Since 2016, VR has become a hotly debated new term in the tech world. In the context of the "Internet +" era, "VR +" is also seen as one of the enablers to promote change in many industries. In education, although the application of VR is only the first signs, but from all the market reaction, "VR + education" is really a feast that can not be missed. the arrival of VR technology, breaking the traditional multimedia presentation technology. Education meets VR, bringing learners a highly immersive learning experience. "VR+Education" will also promote the change of the education industry together with the Internet***.
The evolution of media presentation technology
Before we start talking about VR, let's take a look at the evolution of media presentation technology. The evolution of media presentation technology actually has a lot to do with VR and education. Historically, the evolution of media started with text, which is the earliest recordable form of media presentation, belonging to a single form of media, which is widely used until now. The second form is composite media, composite media is including more than two forms of media technology, we commonly used audio-visual media, similar to the early movie such technology. The third form of media is interactive composite media, such as multimedia technology, multimedia technology from the invention of the computer, the audio-visual technology combined to produce a kind of interactive composite media, and this kind of media is recognized and used for decades.
What kind of media forms will appear after multimedia technology? I? We think it's Virtual Reality, or VR for short, which has a high degree of immersion and is a highly immersive form of media. What is "immersion"? In layman's terms, it means that after wearing virtual devices (virtual glasses, virtual helmets, etc.), we seem to enter another world, giving the user an immersive and immersive experience.
In the evolution of media presentation technology, each new media? presentation form is a great improvement over the previous media form. the emergence of VR may be a product of epoch-making significance. It is a revolutionary node for media presentation technology, and it will have an essential impact on every industry involved in media presentation.
There is a parenting-related VR application developed by a U.S. company? Education VR. through an electronic pen, 3D glasses and a special computer to realize the human skeletal structure 3D effect display, give people a very realistic learning experience. That's why VR is a revolutionary medium, because it can present a very realistic "reality".
The figure is a panoramic VR video launched by New Oriental and LeTV***. The VR video is a great way to learn how to teach. After putting on the 3D glasses, you are like being in the classroom, you turn your head or look up, look down, the scene will change accordingly, bringing a very realistic experience to the whole English teaching. In addition, there are other aspects of virtual teaching. As shown in Figure 4, in the field of medical teaching, using VR technology to present the structure of the human body, learners can more intuitively and clearly recognize what the human body structure looks like.
The application of VR in education is still in its infancy
VR has been around for decades, and VR was first used in the ? military field, used to realize the military simulation of combat, flight and other tasks. With the development of the times, the application of VR inside other industries has gradually expanded.
For example, in the gaming and entertainment industry, the use of VR to present highly immersive scenes? scene is incomparable to today's 3D movies and 3D games. In the field of construction, VR equipment can be used to immersively carry out the planning of community buildings and environments. In the field of industrial manufacturing, VR can be used to simulate the simulation of equipment. In the medical field, the role of VR in the presentation of medical knowledge is also very large.
As we all know, VR is now very hot, in the game, film and television entertainment? The commercialization of the application is a bit earlier than the education industry, and now we are starting to see some buds in the application of education. For example, the virtual laboratory, students can operate virtual laboratory equipment for experiments, to avoid the safety hazards of hazardous chemicals, but also can be multiple experiments, so that students have a deeper, more graphic understanding of the principles of chemistry. Another example is the virtual history scene, using VR technology can produce virtual historical event scenarios, in which students seem to become witnesses of history, or even experiencing it. There is also a virtual training, such as repairing cars, the installation of various devices, maintenance and other processes can be trained through VR equipment.
How will the application of VR in education develop
1. Review of the development cycle of mobile learning
Figure A review of the historical development cycle of mobile learning
Many people hold different views on the application of VR in education.? By reviewing the development cycle of mobile learning, it will be helpful for us to judge the cycle of VR application in the education industry.
In fact, mobile learning sprouted around 2007. Viewed as the emergence of a device, the release of the iPhone was a revolution for mobile learning. Since the advent of Apple devices in 2007, a lot of educational applications have emerged with it. But after 2009, mobile learning was still in a relatively early stage of introduction. It was not until 2012 or 2013, with the further popularization of Apple devices, that mobile learning really entered the explosive stage. That is to say, after five or six years, after the iPhone is very popular, the whole concept and feasibility of mobile learning has been greatly satisfied. And as the installed base gradually increased, mobile learning entered a very strong explosive period.
2. Life cycle analysis of education VR
The development cycle of mobile learning is also very applicable to VR education. There are several factors that contribute to the emergence of a technology from germination to popularization: first, the experiential effect. For example, in the early days of mobile learning, development has been languishing due to poor experience, and only since the emergence of Apple devices has there been a massive popularization. The second is the popularity of the equipment, now the VR we all think is very good, but the current application in education is still very little. But as long as the popularization of equipment to a certain extent, the number and quality of VR education applications will be greatly improved. The tools and talents developed for it are also more, and at this time there will be an outbreak of applications, while the user's habits of use are beginning to be cultivated. In addition, the market development process of a class of products has a great relationship with the promotion of capital, and the greater the power of capital promotion, the shorter its maturity cycle. Figure 8 is the development cycle prediction chart of VR education.
Figure VR development cycle prediction chart
2016 is known as the year of VR, just as 2013 is considered to be the year of in? Year of Online Education. In fact, in China, online education sprouted in 1996, but only began to explode in 2013. Similarly, 2016 is an explosive period for VR investment, not application, and the large amount of investment coming in now will accelerate its development.
We think more VR hardware products will be produced in 2017,? The hardware pattern will be formed in the next few years. From 2018 will enter the explosive period of VR applications, the capital boost will greatly shorten the development cycle of VR applications.2018~2019 VR hardware will be stabilized, and will also give rise to a large number of VR education applications. When the VR application enters the explosive period in 2018, the hardware will also become very popular, and the development of the interface technology has formed a standard.In 2019, VR education may enter the application maturity period.The maturity of the VR education application will attract a large number of learners to use it, and at the same time, incorporating the business model, the user experience will also be very good.
Summarizing, in the next two to three years, after a large amount of market capital? capital injection, will produce a large number of bubbles, and at the same time will also cook the industry. Then in 2020 or so, the popularity of VR just like we now use smart phones into the civilian period, I predict that VR education will have such a development cycle.
What kind of subject areas apply VR
Many people are concerned about the application of VR in the education industry, in the end what kind? s disciplines can apply VR? We believe that VR is more suitable for nature, science, engineering disciplines. In addition, language and culture, humanities and history can be applied. For example, biology, physics, chemistry, and process processing, engineering technology, flight piloting such basic subjects, as well as history, humanities, language learning, cultural narratives and other visualization scenes. In short, any discipline with visualization characteristics can be presented in VR. On the contrary, those less easy to visualize the content, it is less suitable for the use of VR. for example, some very abstract concepts, logic, and some mathematical concepts that appear, these are more difficult to use VR to show.
VR is indeed an epoch-making media technology that can bring ? a high-quality learning experience. In terms of the development of human learning technology, it has revolutionary characteristics. Although VR is still in its infancy and there are many problems, such as vertigo when wearing a VR helmet, poor interactivity, and insufficiently clear picture quality, these problems will be effectively solved in the future as VR technology continues to advance.
In the past five years, the Internet has brought many surprises to the education industry. Anytime and anywhere learning experience, cross-regional quality education resources **** enjoy, making society enter the era of universal learning. However, Internet education has also encountered many problems, such as the separation of teachers and students to produce a sense of learning loneliness, learners independent learning continuity is not strong. The emergence of highly immersive media presentation technology represented by VR has brought unprecedented high-quality learning experience to learners, and is also expected to solve the problems that have not yet been solved by Internet education. China Augmented Reality Industry Alliance referred to as the AR Alliance or ARA believes that VR will work with the Internet to **** with the development of modern education.