Art Education and Virtual Reality
Mentor 1
Emily Berens
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
As technology advances we see virtual reality settling in, becoming more widely available for the average consumer. Until recently virtual reality has been most strongly associated with the entertainment industry. Can the advantageous aspects of virtual reality be used in other facets of society? As an art education major I have spent my time investigating the capabilities of virtual reality as not only a creative medium but as a vital curriculum tool. Over this past year I have broken down both the technical aspects of creating virtual spaces and visited with students and teachers interested in the medium. What I have found is that the process of creating collaborative virtual spaces encourages and teaches students how to work in a team environment and gives students multiple skill sets to explore and develop in from design to coding. Currently the software I have utilized has been Co-Spaces, a free web based virtual classroom, and Blender, an open-source 3D modeling toolset. The next research steps would include implementing lessons plans focused around virtual reality in classrooms and surveying how well the students comprehend and retain the newly learned information through the new medium.
Art Education and Virtual Reality
Union Wisconsin Room
As technology advances we see virtual reality settling in, becoming more widely available for the average consumer. Until recently virtual reality has been most strongly associated with the entertainment industry. Can the advantageous aspects of virtual reality be used in other facets of society? As an art education major I have spent my time investigating the capabilities of virtual reality as not only a creative medium but as a vital curriculum tool. Over this past year I have broken down both the technical aspects of creating virtual spaces and visited with students and teachers interested in the medium. What I have found is that the process of creating collaborative virtual spaces encourages and teaches students how to work in a team environment and gives students multiple skill sets to explore and develop in from design to coding. Currently the software I have utilized has been Co-Spaces, a free web based virtual classroom, and Blender, an open-source 3D modeling toolset. The next research steps would include implementing lessons plans focused around virtual reality in classrooms and surveying how well the students comprehend and retain the newly learned information through the new medium.
