Virtual Reality Project Research Articles

Someday I want to go to the Guggenheim! A case study about adolescent learners’ foreign language enjoyment in a desktop virtual reality project

The present instrumental case study explores the application of positive psychology in language education by investigating the ways in which two adolescent English as a foreign language learners engaged with a desktop virtual reality (VR) project. Foreign language enjoyment (FLE) represents a key positive emotion that enables students to persist at learning a foreign language, yet research about it is limited when it comes to the experiences of young learners in online settings. This study addresses this gap by offering a detailed examination of two adolescent English as a foreign language students from an online school in Japan who used Google Street View to craft and showcase desktop VR tours of personally relevant locations to each other, exploring to what extent this collaborative desktop VR project supports the learners' FLE. Given the overlap between the theoretical underpinnings of FLE (e.g., collaboration, creativity, authenticity) and the affordances of VR (e.g., creativity, interactivity, immersion), the research site was conceptualized as a rich space for examining FLE. Quantitative data include an FLE survey. Qualitative data include a co-constructed lesson plan, observations of state FLE episodes during desktop VR tours, and semi-structured interviews. Survey results indicated that the participants had high level of FLE prior to the start of the present study. An analysis of the qualitative data sources revealed that learners' state FLE surfaced consistently, enabling them to tap into their stable trait-level FLE to persist and enjoy the project. This multi-method examination of young adolescent learners' FLE provides perspective into desktop VR's potential for facilitating personalized, creatively expressive, and supportive language learning experiences.

Why VR? Exploring the Intersection of Virtual Reality and Information Science

ABSTRACTThis 90‐minute panel is structured to provide a space for open conversation among panelists and the ASIST community to consider the role and impact of virtual reality (VR) in teaching and research in information science. In the panel, we will address two key areas, including the current landscape of VR related research in information science and why VR is a valuable tool for teaching and research. The panel will begin with speakers briefly discussing their areas of expertise. From there, the panelists will facilitate open discussion using guiding questions and open dialogue with the audience. Finally, the panel will conclude with hands‐on sessions where audience members can try out several different types of VR headsets, projects, and games.

Integrating restoration and interactive exploration to enhance cultural heritage through VR storytelling

Redtory was transformed from an old industrial site into a creative park in Guangzhou. Unfortunately, it was demolished in May 2019. It holds a dual significance, representing both Guangzhou’s old industrial era and its first creative park (Art and Design). The objective of this study was to utilize Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to design an immersive environment with a narrative experience and restore the historical memory of Redtory. The project designs the interactive storytelling tour based on Bartle’s taxonomy theory. The VR project includes four primary scenes to tell the Redtory’s story: Starting Scene, Factory Buildings, Historical Square, and Creative Corridor. The study designs various interactive elements to engage tourists during exploration. The study conducted user tests to evaluate the system. A comparative experiment (N = 40) is conducted to evaluate the overall performance of the VR platform. The results indicate that the platform provides a smooth storytelling experience during the virtual tour with minimal bugs or disruptions. The project provides valuable user data and a design flow as a case study reference to contribute to the field of VR historical education.

The Study of Teaching Methods for the Fundamentals of Composition Course Based on Virtual Reality Project Development

The Study of Teaching Methods for the Fundamentals of Composition Course Based on Virtual Reality Project Development

The Mental Abuse Matters Virtual Reality Project: creative practice in cinematic VR and immersive sound

ABSTRACT This article discusses my practice work The Mental Abuse Matters VR Project; a live action narrative drama and Virtual Reality experience where the user is an embodied victim, experiencing an episode of emotional abuse in a domestic setting. Immersive sound is used to replicate emotions in the body such as shame, dread, anxiety, humiliation and panic in the user and to represent inner thoughts, memories and states of dissociation, with the goal of moving beyond language towards a visceral narrative. This is a prototype intervention that aims to be used as an empathy training tool for frontline Health and Social Care and Justice sector staff to improve trauma care, and potentially a therapeutic VR experience for victims and perpetrators of mental abuse. The article aims to discuss the development, creative practice and planned dissemination of this pilot VR experience, evaluating it in the context of traditional study methods and existing health and social care interventions in VR.

Understanding Media Consumption Habits of Gen Z in Metaverse and Virtual Reality Project

Generation Z, born amidst the digital revolution, navigates a media landscape vastly different from previous generations. Their unique habits, characterized by mobile-first content, community-driven engagement, and a preference for short-form, interactive experiences, present both challenges and opportunities for emerging technologies like the Metaverse and Virtual Reality (VR). This research embarks on an exploratory journey, delving into the nexus between Gen Z's media consumption patterns and their potential adoption of these immersive realities. Through a mixed-methods approach, the research will analyze how Gen Z's digital media preferences, ranging from short-form video platforms to online communities, influence their perception and potential engagement with the Metaverse and VR. In-depth interviews and focus groups will uncover their desired features and functionalities within these virtual environments, ensuring alignment with their existing media consumption habits. Additionally, content analysis of online forums and social media discussions will provide valuable insights into their concerns and expectations surrounding these new frontiers. By understanding the interplay between Gen Z's media consumption and their potential engagement with the Metaverse and VR, this research aims to achieve several key objectives. Firstly, it seeks to identify the potential influence of their media habits on their willingness to adopt these technologies. Secondly, it aims to explore their desired functionalities and the types of content they envision within these virtual spaces. Furthermore, the research strives to investigate the role of online communities and influencers in shaping their attitudes and decisions regarding the Metaverse and VR. Finally, it seeks to address the potential risks and ethical considerations associated with Gen Z's participation in these immersive realities, aiming to pave the way for a more inclusive and responsible digital future.

Teaching Virtual Reality Interactive Digital Narratives: A Curriculum and Case Study

Programs of study for Immersive Media are being developed and enacted at many higher education institutions. This article presents a course on Interactive Digital Narratives (IDN) in Virtual Reality (VR) that can familiarize undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds with immersive storytelling’s foundational technical, design, and development tenets. The course curriculum balances IDN design and immersive storytelling strategies with VR project management, user experience and interface design, spatial audio, digital scenography, introductory programming, and rudimentary artificial intelligence. The course connects technical and media affordances to theories of IDN to provide an introductory understanding of IDN in VR. The course ran in a remote synchronous modality in the spring of 2021 at a small liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois. The paper presents the course’s 15-week curriculum, student insights, examples of projects, a rubric for a final project, and a Github Repo with instructor resources.

Internationalization Development Strategies of Applied Local Undergraduate Colleges and Universities Based on Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence Customer Research

In an era of globalization and rapid technological advancement, internationalization has become a vital requirement for higher education institutions around the world. This research investigates the efficacy of incorporating virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into internationalization initiatives for applied local undergraduate institutions and universities. A multistep technique was used, which included market research, immersive customer involvement, content production, and strategic collaborations. A pilot study of 200 prospective international students looked at the influence of VR and AI-based initiatives on key recruitment indicators like application and conversion rates. The results demonstrated significant gains in both application rates and conversion rates in the experimental group compared to the control group, demonstrating the transformative potential of immersive technology and data-driven engagement approaches in higher education recruitment and retention efforts. Furthermore, increases in engagement time and satisfaction scores demonstrated the beneficial effects of VR and AI technology on student engagement and contentment. This study adds to the expanding body of literature on the interface of technology and international education, providing useful insights for institutions looking to increase their worldwide reach and competitiveness. However, further study is needed to investigate the long-term effectiveness and scalability of VR and AI-based projects in higher education internationalization. Overall, this study indicates the potential for VR and AI technology to transform internationalization policies and build a more inclusive and integrated learning environment in higher education.

Exploring Project-Based Learning in the SVVR Environment: An Epistemic Network Analysis of Pre-service EFL Teachers

Background:The goal is to explore how pre-service EFL teachers develop spherical video virtual reality (SVVR) projects, applying technological (TK), pedagogical (PK), and content knowledge (CK). Methodology: The data was collected from artifacts of pre-service EFL teachers' SVVR, and then analyzed using epistemic network analysis, a quantitative ethnography analysis. Findings: The pre-service EFL teachers primarily utilized TK features when designing virtual reality projects. These projects incorporated text-to-speech (TTS) to offer authentic speakers. Conclusion: This study showcased the extent to which pre-service EFL teachers developed their virtual reality projects and the features they used. Originality: Our study, utilizing epistemic network analysis, adds a layer to the common analysis, enriching the understanding of pre-service teachers' SVVR projects.

Application of CGE model-based digital media technology in virtual reality project design

Application of CGE model-based digital media technology in virtual reality project design

Development of a second‐screen system for sharing virtual reality information

AbstractSince virtual reality technology can easily realize a particular environment, it has been applied to various training. This technology is also expected in education such as those dealing with three‐dimensional figures because they can represent phenomena in three dimensions. One of the standard virtual reality technologies is wearing a head‐mounted display to experience a virtual reality project. However, the virtual reality experience is limited to the person wearing the head‐mounted display (in most cases) when considering the use of head‐mounted display‐based virtual reality in education, making its usage unsuitable for mass education. Therefore, in this study, we develop a second‐screen system that can share virtual reality information using an Android device. Healthy first‐ and second‐year high school students between the ages of 15 and 17 were asked to use the virtual reality educational materials that implemented the developed system, and a questionnaire survey was conducted. There were no negative comments in the survey on whether proposing second‐screen system was necessary, demonstrating the usefulness of the proposed system. Therefore, the second‐screen system may adapt VR technology to mass education. In addition, we developed a package to integrate our second‐screen system into the pre‐existing virtual reality projects. This package simplifies the procedure for implementing a second‐screen system, thus helping to reuse the virtual reality projects that have been developed so far.

Technical Analysis and Development Advantages of Online Virtual Exhibition from the Digital Technology Perspective

Institutions and peoples lives have been impacted by public health initiatives to contain the COVID-19 virus. The outbreak may qualify as a mega event due to its potential for global impact and transformation. The contemporary art world has especially felt the impact of the epidemic, as the entire cultural activity has been suspended due to the outbreak, including exhibitions and museums of various themes. During this period, art institutions and collectives around the world have responded by providing alternative materials for artistic works through various technological technologies and online. Emerging, high-tech methods such as multimedia art are applied to display design to help the art world continue to develop during the pandemic. This article aims to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of online virtual exhibitions of contemporary art. From the case analysis of 3 online exhibitions (2 museums, 1 art biennale), analyze the development advantages of online virtual exhibitions. Most online virtual exhibitions can use virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Fabric VR projects, including: 3D Fabric VR, 360-degree Fabric VR, a network-based digital collection system, and other technologies to enhance the exhibition experience. And create related websites or apps to allow visitors to visit online exhibitions. These studies will contribute to a broad understanding of existing online virtual exhibitions, including the technologies used and future application development.

V-CarE-A Conceptual Design Model for Providing COVID-19 Pandemic Awareness: Proposal for a Virtual Reality Design Approach to Facilitate People With Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness.

Virtual reality (VR) technology has been solidifying its ground since its existence, where engagement and a sense of presence are key. The contemporary field of development has captured the attention of researchers due to its flexibility and compatibility attributes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several research outputs have shown promising prospects of continuing research in the field of VR design and development-in health sciences including learning and training. In this paper, we aim to propose a conceptual development model named V-CarE (Virtual Care Experience) that can facilitate the understanding of pandemics when it comes to a crisis, taking precautionary measures where needed, and getting used to certain actions for preventing pandemic spread through habituation. Moreover, this conceptual model is useful to expand the development strategy to incorporate different types of users and technological aid as per need and requirement. For a detailed understanding of the proposed model, we have developed a novel design strategy to bring awareness to the user about the current COVID-19 pandemic. VR research in health sciences has shown that with appropriate management and development, VR technology can efficiently support people with health issues and special needs, which motivated our attempts to explore the possibility of employing our proposed model to treat Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD)-a persistent nonvertiginous dizziness that could last for 3 months or more. The purpose of including patients with PPPD is to get them engaged in the learning experience and to make them comfortable with VR. We believe this confidence and habituation would help them get engaged with VR for treatment (dizziness alleviation) while practicing the preventive measures during the pandemic in an interactive environment without actually facing any pandemic directly. Subsequently, for advanced development using the V-CarE model, we have briefly discussed that even contemporary technology like internet of things (IoT) for handling devices, can be incorporated without disrupting the complete 3D-immersive experience. In our discussion, we have shown that the proposed model represents a significant step toward the accessibility of VR technology by creating a pathway toward awareness of pandemics and, also, an effective care strategy for PPPD people. Moreover, by introducing advanced technology, we will only further enhance the development for wider accessibility of VR technology while keeping the core purpose of the development intact. V-CarE-based developed VR projects are designed with all the core elements of health sciences, technology, and training making it accessible and engaging for the users and improving their lifestyle by safely experiencing the unknown. We suggest that with further design-based research, the proposed V-CarE model has the potential to be a valuable tool connecting different fields to wider communities.

Novel Software for High-level Virological Testing: Self-Designed Immersive Virtual Reality Training Approach.

To ensure the timely diagnosis of emerging infectious diseases, high-tech molecular biotechnology is often used to detect pathogens and has gradually become the gold standard for virological testing. However, beginners and students are often unable to practice their skills due to the higher costs associated with high-level virological testing, the increasing complexity of the equipment, and the limited number of specimens from patients. Therefore, a new training program is necessary to increase training and reduce the risk of test failure. The aim of the study is to (1) develop and implement a virtual reality (VR) software for simulated and interactive high-level virological testing that can be applied in clinical practice and skills building or training settings and (2) evaluate the VR simulation's effectiveness on reaction, learning, and behavior of the students (trainees). Viral nucleic acid tests on a BD MAX instrument were selected for our VR project because it is a high-tech automatic detection system. There was cooperation between teachers of medical technology and biomedical engineering. Medical technology teachers were responsible for designing the lesson plan, and the biomedical engineering personnel developed the VR software. We designed a novel VR teaching software to simulate cognitive learning via various procedure scenarios and interactive models. The VR software contains 2D VR "cognitive test and learning" lessons and 3D VR "practical skills training" lessons. We evaluated students' learning effectiveness pre- and posttraining and then recorded their behavior patterns when answering questions, performing repeated exercises, and engaging in clinical practice. The results showed that the use of the VR software met participants' needs and enhanced their interest in learning. The average posttraining scores of participants exposed to 2D and 3D VR training were significantly higher than participants who were exposed solely to traditional demonstration teaching (P<.001). Behavioral assessments of students pre- and posttraining showed that students exposed to VR-based training to acquire relevant knowledge of advanced virological testing exhibited significantly improved knowledge of specific items posttraining (P<.01). A higher participant score led to fewer attempts when responding to each item in a matching task. Thus, VR can enhance students' understanding of difficult topics. The VR program designed for this study can reduce the costs associated with virological testing training, thus, increasing their accessibility for students and beginners. It can also reduce the risk of viral infections particularly during disease outbreaks (eg, the COVID-19 pandemic) and also enhance students' learning motivation to strengthen their practical skills.

Multimodal analysis of interaction data from embodied education technologies

AbstractThe emergence of immersive digital technologies, such as shared augmented reality (shAR), virtual reality (VR) and motion capture (MC) offers promising new opportunities to advance our understanding of human cognition and design innovative technology-enhanced learning experiences. Theoretical frameworks for embodied and extended cognition can guide novel ways in which learning in these environments can be understood and analyzed. This conceptual paper explores a research method in Educational Technology—multimodal analysis for embodied technologies—and provides examples from shAR, VR, and MC projects that use this approach. This analysis involves tracking learners’ gestures, actions on physical and virtual objects, whole body movements and positions, and their talk moves, in addition to other relevant modalities (e.g., written inscriptions), over time and across space. We show how this analysis allows for new considerations to arise relating to the design of educational technology to promote collaboration, to more fully capture students’ knowledge, and to understand and leverage the perspectives of learners.

Respecting and Protecting Cultural Values in an Indigenous Virtual Reality Project

Respecting and Protecting Cultural Values in an Indigenous Virtual Reality Project

Identifying presence of cybersickness symptoms using AI-based predictive learning algorithms

Cybersickness (CS) affects a large proportion of virtual reality (VR) users causing a combination of nausea, headaches and dizziness which would create barriers to the users, VR designers/developers and the stakeholders in the production industry. Although design principles suggest methods to avoid CS, challenges remain as new demands and systems continue to penetrate the competitive market. The dilemma is whether to use VR technology by experiencing the ultimate virtual world using a head-mounted display (HMD) with possible CS triggers or to avoid the triggers by avoiding using VR. With the huge success and potential in the entertainment industry, it is very important to focus on the solutions to handling CS dilemmas. Therefore, the main observation for the developers is to have a guide around the set of established design principles aiming to broadly reduce CS. In this paper, we provide a method to apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and use machine learning (ML) algorithms including support vector machines (SVMs), decision trees (DTs) and K-nearest neighbours (KNNs) to predict CS outcomes. Based on our findings, we have observed that DT and SVM surpassed KNN in test accuracy. Additionally, DT exhibited better results than both SVM and KNN in train accuracy. By exploiting the power of ML, developers will be able to predict the potential occurrence of CS while developing VR projects to find ways to alleviate CS more effectively.

The Real Effectiveness of VR: the tourism and cultural organization managers' point of view

Abstract: Virtual reality (VR) has become an important field of academic research investigation, firstly and obviously in relation to its technological aspects. Then, as a marketing tool for promotion and communication purposes. In this context, researchers have mainly focused on analyzing the behavior and appreciation of tourists with respect to this new technology. This article proposes an alternative approach, focusing on the company’s decision-makers, mainly tourism and cultural organizations, who use this technology. This approach seeks to understand how and why VR is integrated into a company's strategy. Methodology: Firstly, we did a literature review and studied a systematic collection of virtual tour offers in Switzerland, which led to the analysis of characteristics of these virtual reality offers. These characteristics consider the different virtual reality systems according to the level of immersion, interactivity, and presence, which made it possible to construct a classification of virtual tour offers in Switzerland. Secondly, a qualitative method was used to conduct twelve semi-structured interviews with companies offering virtual tours of Swiss regions, in order to understand the managerial vision of VR usage and to deepen understanding of the various applications of virtual reality in the context of Swiss tourism. Findings: The analysis revealed that there is a distinction between the different virtual reality systems used in the Swiss tourism sector. Research has shown that non-immersive 360° videos as a marketing tool are no longer of great benefit to tourist destinations. Conversely, immersive virtual tours for promotional purposes at trade fairs and with travel partners are still of interest however are no longer considered a competitive advantage. It is the integration of VR into the in-situ tourism experience which has received a more enthusiastic response but creating fears among tourism stakeholders. Originality/Value: The main argument of this article is that it analyzes the use of VR tools from the point of view of managers of cultural and tourist institutions, and not from the point of view of customers. Furthermore, the article proposes a new structural classification of VR projects in Switzerland and offers practical implications for tourism and cultural organizations, as well as new directions for future studies.

The Interactive Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality Experience on the SensesTake the VR Project "Unlocking Perception in Virtual Reality" as an Example

The research background of this paper will revolve around the VR immersive experience project "Unlocking perception in virtual reality". The main motivation of this analysis is to combine virtual reality projects with human perception unlocking as an entry point, and focus on analyzing the impact on the experiencer's immersion. The experimental conclusion found that "unlocking perception in virtual reality" has a good immersive effect on human vision and hearing. Although "Unlocking Perception in Virtual Reality" lacks story background and game hints compared to other game projects, and requires players to explore by themselves, it also increases the sense of immersion because of this design. This project demo brings a special VR experience to the experiencer by unlocking the main game concept of perception.

IN DEFENCE OF A “POOR” VR IMAGE

The article is devoted to a “poor image” considered in the context of artworks created by means of virtual reality (VR). In contemporary art discourse, the concept of a “poor image” was actualised by German video artist Hito Steyerl, who analysed it in accordance with the development of telecommunication networks and Internet culture. We transpose this intuition to the field of a “poor” VR image, that is, one that is characterised by low polygonality and detail, poor elaboration of textures, and so on. We argue that a “poor image” can be used as a tool to form an artistic statement, or may work as an artistic device, as a “cool medium” (using M. McLuhan’s term), which encourages the viewer to participate in communication more intensely: the lack of visual information and/or insufficient information allows the viewer’s imagination to complete the image in a mode of perception that may be understood as co-creation. Our statement is confirmed by examples of VR projects done in the last ten years: Home after the War and In the Morning You Wake up. A “poor” VR image can be compared, among other things, to amateur video filming, where there is no “cinema effect”. The authors offer the viewer low-poly models of characters (that do not look like real living beings), spaces that are impossible to get into, backgrounds that look like flat theatre backdrops, on which objects seem to “play a role” rather than exist (as in modernist paintings). In that sense, the phenomenon of the “poor” VR-image opposes the existing conventions of the film and video game industry, where the “good picture” dominates. There is a “reign” of a high-quality, visually convincing (suggestive) image that allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the vicissitudes of the narrative, makes the medium “transparent”, enhancing the effect of the viewer’s presence in the virtual world. Unlike a “good” picture, a “bad” picture does not allow the viewer to forget about the medium since, like a Dadaist collage, it has “seams outward”. However, this is precisely why such a statement can be perceived by the audience as anti-commercial, non-false, as if it arises from authors’ need for co-existence and co-experience with the audience. In the hands of a contemporary VR artist, a “poor image” can become an effective tool for artistic influence.