Instructional design models for immersive virtual reality: a systematic literature review

The emergence of accessible virtual reality headsets in the past decade multiplied educational uses of immersive virtual reality. Higher education, in particular, has seen many such reports emerge. However, there are scarce frameworks for higher education professionals to plan and deploy immersive virtual reality within their pedagogical practice. To attain a perspective on this field, we conducted a systematic literature review using SCOPUS search, focusing on Instructional Design Models for Immersive Virtual Reality in online Higher Education. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of these models, their respective phases, and distinctive characteristics. The review identified two categories of Instructional Design Models for Immersive Virtual Reality in Higher Education: 1) Models specific to such contexts, with aspects such as managing immersion time or providing prior contact with the immersive environment; 2) Models developed for other contexts and adapted to immersive virtual reality, addressing aspects such as the importance of creating objectives, assessment elements, or defining resource purpose. We conclude that current instructional models used for immersive virtual reality in higher education lack the combination of the overall pedagogical concerns with the specific ones for immersive virtual reality. Thus, we recommend further research to develop instruction models that combine both aspects of learning design concerns.This work was funded by the European Commission, under project REVEALING – Realisation of Virtual reality Learning environments (VRLEs) for Higher Education – Erasmus+ / Cooperation Partnerships 2021-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000032098. We also extend our thanks to all collaborators and partners involved. D. Pedrosa expresses gratitude to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and CIDTFF for their support under the Scientific Employment Stimulus 2017, within the framework of project CEECIND/00986/2017, as well as project UID/CED/00194/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Understanding Next-Generation VR: Classifying Commodity Clusters for Immersive Virtual Reality

Commodity clusters offer the ability to deliver higher performance computer graphics at lower prices than traditional graphics supercomputers. Immersive virtual reality systems demand notoriously high computational requirements to deliver adequate real-time graphics, leading to the emergence of commodity clusters for immersive virtual reality. Such clusters deliver the graphics power needed by leveraging the combined power of several computers to meet the demands of real-time interactive immersive computer graphics.However, the field of commodity cluster-based virtual reality is still in early stages of development and the field is currently adhoc in nature and lacks order. There is no accepted means for comparing approaches and implementers are left with instinctual or trial-and-error means for selecting an approach.This paper provides a classification system that facilitates understanding not only of the nature of different clustering systems but also the interrelations between them. The system is built from a new model for generalized computer graphics applications, which is based on the flow of data through a sequence of operations over the entire context of the application. Prior models and classification systems have been too focused in context and application whereas the system described here provides a unified means for comparison of works within the field

On the use of virtual reality in software visualization: The case of the city metaphor

Background: Researchers have been exploring 3D representations for visualizing software. Among these representations, one of the most popular is the city metaphor, which represents a target object-oriented system as a virtual city. Recently, this metaphor has been also implemented in interactive software visualization tools that use virtual reality in an immersive 3D environment medium. Aims: We assessed the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality with respect to the support provided in the comprehension of Java software systems. Method: We conducted a controlled experiment where we asked the participants to fulfill program comprehension tasks with the support of (i) an integrated development environment (Eclipse) with a plugin for gathering code metrics and identifying bad smells; and (ii) a visualization tool of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality. Results: The use of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality significantly improved the correctness of the solutions to program comprehension tasks with respect to Eclipse. Moreover, when carrying out these tasks, the participants using the city metaphor displayed in an immersive virtual reality were significantly faster than those visualizing with the city metaphor on a standard computer screen. Conclusions: Virtual reality is a viable means for software visualization

Effects of Immersive and Non-Immersive Virtual Reality on the Static and Dynamic Balance of Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The development of new technologies means that the use of virtual reality is increasingly being implemented in rehabilitative approaches for adult stroke patients. Objective: To analyze the existing scientific evidence regarding the application of immersive and non-immersive virtual reality in patients following cerebrovascular incidents and their efficacy in achieving dynamic and static balance. Data sources: An electronic search of the databases Medline, Cochrane Library, PEDro, Scopus, and Scielo from January 2010 to December 2020 was carried out using the terms physiotherapy, physical therapy, virtual reality, immersive virtual reality, non-immersive virtual reality, stroke, balance, static balance, and dynamic balance. Selection of studies: Randomized controlled trials in patients older than 18 developed with an adult population (>18 years old) with balance disorders as a consequence of suffering a stroke in the previous six months before therapeutic intervention, including exercises harnessing virtual reality in their interventions and evaluations of balance and published in English or Spanish, were included. A total of two hundred twenty-seven articles were found, ten of which were included for review and of these, nine were included in the subsequent meta-analysis. Data extraction: Two authors selected the studies and extracted their characteristics (participants, interventions, and validation instruments) and results. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the PEDro scale, and the risk of bias was determined using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data synthesis: Of the selected studies, three did not show significant improvements and seven showed significant improvements in the intervention groups in relation to the variables. Conclusions: Non-immersive virtual reality combined with conventional rehabilitation could be considered as a therapeutic option