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Michael Bodekaer: This virtual lab will revolutionize science class | TED Talk 

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Michael Bodekaer: This virtual lab will revolutionize science class | TED Talk 

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Michael Bodekaer: This virtual lab will revolutionize science class

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Virtual reality is no longer part of some distant future, and it's not just for gaming and entertainment anymore. Michael Bodekaer wants to use it to make quality education more accessible. In this refreshing talk, he demos an idea that could revolutionize the way we teach science in schools.

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Stanford VR Project Takes Students to Oceans of the Future 

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Stanford VR Project Takes Students to Oceans of the Future 

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Virtual Reality

Stanford VR Project Takes Students to Oceans of the Future

A new, free virtual reality program allows users to explore what happens as climate change kills off coral reefs. The Stanford Ocean Acidification Experience is a free science education tool that takes students to the bottom of the sea and then fast-forwards their experience to the end of this century, when, as scientists predict, many coral reefs are expected to corrode through ocean acidification. By putting the experience in VR, the collaborators say they are hoping to change people's behavior in the real world.

The project came out of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, which created a related 360-degree video project that also examines the problem of global warming and its impact on the ocean's life forms. But it's the VR version that allows the viewer to deep-sea dive and collect samples off of the ocean floor.

The simulation places the viewer into heavy traffic, where he or she can follow carbon dioxide molecules as they float from car tailpipes to the sea, where they're absorbed. Then the viewer steps into the waves and moves around coral as it loses its vitality and displays the effects of increasingly acidic water on marine life. A narrator explains what's happening as the story unfolds and encourages the viewer to undertake specific actions, such as a species count.

"You're not watching something, you're doing it," said Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the lab and a communications professor. "You learn by doing. These are magic, teachable moments."

The lab created the software in partnership with marine biologists Fiorenza Micheli from Stanford and Kristy Kroeker, formerly at Stanford and now at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as Roy Pea, a professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Education. The development process took two years to recreate a virtual replica of an actual rocky reef around the Italian island of Ischia, where underground volcanic vents have been spewing carbon dioxide at the reef. The data collected from that site has allowed researchers to measure the impact on marine life and to extrapolate what effect people's increasing fossil fuel use will have in decades to come.

A related video, " The Crystal Reef," filmed in 360 degrees and developed as part of a master's degree project by a lab member, premiered during the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. There, people could watch the film on VR headgear. "We had a line of dozens of people for 11 hours a day, six days straight," said Bailenson, in a Stanford article about the project.

The VR project has also gone to Washington, where lawmakers and staffers tried it out during a Capitol Hill event organized by non-profit Ocean Conservancy. Among them was Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. "This simulation shows in rich detail the damage carbon pollution inflicts on our oceans," said Whitehouse after his viewing. "I appreciate the Stanford Ocean Acidification Experience for calling attention to the peril our oceans face and what we must do to protect them."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

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Stanford VR Project Takes Students to Oceans of the Future -- Campus Technology

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Virtual Reality A new, free virtual reality program allows users to explore what happens as climate change kills off coral reefs. The Stanford Ocean Acidification Experience is a free science education tool that takes students to the bottom of the sea and then fast-forwards their experience to the end of this century, when, as scientists predict, many coral reefs are expected to corrode through ocean acidification.

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Well-reviewed VR headset for smart phones, for $10 on Amazon

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Well-reviewed VR headset for smart phones, for $10 on Amazon

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Behind the Scenes of ‘Say It With Music’ - Creating a Musical Virtual Reality Experience - YouTube

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Behind the Scenes of ‘Say It With Music’ - Creating a Musical Virtual Reality Experience - YouTube

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Behind the Scenes of ‘Say It With Music’ - Creating a Musical Virtual Reality Experience

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Simone, a timid waitress, uses music as an instrument of change to revive a monotonous fine dining restaurant and enliven its stuffy owner, Gustavo. Throughout the evening, Simone discovers she has an unexpected connection with an upbeat waiter named Nathan, who shares her lyrical passion.

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VR in the Classroom: Early lessons learned from Google Expeditions - Google I/O 2016 - YouTube

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VR in the Classroom: Early lessons learned from Google Expeditions - Google I/O 2016 - YouTube

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VR in the Classroom: Early lessons learned from Google Expeditions - Google I/O 2016

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Virtual reality has the potential to change how we teach and how we learn. But how do we leverage VR's potential to actually transform learning? The Google Expeditions team will share what they've learned about making compelling VR apps for the classroom.

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VR in the Classroom -- Real Experiences with Virtual Learning - YouTube

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VR in the Classroom -- Real Experiences with Virtual Learning - YouTube

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VR in the Classroom -- Real Experiences with Virtual Learning

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With Virtual Reality entering the hands of consumers, its appeal is growing within education. Being on the cutting edge brings new levels of excitement to the classroom environment. Foundry10 is putting VR into classrooms to examine the impact it has on students, discover what needs to be developed for education, and explore how students move from consuming content to creating it.

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3 Ways Virtual Reality Can Enhance Learning - YouTube

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3 Ways Virtual Reality Can Enhance Learning - YouTube

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3 Ways Virtual Reality Can Enhance Learning

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How to experience VR on your iPhone with Google Cardboard | Macworld

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How to experience VR on your iPhone with Google Cardboard | Macworld

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Despite rumors across the years, Apple still hasn't made a virtual reality move of its own. And while Samsung's top phones have the Gear VR headset and some Android phones support Google's Daydream platform, there's nothing of comparable quality for the iPhone.

But there is a lower-end alternative that works across iPhone and Android phones, and it might not cost you much of anything. Google Cardboard is an entry-level take on mobile VR, and it lets you strap your existing phone into a cheap, portable viewer and then pop it on your face. While the experience isn't nearly as immersive or interactive as on those other platforms-let alone PC-based headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive-it can still provide cool, 360-degree multimedia experiences.

Cardboard's ecosystem isn't as fully formed on iPhone as it is on its original home OS of Android, but there are still plenty of apps available to try. Want to give it a shot? Here's how to get up and running with Google Cardboard.

How it works

Rather than use a dedicated screen and processor, Cardboard relies on an affordable shell with specialized lenses, using your iPhone to do the heavy lifting. Depending on your viewer of choice, the iPhone will either slide or strap in, and then once you fire up a compatible app or game, the image will be split into two halves on the screen.

Stare into the lenses and the two images are combined into a single 3D image, and most Cardboard apps use your phone's gyroscope and accelerometer to let you freely look around the virtual world. Cardboard isn't a hugely interactive platform, so games are pretty simplistic, but it's a great way to view 360-degree videos and photo spheres, along with other visual experiences.

Cardboard first launched in 2014 exclusively for Android, and as user and developer support grew, so too did Google's own focus on the platform. In the summer of 2015, the company released the enhanced 2.0 viewer blueprint and added iOS support, launching the official Cardboard app and letting app makers bring their VR experiences to the App Store.

Google's own Cardboard app includes fun demos, and it can point you towards other apps to download too.

The core Cardboard app isn't required to use a Cardboard viewer-any VR app designed for Cardboard can launch and work independently without Google's main app installed. However, it's a nice introduction to the world of mobile VR and has a handful of neat VR diversions to check out, such as a dazzling kaleidoscope and some 360-degree tours of various locales.

Hardware options

When Google first launched Cardboard, it had a very strong DIY ethos around it-but then a whole community of resellers quickly spawned around the concept, each offering their own commercial take on the viewer. Google didn't make or sell its own retail Cardboard units for some time, but now you can purchase a plain and simple Google Cardboard viewer directly from the Google Store for $15. Yes, it's quite literally made from cardboard.

Don't like the standard model, or want to shop around? Google has also given an official " Works with Google Cardboard" stamp to many manufacturers that make viewers of all sorts.

Companies like Unofficial Cardboard ($14.95), I Am Cardboard ($8), and Knoxlabs ($7) all sell versions that are mostly similar to Google's own blueprint, aside from small differences in build and components-with a couple of those at about half the cost. Each comes with the lenses and a conductive touch button, and they're lightweight and easily customizable. Unofficial Cardboard also has a 2.0 Plus viewer (also now $15) that tweaks the design with adjustable lenses and an optional head strap, and they've added a cheaper, simpler Elite viewer that's priced at $8.

Unofficial Cardboard's 2.0 Plus viewer adds little tabs for adjusting the position of each lens, but otherwise it's similar to the standard 2.0 cardboard viewer.

There are also plastic and foam options, some bigger and stronger than the cardboard viewers and others smaller and more portable. Mattel's original View-Master VR ($20) is a neat option: When I wrote about it for our sister site Greenbot, I praised the sturdy build and comfortable fit against your face, although the latch was a little finicky. Holding my heavier iPhone 6s Plus at the time, sadly, the latch was even more prone to popping open. It's still a pretty good option overall, and now there's a refined Deluxe version (also $20) that might be even better.

The ViewMaster VR is sturdy and comfortable, although the clamshell latch doesn't always hold tight.

Otherwise, there's the Go4D C1-Glass ($15), which snaps onto your phone, and I Am Cardboard's foldable Pocket VR ($10) viewer. Merge VR's Goggles ($59) are a much sturdier option with a head strap and an extra input button for compatible apps, meanwhile, albeit at a much larger price. We've also seen aluminum and EVA foam versions in the past from various manufacturers, although the models we spotlighted previously are no longer sold.

Merge VR's Goggles are pricey, but they come with big perks over the cheaper options.

Even with all of those options, you can still make your own: Google provides the plans, although you'll need to track down all of the pieces. Just note that it will take a fair amount of precise cutting to get the viewer into working shape. Still, it could be a fun weekend project.

Lastly, if you don't want to buy a Cardboard viewer but also don't want to make one yourself, keep an eye out for promotional giveaways-they've been common in the past. The New York Times gave out more than a million free viewers to subscribers in 2015, and Verizon also gave away free Star Wars-themed viewers before The Force Awakens came out. Other companies have done similar mass handouts to promote app and media releases, although there's less buzz around low-end VR as of this writing.

Worthwhile apps

Cardboard has been available for iPhone for a shorter span than Android (and didn't start on iOS), so it's not surprising that there are fewer overall apps available. Still, many of the most interesting options are available on the App Store, and nearly everything is free.

Last year, we profiled 11 apps worth a look, many of which are focused on immersive news reports and documentaries, as well as photospheres and other quick diversions. Beyond those, you might also consider Proton Pulse ($3)-a delightful arcade-style brick-breaking game where you use your gaze to control the paddle-as well as Vanguard V (free), a dazzling one-level space shooter demo from the same developer.

The Star Wars app offers a series of free "Jakku Spy" 360-degree videos to enjoy in VR.

The official Star Wars (free) app also has some amusing shorts inspired by The Force Awakens, while Sisters (free) is an unsettling, albeit brief horror experience. Besides all of those, we recommend hitting the App Store and downloading anything that catches your eye. Again, most Cardboard apps are free and offer compact experiences, so you might as well sample the buffet of VR options.

And be sure to check out the extremely cool Cardboard Camera. Google's own app lets you easily create immersive 3D photospheres from your own surroundings, complete with audio bits to help recreate the sensation of being there. It's perfect for creating a snapshot of a great party or event, or recording your last day in an apartment or home before moving out. It's free, and one of the rare examples of a Cardboard app that actually lets you create something.

More than 10 million Cardboard viewers are out in the world now, which means more and more people are checking it out-and more and more interesting apps and games will hopefully come, too. Now you can jump in yourself and give it a look, but be sure to check back here in the future, as we plan to add more iPhone VR coverage to this hub.

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How to experience VR on your iPhone with Google Cardboard

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Despite rumors across the years, Apple still hasn't made a virtual reality move of its own. And while Samsung's top phones have the Gear VR headset and some Android phones support Google's Daydream platform, there's nothing of comparable quality for the iPhone.

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Microsoft HoloLens | Mixed Reality Technology for Business

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Introducing HoloLens 2, an untethered mixed reality headset that's designed to help you solve real business problems today using intelligent apps and solutions.

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US Dept of Ed: the "Virtual Reality Challenge" competition

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Funding

Ed Dept. Launches $680,000 Augmented and Virtual Reality Challenge

The United States Department of Education (ED) has formally kicked off a new competition designed to encourage the development of virtual and augmented reality concepts for education.

Dubbed the EdSim Challenge, the competition is aimed squarely at developing students' career and technical skills - it's funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 - and calls on developers and ed tech organizations to develop concepts for "computer-generated virtual and augmented reality educational experiences that combine existing and future technologies with skill-building content and assessment. Collaboration is encouraged among the developer community to make aspects of simulations available through open source licenses and low-cost shareable components. ED is most interested in simulations that pair the engagement of commercial games with educational content that transfers academic, technical, and employability skills."

The competition seeks concepts from individuals and teams and will award all five finalists prizes of $50,000 to help them further develop their concepts. Finalists will also receive access to expert mentors to help with the process, along with gear and development tools, including Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Tab S2 9.7″, Gear S3 watch and Gear VR headset, as well as an Oculus Mobile software developer kit. ED noted that other prizes may also be added later.

The submission deadline will be Jan. 17, and finalists will be announced during the winter of 2017. A "demo day" will be held in the summer, showcasing progress on the work, and a single grand prize winner will be announced soon after.

The grand prize winning project will receive $430,000.

Criteria for finalists include:

Learning outcomes, including clearly stated outcomes for academic or career/technical training objectives, among other things;

Engaging learning experience;

Commitment (the ability of the participant to develop the concept in the timeframe of the competition);

Implementation strategy for schools, taking into account challenges schools might face in implementing the concept; and

Scalability and expansion.

All participants must be at least 18 years old, and at least one member of each team must be a U.S. citizen. Participants must also register on the Luminary Lightbox platform. (Registration is free.)

Complete rules can be found at edsimchallenge.com/terms.

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funding for education technology concepts

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Ed Dept. Launches $680,000 Augmented and Virtual Reality Challenge -- Campus Technology

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Funding The United States Department of Education (ED) has formally kicked off a new competition designed to encourage the development of virtual and augmented reality concepts for education. Dubbed the EdSim Challenge, the competition is aimed squarely at developing students' career and technical skills - it's funded through the Carl D.

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Virtual Reality Musical

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Virtual Reality

Art & Design Students Produce Virtual Reality Musical

Students in a Georgia institution that were among the first to experiment with virtual reality have just had a premier of their first VR musical. The project undertaken at the Savannah College of Art and Design brought together 116 people from 14 different programs over the course of 20 weeks to create a 360-degree narrative, "Say It With Music."

The movie was shown during the recent Savannah Film Festival, as part of a VR showcase, which allowed participants to experience VR gear from four vendors.

Last year the college allowed students to visit its campus virtually by shipping out 10,000 pairs of Google Cardboard to those who had already been accepted to the school as well as those being recruited.

The latest initiative was sparked in the Collaborative Learning Center (CLC), which brought together students from film and television, animation, costume design, dramatic writing, production design, visual effects, themed entertainment design and motion media design, all academic programs within the college. The CLC brings industry professionals into the school with real-world challenges for students to work on. For example, SCAD students have created advertising campaigns, developed user experiences, and prototyped plans for NASA, Disney, BMW, Google and Coca-Cola.

To do the filming, a student team created a custom camera rig that combined five Sony PXW-FS7 Super 35 camcorders and six GoPros to capture every angle on set.

The music for the movie was inspired by Irving Berlin's composition, "Say It With Music." The story is set in a restaurant and follows "an unexpected romantic connection between two servers." As a SCAD website about the project explains, viewers use sound cues to drive the narrative and can experience a 360-degree perspective that captures multiple plot lines.

The school said it believes the latest project is the first musical treatment produced for a VR experience. As Michael Chaney, a professor of film and television and one of the faculty leads on the project, explained in a video about the production process, "We consulted with the leading pioneers in this industry and we ourselves are becoming pioneers."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

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Art & Design Students Produce Virtual Reality Musical -- Campus Technology

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Virtual Reality Students in a Georgia institution that were among the first to experiment with virtual reality have just had a premier of their first VR musical. The project undertaken at the Savannah College of Art and Design brought together 116 people from 14 different programs over the course of 20 weeks to create a 360-degree narrative, "Say It With Music."