One of the simplest and most effective ways to introduce students to the possibilities of virtual reality and 360º panoramic video, cardboard stereoscope work with almost every type of smartphone. Both YouTube and Kaltura video sharing offer a wide range of 360º videos that allow the viewer to see new images with every direction they turn their heads. Many science and social studies application, and with 360º cameras like Ricoh Theta or Insta360 One, students can make and post VR videos of their own.
What? The cardboard headset can be obtained at various locations, such as Best Buy or on-line for around $15 a set, yet tech expo and conferences are also places where they are sometimes handed out for free. More durable models with speakers, foam padding and adjustable straps are also available. Students can also make their own cardboard following this template https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-Google-Cardboard/. For all of the above, you will need to have smartphone devices with the Cardboard app installed, available here: https://arvr.google.com/cardboard/.
Why? New possibilities in storytelling where the 360º camera becomes a stand-in for the audience, inviting anyone watching the panoramic video to discover what is happening around oneself inside the cardboard headset. With instructions on first-person storytelling, students can watch and eventually create their own empathetic experiences. There are limits to how far this empathy goes, just as there is no real way, according to philosopher Thomas Nagel, for a human to know what it is like to be a bat. More information on VR’s empathy can be found in this article: https://docubase.mit.edu/lab/case-studies/the-limits-of-virtual-reality-debugging-the-empathy-machine/.
How? Smartphones are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes, components that measure the phone’s position and movement. The data generated by these components are used to determine what images appear on the screen, and create a stereoscopic image based upon how the viewer turns one’s head. Typically, VR Cardboard only allows for three degrees of freedom (tilting head up and down, rotating left and right, slanting to the left and right) while more complex VR systems such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift allow for movement through virtual space, otherwise known as six degrees of freedom. It is recommended that first time VR Cardboard viewer sit down when viewing VR or 360º panoramic video, to avoid motion sickness caused by vection, the illusion of self-motion.
Summary In most of the elementary classrooms I have taught in, there are a couple of students who seem to know what VR is, often experiencing more immersive systems such as Sony PlayStation VR or Oculus Quest. It’s wonderful talking point to share with the class, but not often something that can be brought in and used by all classmates. Cardboard offers a baseline experience for all students in a way that encourages everyone to play with not-so expensive equipment (still be careful that they are not dropping the smartphones on the floor as they can slide out of the cardboard flap if it is not secure). More resources can be found on the OISE website VR Educational Applications https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=607624&p=4494048.