Affordances of Mobile Virtual Reality and their Role in Learning and Teaching

In this paper, we report the technological affordances of a virtual reality smartphone-driven educational app – Google Expeditions. Based on a large exploratory study, we discuss how these empirically-derived affordances support pedagogical approaches of experiential learning, bridging virtual fieldwork with physical field trips, and inquiry-based learning

Role of Virtual Reality in Geography and Science Fieldwork Education

Fieldwork has a long tradition in geography, and in certain sciences, notably geology, biology and environmental sciences. Fieldwork involves leaving the classroom and engaging in learning and teaching through first-hand experience of phenomena in outdoor settings. Exploration in natural habitats introduces students to the complexity and unpredictability of the real world, stimulates their curiosity, and increases their interest in scientific inquiry. However, over the last decade, there has been a decline in field-study opportunities in schools. This policy paper describes the first extensive user-centered research programme into the role of technology-enabled virtual field trips as a means for improving the effectiveness of the outdoor fieldwork experience. It draws on a year-long research project that investigated how Google Expeditions, a smartphone-driven mobile virtual reality application, bridges virtual fieldwork with physical field trips and facilitates inquiry-based fieldwork and experiential learning. It examines the role of Google Expeditions in primary and secondary school science and geography, outlining the opportunities and challenges of integrating mobile virtual reality in schools and the practical implications of our research for fieldwork education in further and higher education

Learning about Ontario's Paleozoic Geology with Virtual Reality Google Expedition Tours

How well can you interpret or place into context the different geological features or rock types that are exposed along roadways, rivers, coastlines or construction sites? Here in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo, we recognize a gap between learning foundational geoscience knowledge (i.e. in traditional classrooms and lab settings) and applying this knowledge during field experiences. To bridge this gap and better prepare students for field experiences we suggest using virtual reality. The Google Expedition Kit funded by the Dean of Science Undergraduate Teaching Initiative was chosen as the best entry level system because it is cost-effective, self-contained, already tested and versatile for teaching up to 20 people. Here we present the perceived advantages and disadvantages of this system to provide immersive learning experiences for improved understanding of Ontario’s Paleozoic geology. Initial use of this VR Kit has shown it can be used successfully to investigate Paleozoic rock outcrops across Ontario by using existing and student-created Tours, as well as self-guided and leader-guided Tours. There was increased motivation and engagement among students, improved familiarization and connections among a variety of outcrops in space and time. And there was also enhanced meaning and context for the many Paleozoic rock layers in Ontario, and an increased number of insightful questions. Although field experiences will always play a vital role in university geoscience education, virtual reality can help in improving understanding and compliment field experiences through its uniquely immersive capabilities. We suggest this would also be effective in professional geoscience practice and everyday life.University of Waterloo Faculty of Science, Dean's Undergraduate Teaching Initiativ

Virtual and Augmented Reality Applied to the Perception of theSound and Visual Garden

The COVID-19 situation has encouraged the creation of ICT-based learning environments.Difficulties in performing activities in a garden setting can be overcome by using Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The aim of this research is to evaluate the usefulness of VR and AR as an educational resource through contextualised sensory experiences in the garden. Eighty-seven trainee teachers took part, and a mixed methodology was used, for the analysis of the sound and visual elements of the garden and for reflection on the usefulness of VR and AR. An interpretive and inferential analysis of the AR-based compositions was carried out and of the drawings of the garden created by the participants after the virtual immersion. The results show a bucolic-pastoral vision of the garden with a predominance of natural elements and a human presence that is respectful of the natural environment. During the immersion, >90% of the participants indicated that the sensations were positive and were able to distinguish natural components from human and/or technological items. The role of VR and AR in enhancing the understanding of content is notable, being, at the same time, tool, resource and content, which reinforces the idea that they can favour the development of teaching and digital competence

Virtual and augmented reality and pre-service teachers: Makers from muggles?

This study examined the impact of a brief immersive experience with virtual reality (VR) on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards technology in education. The study found that although pre-service teachers were aware of VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies, they lacked experience using them. The intervention had a positive impact on their beliefs and confidence in using innovative information and communications technology in the classroom. The findings suggest that brief interventions can serve as a means for pre-service teachers to evaluate their digital skills and develop an action plan to enhance them. Additionally, the study highlights the potential barriers to implementation faced by teachers, including the pace of technological change, lack of embedding time and funding constraints. This research contributes to the limited literature on the use of VR in teacher education and suggests that immersive experiences with technology can foster positive attitudes towards innovation, curiosity and skill development. The study provides implications for teacher education programs and policymakers regarding the potential of VR and AR technologies in education and the importance of supporting teachers in developing their digital skills

Authenticity, Interactivity, and Collaboration in VR Learning Games

Decreasing cost and increasing technology access in schools places 3D immersive virtual reality (VR) within the reach of K-12 classrooms (Korbey, 2017). Educators have great interest in incorporating VR into classrooms because they are engaging and often novel experiences. However, long-term curriculum development must be positioned on how to best leverage the unique affordances of VR, be informed by theory and research, and integrate VR in meaningful ways that continue to motivate students even after experiences are no longer novel. We propose the theoretical framework of embodied learning and discuss how VR and reflect on current research findings to outline effective applications of VR and provide guidelines in developing educational materials using those tools. We discuss two particular examples: spatial awareness and collaboration. We share our perspectives on the benefits and challenges of applying these principles in a learning game about cellular biology

Creating a 4D photoreal VR environment to teach civil engineering

Motivated by recent developments in AR/VR technology and accessibility, an interdisciplinary team at a Sinoforeign Higher Education Institution in China have been engaged in the creation of a virtual reality learning resource that will be offered to students and educators in the institution’s Civil Engineering department. In Civil Engineering education, it is difficult to explain to students how classroom theories translate into real life solutions and field trips can help resolve this problem. However, these must overcome fundamental concerns associated with student site visits, which include safety, logistics and accessibility for disadvantaged students. The presented case study details the development of a virtual field trip that is accessible from simple phone-based virtual reality headsets. The photoreal virtual field trip was constructed through multiple site visits to capture data and the experience now provides students with an opportunity to view the entire construction process of a university library. This paper contributes to current research by exploring the challenges and conjugate solutions encountered whilst building the virtual reality environment, and by presenting the first known photoreal virtual field trip that allows students to autonomously move both spatially and chronologically around a construction site. This will benefit other educational practitioners who are contemplating similar initiatives

Physical, digital or phygital? Assessing the educational potential of virtual reality in heritage interpretation

For decades technology has strived to provide an alternative virtual representation of heritage, and in recent years technology has become so powerful and accessible that is has supported an increasing trend in the creation and consumption of virtual heritage. Google Arts and Culture has contributed to this digitisisation drive. The trend, though evident before the Covid-19 pandemic, registered an acceleration as heritage institutions could only provide online and virtual heritage experiences during the mandatory lockdowns. This paper presents the results of applied research on Google Arts and Culture Wonders of Malta and a cinematic VR production of a World War II air-raid shelter in Malta. Students at the Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta, participated and contributed to the analysis of the educational potential of this virtual heritage. Results show that the VR experience of Google Arts and Culture Wonders of Malta is rather limited in terms of presence and engagement, while the air-raid shelter cinematic VR successfully addressed some of these issues. However, the phygital experience, i.e. a visit to the physical site and the virtual reality experience of the same site, is the preferred combination for students.peer-reviewe