Virtual Reality (VR) Assignment

PCWTA Research Summary
Virtual Reality
November 2017
1
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) is becoming increasingly accessible with developments in technology,
making headsets and software development more common to meet education and training needs.
Virtual reality experiences (VRE) are intended to give the viewer a realistic experience inside a
virtual world, using the technologies to influence the human brain into believing that what they
are experiencing is real, allowing the impact of the VRE to be that of a seemingly real
experience.
This report will provide an overview of the components of VR which are critical to the
experience of the viewer. Some of these components, such as the Head Mounted Display
(HMD), can provide various degrees of immersiveness depending on the quality of the hardware
used (various models are discussed with more information).
Benefits to using VR as a training modality is that are can allow the user to access environments
that may not always be immediately feasible and provide an experience that can effectively teach
skill and transfer knowledge, according to research discussed in this report. Some challenges are
that, while the market for VR technology is quickly developing and driving prices down for
equipment like headsets, the cost for producing VR, purchasing the appropriate equipment, and
providing any ongoing maintenance for the software and/or hardware, could still be cost
prohibitive for some. There are a variety of options to choose from when developing VREs and it
is important to consider the effectiveness and cost of the chosen platform when developing it.
Information will be provided that discusses several VR labs in the United States focused on the
development and utilization of VR, including one lab located locally at the University of
California, San Diego. Other labs include those at UC Berkeley, Texas State, University of
Montevallo, and Stanford University. Three of the labs are located within Social Work programs
and several have a sociological and/or psychological basis for their projects. Additionally,
information will be provided that discusses VR for social work and/or child protection through
Deloitte and the University of Kent as examples of VR in non-lab settings.
Lastly, the report concludes with research studies that evaluate the effectiveness of VR as a
training modality and its ability to transfer learning in education settings more effectively than
traditional methods. Studies show that using VR to train users to adapt skills and knowledge is
more effective than classroom training, and can be impacted by the immersiveness of the VRE.
The appendices of this report include implications for creating content, user design, and
configuring hardware to present the best user experience, critical to the user being able to
effectively learn the material presented to them in the VRE.

PCWTA Research Summary
Virtual Reality
November 2017
2
Background on Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR), is a realistic three-dimensional image or artificial environment created using
interactive hardware and software. The user of VR interacts with this environment in a
seemingly real or physical way.
Key Elements of a VR Experience1
1. Virtual World- The content of experience should be dictated by what the intention is for
the learner. Instructional designers creating the virtual world should be cognizant of how
the environment is guiding the user’s experience.
2. Immersion- The perception of being present in a non-physical world that allows the
human brain to believe it is somewhere it is not. Total immersion happens when enough
of the senses believe the person is present in the non-physical world. Two common types
of immersion:
a. Mental Immersion- deep mental state of engagement with suspension of disbelief
that one is in a virtual environment.
b. Physical Immersion- physical engagement in a virtual environment with
suspension of disbelief that one is in a virtual environment.
3. Sensory Feedback- VR requires as many senses as possible to be stimulated through
sensory feedback, which involves a mixture of hardware and software to achieve.
4. Interactivity- It is crucial that the ability to interact with the virtual world is quickly
responsive for the participant to continue to feel immersed and natural in the
environment. Delays in the ability to interact in the virtual environment can be disruptive
to the learner.
Common Types of Virtual Reality
● Non-Immersive: Only a subset of the participant’s senses are engaged and there is
peripheral awareness of the reality outside of the VR simulation.
● Semi-Immersive: This type of simulation and technology are commonly found in flight
simulation training and while not fully immersive, still tend to focus on the visual
immersion of the user.
● Full-Immersive: This type commonly involved head-mounted displays and motion
detecting systems to stimulate all of the participant’s senses.
Components of a Virtual Reality System
● PC/Console/Smartphone
● Head-Mounted Display (HMD)
1 The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Reality (VR) Technology. Reality Technologies. Retrieved from
http://www.realitytechnologies.com/virtual-reality

PCWTA Research Summary
Virtual Reality
November 2017
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○ Common HMD hardware:
■ High price point and does not use a cell phone: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift,
Sony Playstation VR.
■ Lower price point ($100 or less), and does use specific cell phones:
Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View, Google Cardboard, Merge
VR Goggles.
■ There are also several headsets available at retail stores and online for
under $20 (with some as low as $2.99). While these are much more
affordable, the immersive experience may be changed with the type of
hardware, and thus the learning experience of the user may also be
influenced.
● Input Devices
○ Common input devices that add to the user’s experience of convincing the human
brain that they are present in the VR environment:
■ Joysticks
■ Force Balls/Tracking Balls
■ Controller Wands
■ Data Gloves
■ Trackpads
■ On-Device Control Buttons
■ Motion Trackers/Bodysuits
■ Treadmills
■ Motion Platforms
Virtual Reality Labs/Projects
VR labs around the country are being created to explore the usage of virtual worlds in a variety
of fields. The following summarizes outline labs that bring VR learning to classrooms, social
science settings, and explore the effect of VR on various aspects of human cognition.
A. University of California, San Diego (UCSD)- Virtual Reality Lab2
● In May 2017, UCSD opened its new teaching and research laboratory for undergraduate
students to develop content for VREs. The lab has 25 Oculus Rift HMDs, VR controllers,
computer workstations, 360-degree cameras, hand tracking devices and an HTC Vive
system.
2 Ramsey, D. (May 30, 2017). UC San Diego opens first virtual reality lab for undergrads. University of California.
Retrieved from https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc-san-diego-opens-first-virtual-reality-lab-undergrads

PCWTA Research Summary
Virtual Reality
November 2017
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● The lab mostly serves students taking courses in software programming for augmented
and virtual reality (AR/VR). This lab is the first of its kind in the country to teach
undergraduate students this type of technology.
● Virtual Reality Club at UCSD3
○ The VR Club is a student organization that connect members with the VR
industry through workshops, projects, and networking. Their mission is, “to foster
a multidisciplinary community dedicated to exploring and creating Virtual and
Augmented Reality experiences.”
B. University of California, Berkeley, College of Engineering- Center for Augmented
Condition, Immerex VR Lab4
● This lab is is currently in development.
● This lab will support, “Berkeley students and faculty in their research on human
cognition modeling, human-computer interaction and human-robot collaboration through
augmented and virtual reality technologies.”
● This lab is funded by Immerex, a Bay Area-based company specializing in VR
technologies.
C. Texas State School of Social Work- Virtual Reality Technology Lab5
● A fully-immersive VR environment that trains in the following areas using Oculus Rift
(industry leader in headset hardware) and Unity (common open source game
development engine):
○ Radiation Therapy Stimulation for clinicians to use linac radiation therapy
equipment in a virtual setting, allowing for trainees to see the internal organs and
skeleton structure of the patient which is not possible in more traditional training
modalities.
○ Distracted Driving Simulation involves creating an environment for the user to
experience first hand the negative effects of using a smartphone while driving.
From this study, 70% of participants reported an increased awareness of the
dangers of using their smartphones while driving and/or reported using their
smartphones less while driving.
○ Addiction Treatment VR involved cue exposure and cue extinction treatment
where patients can be exposed to cues that may trigger a relapse, yet they are in a
safe and controlled environment. This can empower the individual to manage
their response if/when they later encounter these triggers in everyday life.
3 Virtual Reality Club at UCSD. Retrieved from http://vrclub.ucsd.edu/ 4 Rhodes, K. March 14, 2017. Gift from virtual reality pioneer Immerex will create AR/VR lab at Berkeley.
Berkeley Engineering. Retrieved from http://engineering.berkeley.edu/2017/03/gift-virtual-reality-pioneer-immerex-
will-create-arvr-lab-berkeley 5 Virtual Reality Technology Lab. Texas State School of Social Work. Retrieved from
http://www.socialwork.txstate.edu/centers-institutes/VRTL.html

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Virtual Reality
November 2017
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D. University of Montevallo, Alabama- VR for Group Dynamics6
● Still in the development stage, the bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) program is
implementing a virtual reality experience using the HTC Vive (HMD).
● This VR is part of the Social Work with Small Groups class and involves fully immersing
the student in an environment that looks like a classroom with four seated virtual
clients/avatars in front of the student. The student selects a client/avatar, with whom they
will interact, engaging with pre-recorded dialogue full of descriptions of issues the
client/avatar is having that day. The student can interact with the clients/avatars by asking
them to hear more about what they were saying, interrupt and move on, or suggest other
steps to move their goals forward.
● Eventually, this VR will also include the ability to guide the student through the group
therapy session, challenging the student to make more decisions regarding leadership of
the group, and will give the student a grade at the end for their performance. Additional
features to be added to the simulation include having a client/avatar react highly
emotionally by yelling at the student, and having the student read the non-verbal
communication cues of a client within the simulation. The last layer of development will
involve using a motion capture rig called a Perception Neuron suit so that someone can
act out the body language of an avatar in the simulation.
E. Virtual Human Interaction Lab- Stanford University
● The mission of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University is to understand
the dynamics and implications of interactions among people in immersive virtual reality
simulations, and other forms of human digital representations in media, communication
systems, and games.
● The research projects of the lab tend to fall under one of three larger questions:
○ What new social issues arise from the use of immersive VR communication
systems?
○ How can VR be used as a basic research tool to study the nuances of face-to-face
interaction?
○ How can VR be applied to improve everyday life, such as conservation, empathy,
and communications systems?
● Current projects:
○ Examining Racism with VR: Immersive VR allows a user to viscerally embody an
avatar who encounters racism.
○ Childhood Development and Immersion: This project is working on researching
the effects of non-immersion and immersion VR and the social and physiological
reactions that children have to the characters/avatars. This is adding to their
6 Beal, B. (2017). Teaching Group Dynamics Using Virtual Reality. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from
http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/technology-articles/teaching-group-dynamics-using-virtual-reality/

PCWTA Research Summary
Virtual Reality
November 2017
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growing body of research looking at the effect of immersive virtual environments
on children.
○ Empathy at Scale: VR simulations allow learners to experience life from another
person’s point of view in order to teach empathy. This research is building on
previously limited research by expanding their sample size to include 100
demographically diverse participants in a variety of empathy scenarios.
○ Sustainable Behaviors: This consists of two VR projects that aim to teach people
about the effect of climate change in marine environments.
○ Immersion and Presence: This project will build off of a meta-analysis examining
how immersive is enough, by looking at the spatial, social, and learning effects
through manipulation of the VR’s Field of View, Image Persistence, Update Rate,
Latency, and Tracking Level.
○ Learning in Immersive VR: This project is investigating the interactions between
class subject, learning environment, and classroom makeup on participants along
with interest and learning in a virtual class.
○ Homuncular Flexibility: This project examines the user’s ability to control an
avatar within the VRE and how that contributes to their sense of presence,
increased immersion or increased learning.
F. Deloitte- GoCase Virtual Reality Application
● Deloitte has developed a VR application that allows social workers to assess the danger
and safety factors inside of a family’s home.
● The social worker uses a headset to experience the application, while their supervisor
guides the worker using a checklist to ensure the worker accurately assesses the items
inside the house.
○ The headset being used for this application is the lower-end, lower-cost hardware
(priced at $13-$20).
● GoCase VR is currently being piloted with a Louisiana child welfare agency and will be
available for purchase by other jurisdictions soon.