Over the past year our team has been researching and trying software to develop virtual reality applications. Virtual Reality allows you to see imagery in three dimensions and we feel that it has great potential in the classroom. To prove this, we have been working with Dr. Joyce Thierer, Professor of History. We wanted an opportunity to record a video with a 360 camera and then transform it into a Virtual Reality application that could be used for a class. Dr. Thierer agreed to participate in our research study and invited us to a history performance where she would be performing as Mary Fix, a Kansas woman who was an early settler in the Flinthills. Dr. Thierer was gracious enough to invite us to her ranch for the performance. The weather was perfect and the location was beautifully set in the Flinthills near Emporia, Kansas. Here is a list of equipment that we took with us that day:
- Samsung 360 Gear 2 Camera $250
Samsung Link - Tripod $35
Link to Tripod
Once on scene, we recorded the performance and then downloaded the footage to InstaVR. From there, the editing time took a total of four hours; however, that's mainly because we were new to the software and were working through some of the tutorials while developing. Take a look at the final product!
The work we have done with Virtual Reality has been incredible. We have since created a VR application for the One Button Studio and the MakerLab, also found on our website. We are now partnering with the library to develop an application. Demand and growth continue. At semester end, we will know for sure how this has impacted students retention and their success in the courses they submitted VR applications for.
Our work has gotten some national attention, too. Take a look at these articles recently published:
If you have considered a VR application, please send us an email or comment below for more information. One of our Instructional Designers will contact you to make arrangements.
~Anna
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