**6. VR/AR definitions**

There are several definitions about virtual reality which mean varies drastically with context. Virtual reality term first used in 1986 by Larnier [28] then Steuer, 1995 [29]; Heim, 1998 [30], and Yoh, 2001 [31]. Virtual reality is a technology that convinces the participant that he or she is actually in another place by substituting the primary sensory input with data received produced by a computer.

Virtual reality is electronic simulations of environments experienced via head-mounted eye goggles and wired clothing enabling the end user to interact in realistic three-dimensional situations [32].

Basically, virtual reality is a technology which simulates interactive 360° digital environments replace the real world. Virtual reality is one of the digital mediums created to present realities in real life or realities to be displayed in a 360° and/or 3D environment beyond the perception capacity of sensory organs by virtue of virtual reality.

Virtual reality is also a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment which can be explored and interacted by a person in technical terms. This would be presented with a version of reality that is not really there, but from your perspective it would be felt as real.

Virtual reality can "stimulate learning and comprehension, because it provides a tight coupling between symbolic and experiential information" [33]. Experience is the most important cause and effect value for loyalty in order to be involved in VR.

Virtual reality provides a great contribution to the virtualization of learning by living in an environment without great risk. For example, the hospital surgery environment or dangerous environments in traffic could easily teach through virtual reality. According to Armstrong [34], currently available two main categories of VR are mobile (Samsung/Google) and PC (Oculus). The future expectations for VR—from a headset and content perspective—as both improve so will people's desire for VR as it moves from a "nice-to-have" to a "must-have". Curcio et al. [35] states that the technology developments were not only on the display side but, among the others, also on the capture side. A many of 360° recording cameras have been presented to the market in the last period for allowing VR content to be easily produced.

Barab et al. [36], Chittaro and Ranon [37], Dickey [38], Mennecke at al. [39] are some researchers have argued that virtual environment and simulation can be used to facilitate learning tasks that lead to increased understanding, motivation, engagement, collaboration, and knowledge transfer [40]. So for these new type of learning has an importance to use virtual reality technology for both personal and collaboratively.

Personal learning network (PLN) is an individual's loose collection of links with other people or resources. The aim of such a network is to facilitate an exchange of ideas that supports learning links can be through virtual learning environment (VLE). A VLE is an e-learning education system that is web-based, but modeled on conventional face-to-face education. It provides access to courses, course content, assessments, homework, links to external resources, etc. Moodle Blackboard easy way to collate and organize courses and information flexibility

**Figure 2.** Conditions of the Hype Cycle for 2016, regenerated from http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3412017.

There are several definitions about virtual reality which mean varies drastically with context. Virtual reality term first used in 1986 by Larnier [28] then Steuer, 1995 [29]; Heim, 1998 [30], and Yoh, 2001 [31]. Virtual reality is a technology that convinces the participant that he or she is actually in another place by substituting the primary sensory input with data received

Virtual reality is electronic simulations of environments experienced via head-mounted eye goggles and wired clothing enabling the end user to interact in realistic three-dimensional

of access software can limit course structure high level of maintenance.

**6. VR/AR definitions**

126 Open and Equal Access for Learning in School Management

produced by a computer.

situations [32].

From the first modern appearance in 2013 [26] and still in its improvement stage, learning VR technology will be effective in situations where it is necessary to experience physically, to do things that cannot be done in many ways easily, and to approach things differently and the technology is becoming more common to the users and producers of learning. You can see the landscape of VR (**Figure 3**) with content and headset types which has start to be used in games, gamification, designing, filming, and learning.

After several decades of experimenting VR invention in limited environments, Google Cardboard in the year 2014 became accessible to the mass market. This is a paper made doit-yourself head-mounted display (HMD) for smartphones priced at around 5 dollars. At the same time, there are many public releases of consumer editions of VR hardwares such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Many educational companies and startups have just started to develop learning, training, and educational VR contents and platforms. These let us shift to the immersive experience over just a 2D screen plus mouse/keyboard experience into something altogether more physical.

Presence is the main attribute in defining experience for VR using with head-mounted display. Mikropoulos and Strouboulis [41] investigated the sense of presence of children while

Virtual reality technology proposes and provides various educational learning capabilities, and grants a positive impact to its educational application if appropriately fulfilled. Chen [43] defines some of these capabilities that are able to provide support for education, such as learners' ability to visualize, manipulate, interact, and experience in real time with the 3D virtual environments that are unavailable or unfeasible due to distance, time, cost, or safety factors. Because of that, virtual reality technology in education brings about excitement and

Instructional Developments and Progress for Open and Equal Access for Learning

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71947

129

Virtual reality provides interaction with learning content. For instance, learners can view virtual environments from multiple viewpoints or zoom and pan in/out the virtual objects. This will probably enhance the learning effect when the learners are actively constructing new

According to Chen [44], the constructivist philosophy argues that knowledge is constructed through an individual's interaction with the environment and learners can learn better, when they are actively involved in constructing knowledge in a learning-by-doing situation. The learner may make mistakes because of wrong decisions but s/he takes an active role in their learning, since they not only absorb information, and these individual experiences change and affect the conditions for altering existent assimilated knowledge and thus constructing new knowledge [45]. Many instructors in colleges and universities have tried to make it for their students by creating opportunities for them to apply their learning in realistic in solving a real-life problem, if simulated, situations [46]. Virtual reality as an immersive technology

Virtual reality support constructivist philosophy that argues "learning-by-doing" situation with "experiential learning" which can be defined as an instructional model that begins with a direct "experience" involving a learner, followed by reflection, discussion, analysis and evaluation of the experience [47–49]. One of the most famous theories of experiential learning

Kolb [50] explains that learning from life experience is described as "experiential learning" by which learners transform their experiences into meaningful knowledge. In other words, experience is the main feature of VR which is a great benefit to all learning styles. VR with immersion or simulation features might provide a good level of realism and interactivity and

Same as Kolb [50], Edgar Dale [51], who often cited as the father of modern media in education, emphasizes "Experiences may be direct or indirect and of concrete and abstract can be summarized in pictorial device" Same Dale [52] found that the more active and participatory a learning activity, the longer the material remained in memory. Dale explains that in his audio-visual methods in Teaching Textbook [51] as "two weeks after learning the new information we remember no more than 20% of what we hear and read, but up to 90% of what we say and do". By the way, the retention data that was used by Dale, cited before Dale by Haskell [53] to explain Montesorri education method. Edgar Dale was the first who defined

offer valuable learning experiences as formulated by Dewey [45].

high expectation of its capabilities.

can support constructive learning.

was developed by Kolb [50].

with theoretical frame.

knowledge [44].

**Figure 3.** Landscape for VR. David Burden. Virtual reality for L&D: Part 1, https://www.learnevents.com/blog/2016/07/26/ virtual-reality-for-ld-part-1/ retrieved 07/05/2017.

navigating as an incomparable avatar in an immersive VR using various input devices such as HMDs for interaction. Project was representative of an ancient house in Kassiopi, Greece and the interactive actions within educational learning goals. Due to immersive VR's ability, learners can act through representations of the characters or avatars. Results are impressive; Mikropoulos and Strouboulis explored long-term retention (2 months later) of cognitive content and sense of presence. Younger learners are very familiar with those representations of self.
