Virtual Reality Learning Lab

We explore the possiblities of VR as a tool for learning

Writings & Projects

/

Coding in CoSpaces on smartphone

One problem we had with CoSpaces Edu is that you cannot add code on your smartphone. This is somewhat disappointing as our pool of teachers all have their sets of Android smarthphones with Cardboard-based VR headsets. They mainly use those to let students view the projects they’ve created in Virtual Reality. But it’s also handy to have a few extra devices whenever the school doesn’t have enough laptops/tablets/Chromebooks available.

We organize more and more coding workshops and we needed new sets of smartphones. By coincident, we’ve run into a smartphone model that does allow you to add CoBlocks! The Motorola G9 Play that is. It’s also quite an affordable smartphone at around 150 euros, with a large screen and a 5000 mAh battery.

The large screen size combined with a pretty low resolution is probably why you can do coding with this device in the first place. My guess is that the CoSpaces Edu app looks at the pixel density of the device to determine whether it’s a tablet or a smartphone. The low pixel density of this screen lets CoSpaces think it’s actually a tablet.

We’ve just bought a batch of 8 devices and we’re quite happy with them. I wanted to share this, as I guess more teachers are looking for a solution for this. Hopefully the developers at CoSpaces Edu don’t change the way this is handled.

Want to learn more?

Check out the VR Learning HUB!

/

Are ‘infospaces’ the new infographics?

This is the first post of a series on creating what we like to call infospaces. Enjoy!

Creating 3D worlds has become much, much easier over the past years. With software like CoSpaces Edu we teach 9 year olds to create their fantasy world with 3D objects and bring them to life with coding blocks.

And the rise of social VR tools like Mozilla Hubs, AltspaceVR and Facebook Horizon are bringing 3D worlds to the professional world. As we’re all are getting tired from pandemic-caused video meetings, we’re looking at new ways to collaborate.

A very early experiment in Mozilla Hubs with our team

Because of this virtual events are in the lift. But to make really valuable virtual events, we have to learn how to use the space effectively. Meeting each other in a virtual lecture hall or classroom while looking at a PowerPoint presentation is just not using all the possibilities.

Virtual museums

One particular assignment we often give our students who are learning these 3D tools is to create a virtual museum. In our experiences this is a very interesting challenge for the students after they’ve learned the basics of the program. And it’s an assignment that can be easily combined with other school subjects.

Our very highbrow exposition on the most famous gifs

It’s interesting to see what students create. They often mimic the musea they’re familiar with. Some also realize they’re not confined by the rules that a real museum has. Their pieces can float in space, and who needs walls? They can add quiz questions, moving objects and interactive information in a way that really isn’t possible in the real world.

Infospaces

The emerging of easy apps to create graphics from data was essential to create the abundance of infographics we now see on the web. Will these new tools bring the same abundance of what we like to call ‘infospaces‘?

For that to happen it has to become even easier to create 3D worlds. We have software tools to help us, which also offer integrated access to databases with 3D models like Sketchfab & Google Poly.
But to make things even easier, we also need design principles and templates. We need easy answers to questions like:

  • How do you clearly represent information spatially?
  • How do you arrange a room to tell a story?

Those are really new questions for the average communicator. Thus far designing spaces to explain something has been mostly reserved to museum curators and museologists.

With the democratization of designing 3D worlds, we think these questions will become more and more important. We have to learn from architecture, theater, museology and the video game industry.

That’s exactly what we will do in this series of posts on creating infospaces! Don’t want to miss a thing? Or do you want to learn more about Virtual Reality? Become a member of the VR Learning HUB for free!

/

“We see ourselves as enablers” – Interview with Bruces Pales, CEO of 360 Cities.

On the 21st of July, the first in a series of online interviews with experts in the field of VR, AR, 360°, and other innovative digital technologies took place for VR Learning HUB members and other interested individuals. We had the amazing opportunity to talk to Bruces Pales, CEO of the platform 360 Cities. The platform, which was founded in 2008, has been curating and licensing high quality, fully 360° interactive panoramic photos and videos.

[Read more…] about “We see ourselves as enablers” – Interview with Bruces Pales, CEO of 360 Cities.

/

VR for online events? – 5 tips

During the last few weeks, more and more people have come to us with the question: “can we use Virtual Reality to improve our online event / meeting / education?”

For us it is quite interesting to see how this question has suddenly become so relevant. Most organisations have the remote working conditions under control and are looking to expand and improve them while the Covid-19 restrictions continue. For example for special school events, teambuilding days or creative meetings. These are all situations in which being physically present has an significant advantage.

In this blog we provide five tips on how to implement Virtual Reality in your online event or remote education.

[Read more…] about VR for online events? – 5 tips

/

Looking back at year 1 of Augmented Reality & Human-Computer Collaboration

Last November 29th, we organized an event together with Smart 071 and the Honours Academy of Leiden University all about the applications of AR (Augmented Reality) in the workplace.

Students and professionals looked together for meaningful and feasible applications of AR in the participating organizations. This event was part of a new course given by Robin at the Leiden Honors Academy. The Augmented Reality & Human-Computer Collaboration discusses how Augmented Reality will influence our society and the future of work. 

This blog post looks back at:

  • our event about AR and the future of work
  • the prototypes built by the students as their final projects

We’ll also tell you how you can participate as a professional or student next edition!

[Read more…] about Looking back at year 1 of Augmented Reality & Human-Computer Collaboration

/

Learning through designing VR experiences

Can you challenge your students to create a VR experience to reach your learning goals?

That’s a question we often ask during our courses for teachers. Why?

  • Students can learn so many things from the choices they have to make when designing their experience
  • It’s often hard to find polished VR learning material that matches your learning goals and student background precisely
  • Creating VR experiences has become so much easier over time. With CoSpaces being our favorite example
  • You make your students co-owner of any technical problems.
  • Your students practice important skills in our digital society
  • And you help students to transcend the role of passive consumers of technology. We often have students whose first VR experience is one they made themselves. In school. How cool is that?

That’s why we pay extra attention on creating VR experiences in the VR Learning HUB. Using CoSpaces Edu, or any of the many virtual tour makers out there.

Interested in learning more?

Perhaps the VR Learning HUB is something for you!

/

Why I love my job

A while ago I asked my parents what I wanted to become when I was a kid. They couldn’t really think of anything, which matched my own memories. Apparently I never had any specific profession I dreamed of. No obsession with becoming a pro soccer player, movie star or pilot (probably saving me a lot of disappointments). Together we remembered that I did have a fascination for the large office buildings we passed during car or train rides. What happened behind the windows of all those giant anonymous towers; what were people doing there?

Okay, perhaps the Dutch skyline was a bit less impressive

[Read more…] about Why I love my job

/

Why Nintendo’s new VR set shows Virtual Reality is mature

Recently, and after much speculation, Nintendo announced their VR set for the very successful Switch. An important moment in the history of VR, I would say.

Why? Not per se because of how many of these VR add-on sets are going to be sold. Definitely not because of the hardware specifications. Nor because of the games. Sure, Nintendo has the ability to create great games with limited processing resources. And we’re probably going to see some very creative uses of this whole set of cardboard extensions of your Switch. But that’s not what makes this device of importance.

[Read more…] about Why Nintendo’s new VR set shows Virtual Reality is mature

/

Virtual Reality in the library

Throughout the Netherlands, different events focusing on the use of Virtual Reality in libraries are being organized: lectures on VR, demonstrations of the Oculus Rift and even making your own Google Cardboard headset, to name but a few. I support these efforts, as I consider the library to be an excellent environment to help people familiarize themselves with a new medium. Simultaneously, Virtual- and Augmented Reality could become useful for libraries in the nearby future. For example, AR could be used to enrich the library, while VR could provide an alternative method of exploring digital collections.

In this post, I will discuss several projects (both old and recent) we conducted with a number of libraries.
[Read more…] about Virtual Reality in the library

/

Virtual Reality for Science & Education

In May 2015 the Gratama Stichting and Leids Universiteitsfonds announced that my research project into the possibilities of Virtual Reality for the field of education will receive the Gratama research grant. Prof. dr. Jaap van den Herik helped me with the application procedure, the research will be part of my PhD work supervised by prof. dr. Bas Haring.

The research project includes an elective course where 30 students will explore the potential of Virtual Reality for science and education by creating experimental VR prototypes. More details about the course in the e-Studiegids.

My research project was mentioned in the Leiden University newsletter and Mare.

/

Embodied Vision Workshop: Augmented and Virtual Reality with Unity3D

On the 19th of June 2014 at 10.00, I’ll teach a workshop for the Embodied Vision course of the Media Technology MSc. program. Below you can find a short description of the workshop and the assignment. After the workshop I’ll post a summary of what we’ve discussed.

Embodied Vision Workshop: Augmented and Virtual Reality with Unity3D

In this workshop we will go through the basics of working with Unity3D, discuss interesting projects made with the software and experiment with creating your own Augmented or Virtual Reality project. I will explain about the Vuforia library which can be used to create mobile AR apps and get you started to develop for Oculus Rift. For the workshop you will need Unity Pro which can be downloaded from unity3d.com. Please install the software beforehand. You can make use of the 30-day trial version.

Assignment
Groups: 1-3 people
During the lectures you have learned about many different special and visual effects used in film and the different goals (such as: distraction, shock, spectacle, narrative, integration, immersion) that can be reached by applying these effects. For this assignment you are challenged to make use of the visual effects offered by Augmented and Virtual Reality to support one (or more) of these goals you find most interesting.
Since learning Unity3D is an essential part of this workshop, you should make use of this software for your project. Exceptions can be made however, if you can give good reasons for this.