
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Users’ countries of origin;
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Browsers used;
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The number of daily sessions;
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The number of scenes displayed.
Future speculations on virtual and augmented reality
The pandemic has highlighted the need for a more immersive and interactive E-learning experience. VR could be the answer, but unfortunately not in the short term. Indeed, if the time is ripe, it is not necessarily so for all the players involved, especially in Italy where decision makers often turn their noses up at the mere mention of gamification; imagine how they would react to the proposal of a VR training experience.
It is also true that technological progress in the past two decades has accelerated tremendously, especially in the IT sector. Thanks to ongoing development work on smartphones and VR kits, anyone can have the necessary technology at their fingertips (or rather eyes).
There remains the problem of software-side development, which is definitely very expensive.
At present, therefore, it is not plausible to think that the immediate future of E-learning is VR, but it is more likely to focus on AR, even given the lower costs. However, it will require work (and a lot of it) to close the communication gap between the software and the user, so as to build an even more engaging educational experience.
It is evident then that VR and AR applied to E-learning are still in the making and from the rapid future developments that we will elaborate on from time to time on our blog.
