Virtual and augmented reality tools

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Siegle 2019, states that “Virtual reality allows students to explore 360-degree and three-dimensional (3-D) worlds (López, 2016). Students immerse themselves into environments in which they are not physically present, but they feel like they are experiencing the environments” (p. 46).

We know that virtual reality...

• Creates immersive, computer generated environments which replaces the real world,

• Enables users to be completely immersed in an artificial world and cut off from the real world,

• Means senses are mediated by the virtual world.

Thinglink - Create Virtual Reality 360 Tours

Thinglink requires you to use your laptop. It allows anyone to create their own tour using imagery from tools that let you create 360 degree spherical images, such as Google's Street View. You can view the final tour on a laptop or even view immersively using a mobile phone in a headset. Other similar tools include SeekBeak and Co-Spaces.

What is Augmented Reality (AR)?

Augmented reality "involves extending the real-time environment with a digital overlay, in which real life is enhanced by computer-generated images and sound” (Siegle, 2019. p. 50). This is rather like the Terminator's view of the world in the 1984 movie, but it is no longer science fiction.

Augmented reality apps use various types of triggers to link views of the real world to virtual content. These triggers might be 2D images, as in simple tools downloaded through apps onto smart phones/tablets like;

• Google Translate (needs printed text - not handwriting)

• Quiver (uses printed sheets that you can colour in)

• Kupu

Get hands on with VR and AR