CTE and Virtual Reality: What’s out there?

"There's a natural relationship between Virtual Reality and gaming," says CTE's Sam Abramovich. "We are definitely going to see educational games strengthened by the use of VR technology."

And the first step in that process is to learn about what already exists in the world of Virtual Reality. That's why Sam, Dave Peloff and the rest of the CTE team are currently spending much of their time researching all of the latest technologies involved in creating VR simulations. Their research will be applied later in the project when CTE begins to develop the VR simulations that will be an integral part of LG2G.

One of the most interesting uses of Virtual Reality technology, according to Sam Abramovich, is called "Virtual Iraq," a project developed by Albert Rizzo and his team at the University of Southern California. "Virtual Iraq" is a VR simulation that recreates the sights, sounds and smells of Iraq for returning American veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The simulation allows patients to re-connect with difficult experiences and with the help of a clinical psychologist, eventually come to terms with them. Sam has actually tried a demo version of "Virtual Iraq," and says that "it's one of the more impressive things I’ve ever seen in VR."

Down the line, CTE will be using these kinds of technologies to help teach pre-algebra to middle schoolers. That might seem like a bit of a leap, if not for the fact that CTE is partnering with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), also at Johns Hopkins University. The APL has also designed VR simulations for the military, and CTE will be building on their work for LG2G. And what does that mean for Learning Games to Go? "The likely environment for the VR work in LG2G is either outer space or the ocean," says Dave Peloff. "Our partners at APL already have data on those environments, so they seem like good starting points."

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