Immersive technology devices and fieldwork: Oculus Rift

Scott Turner (Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies), Naomi Holmes (Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences) and Adel Gordon (Learning Technology Team) have been working on a small project with the aim of 'investigating the potential use and the student experiences of using virtual reality (Oculus Rift) devices for fieldwork'. The project, which was funded by the University of Northampton Innovation Fund, involved a group of students from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences testing the Oculus Rifts. Once they had finished using the Oculus Rift the students completed a questionnaire about their experience of using the Oculus Rift, whether they thought the technology was useful for field trips, and how else they think it might be used to support their learning. The students all saw the Virtual Reality as beneficial only if used alongside or in addition to actual field trip experiences. Nausea/motion sickness was a common problem of using the devices.

 

The project was disseminated at the University of Northampton Innovation Fund Event in June 2014.

Virtual reality field trips

A number of Environmental and Geographical Sciences students recently took part in a project looking at the use of Virtual Reality devices and field trips. This is an ongoing collaborative project between Dr Naomi Holmes (Department of Environmental & Geographical Sciences), Dr Scott Turner (Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies) and Adel Gordon (Learning Technology Team).

Virtual field trips are not a new idea; they have however, in the past, been perceived negatively by students, often due to a poor representation of reality. This project is investigating whether the Oculus Rift, described as a ‘next-generation virtual reality headset designed for immersive gaming’ (http://www.oculusvr.com/) provides a more immersive, and therefore, more real experience.

The Oculus Rift was investigated as a tool for preparing for field trips. A number of students volunteered to test the Oculus Rift. The Tuscan house and gardens demo that comes with the Oculus Rift (available through the Oculus Rift developer centre https://developer.oculusvr.com/) was used as the basis of the test. The students spent some time immersed in the virtual environment and then provided feedback. Many students also suggested a number of potential other uses of the Oculus Rift within their degree programmes.