15. VIRTUAL REALITIES

Hilary McLellan

McLellan Wyatt Digital

15.1 INTRODUCTION

Virtual realities are a set of newly emerging educational technologies, less than a decade old (Hamit, 1993; Aukstalnis, & Blatner, 1992; Helsel, 1992a; Helsel, 1992b; Helsel, 1992c; Middleton, 1992; Pimentel & Teixiera, 1992; Helsel & Roth, 1991; Rheingold, 1991). Virtual reality (VR) can be defined as a class of computer-controlled multisensory communication technologies that allow more intuitive interactions with data and involve human senses in new ways. Virtual reality can also be defined as an environment created by the computer in which the user feels present (Jacobson, 1993a). This technology was devised to enable people to deal with information more easily. VR provides a different way to see and experience information, one that is dynamic and immediate. It is also a tool for model-building and problem solving. VR is potentially a tool for experiential learning. The virtual world is interactive; it responds to the user's actions. Virtual reality evokes a feeling of immersion, a perceptual and psychological sense of being in the digital environment presented to the senses. The sense of presence or immersion is a critical feature distinguishing virtual reality from other types of computer applications.

Virtual reality is a new type of computer tool that adds vast power to scientific visualization. Buxton (1992, P.27) explains that:

Scientific visualization involves the graphic rendering of complex data in a way that helps make pertinent aspects and relationships within the data more salient to the viewer. The idea is to tailor the visual presentation to take better advantage of the human ability to recognize patterns and see structures.

However, as Erickson (1993) explains, the word "visualization" is really too narrow when considering virtual reality. "Perceptualization" is probably more appropriate. With virtual reality, sound and touch, as well as visual appearance, may be used effectively to represent data. Perceptualization involving the sense of touch may include both tactile feedback (passive touch, feeling surfaces and textures) and haptic feedback (active touch, where there is a sense of force feedback, pressure, or resistance) (Brooks, 1988; Hon, 1991; Dowding, 1991; Minsky, 1991; Dowding, 1992; Marcus, 1994). The key to visualization is in representing information in ways that can engage any of our sensory systems and thus draw on our extensive experience in organizing and interpreting sensory input (Erickson, 1993).

The term "Virtual Reality" was coined by Jaron Lanier one of the developers of the first immersive interface devices (Hall, 1990). "Virtual" often denotes the computer-generated counterpart of a physical object: a "virtual room," a "virtual glove," a "virtual chair." Other terms such as "virtual worlds," "virtual environments," and "cyberspace" are used as global terms to identify this technology. For example, David Zelter of the MIT Media Lab suggests that the term "virtual environments" is more appropriate than "virtual reality" since virtual reality, like artificial intelligence, is ultimately unattainable (Wheeler, 1991). But "virtual reality" remains the most commonly used generic term (although many researchers in the field vehemently dislike this term).

Virtual reality provides a degree of interactivity that goes beyond what can be found in traditional multimedia programs. Even a sophisticated multimedia program, such as the Palenque DVI program, which features simulated spatial exploration of an ancient Mayan pyramid, is limited to predetermined paths. With a virtual world you can go anywhere and explore any point of view.

Virtual reality emerged as a distinctive area of computer interfaces and applications only during the 1980s. Any assessment of this technology must keep in mind that it is at a very early stage of development --- to date there is very little research, especially concerning the educational implications of this technology. However, some exciting applications have been developed. Furthermore, researchers are beginning to collect valuable information about the usefulness of virtual reality for particular applications, including education and training. And a great deal of theory-building has already been initiated concerning this emerging technology and its potentials in education and training.