{"id":13072,"date":"2021-10-27T08:48:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T08:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/?p=13072"},"modified":"2021-10-28T08:20:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T08:20:25","slug":"virtual-reality-higher-education-suggestions-benefits-and-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/2021\/10\/27\/virtual-reality-higher-education-suggestions-benefits-and-value\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Reality & Higher Education: suggestions, benefits and value"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Restart<\/a>You might have seen some of Bournemouth University\u2019s Virtual Reality (VR) kit in action last week during the Restart a Heart Day. The university\u2019s Learning Technologists were out in force with Oculus VR equipment to show you how the heart works, and what it looks like from the inside. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, if you saw someone wearing big goggles and moving their head around with stretched arms<\/a>,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0what was going on.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can\u00a0VR\u00a0be brought into the classroom?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are different ways to use VR in a classroom setting. And no, you don\u2019t even need the funny goggles as much of the work has been made available for PCs, Laptops, Tablets and even phones. This means no expensive equipment and no additional investment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just think that not long ago it was\u00a0unacceptable\u00a0to use a phone in the classroom. Now,\u00a0thanks to tools like\u00a0<\/span>Mentimeter<\/span><\/a>, phones are not only accepted but expected as part of the learning\u00a0process.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organisations,\u00a0museums, and more\u00a0now\u00a0offer\u00a0the opportunity to\u00a0visit\u00a0places\u00a0and to travel in time. And\u00a0if\u00a0you have a screen,\u00a0you are\u00a0covered.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what can we use VR for?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The magic happens when you find the best way to use VR for your own discipline. Many industries are currently relying on this option to highlight their latest projects and, now that we are much more open to diving deep into online events, this can only mean that we can take our students anywhere. <\/span>Serpentine Galleries?\u00a0Check!<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Mars? Check!<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5 Suggestions to use VR <\/span><\/b>in Higher Education: <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

#1 Field Trips<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Explore the universe from the comfort of the classroom <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Imagine\u00a0<\/span>g<\/span>iving your students a detailed view of the Titanic. Being able to zoom in and see the swimming pool, or the hos<\/span>pital or the engine room. If you think this is impossible, think again.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>History View<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>offers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>access and a detailed view<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0of all the nooks and crannies of the passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912.\u00a0<\/span>In this same way, you can<\/span><\/span>\u00a0head <\/span>all the way to the A<\/span>mazon\u00a0<\/span>rainforest.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Or\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>Vietnam\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0Myanmar<\/span> to see temples and caves.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\"Amazon\n

#2 Immersive experiences<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Experience a natural disaster without putting yourself in danger<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The New Zealand Fire Emergency department has created an\u00a0<\/span>immersive setting that allows anyone to feel like they are inside a building on fire<\/span><\/a>. It takes Fire Safety Training to a whole new level and the active learning experience allows the trainees to draw more knowledge from it than from a scripted written test.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Regional Flood Control District<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Clark County, Nevada \u2013 USA) has\u00a0created an immersive experience for a flood setting that allows the user to s<\/span>ee what\u00a0happens when\u00a0a driver\u00a0tries to\u00a0go through a flooded street<\/span><\/a>. With this option, you can learn what to do if you find yourself in this situation by experiencing it in first person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

#3 Real-life professional settings<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Practice new skills in a safe environment<\/span><\/b><\/h4>\n

Lawyers, Doctors, Nurses… any professional can benefit from practicing on a VR set before taking their skills into the real world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\"arch_virtual_medical_training\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

A recent\u00a0<\/span>study from Harvard Business Review<\/span><\/a> showed that VR-trained surgeons had a 230% boost in their overall performance compared to their\u00a0traditionally trained\u00a0counterparts.\u00a0Healthcare can change for the better thanks to VR, not just for the medical staff but also for patients.\u00a0The\u00a0Mpathic-<\/a>VR technology<\/a> is allowing users to talk with\u00a0emotional, virtual humans who can see,\u00a0hear\u00a0and react to them in real-time.\u00a0The virtual humans used a full range of behaviours expected of two people talking together allowing medical students to practice difficult conversations before going out and experiencing them in real life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another industry that has been using VR technology is the legal sector. Seeing a virtual courtroom, addressing it\u00a0virtually before\u00a0facing the real thing is of significant help for graduates and new professionals.\u00a0Furthermore, VR\u00a0may come in handy for jurors trying to reach\u00a0a verdict.\u00a0<\/span>In a paper published this May<\/span><\/a>, researchers from the University of South Australia investigated whether the ability to inspect crime scenes in virtual reality could help jurors make decisions in courtroom trials.\u00a0They measured\u00a0the impact of viewing the same crime scene in VR\u00a0versus\u00a0a photographic\u00a0slideshow and\u00a0found that virtual reality led participants to a more consistent verdict.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But there are more applications: engineering, history, physics, archaeology, anthropology. The virtual world’s opportunities are endless. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

#4 Worldwide Collaboration<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Take part in projects regardless of the teams’ location<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Thanks to VR students from opposite sides of the world can collaborate on the same project. That is exactly what the\u00a0<\/span>Giza Project at Harvard University<\/span><\/a> is about. The project gives you access to the largest collection of information, media, and research materials ever assembled about the Pyramids and Egypt\u2019s Giza Plateau thanks to international partnerships between institutions with Giza-related collections. This project wouldn’t be possible without the technology to build immersive 3D model reconstructions<\/span><\/p>\n

#5 Mindfulness<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Improve your mental wellbeing with the latest technology<\/span><\/b><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s not all work in the realm of virtual reality. When VR started proving its value in anxiety treatments the term VR therapy started being debated. But in this era of mindfulness, we are happy to see that breathing in and out can be taken to another level. Who could imagine it would be possible to\u00a0swim with manta rays and turtles<\/span><\/a>\u00a0during\u00a0lunch break?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if we want to take this approach even further, it is possible to\u00a0use VR to help women\u00a0get\u00a0through\u00a0childbirth with less\u00a0pain<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>study led by Dr Melissa Wong<\/span><\/a>\u00a0showed that\u00a0women who used VR during\u00a0labour\u00a0had a statistically significant reduction in pain, while those who did not use VR had a statistically significant increase in pain.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Unfortunately,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not all fun and games and VR does come with an associated cost if you want to go down the route of creating environments.\u00a0A way to minimise this is by researching apps that may already have the content you are looking for. A stroll in the digital app stores may\u00a0open\u00a0a wealth of resources\u00a0and save you from investing time and money trying to\u00a0reinvent the wheel.\u00a0However,\u00a0BU\u00a0has worked with external providers before and this is an avenue that can be explored.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you considered using VR for your teaching? Contact FLIE\u2019s Learning Technologists<\/a> to discuss the possibilities. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You might have seen some of Bournemouth University\u2019s Virtual Reality (VR) kit in action last week during the Restart a Heart Day. The university\u2019s Learning Technologists were out in force with Oculus VR equipment to show you how the heart works, and what it looks like from the inside. \u00a0 So, if you saw someone… Read more » about Virtual Reality & Higher Education: suggestions, benefits and value<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3417,"featured_media":13073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,163,795,1152,877,546,26,688],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative-methods","category-digital-skills","category-education","category-flie","category-gamification","category-innovation","category-tel","category-virtual-reality"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13072"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13074,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13072\/revisions\/13074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk\/flie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}