Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

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Virtual worlds are becoming an amazing phenomenon. Virtual reality or augmented reality is combining the real and digital worlds together. It is an artificial environment created with software to represent a real environment. These worlds can be used in basically every industry. For example, VR can be applied in the classroom, for military training, and just entertainment in general. 

Like with all types of new media, there are pros and cons to virtual worlds. I think the biggest positive from these virtual worlds is that they enhance education. “It’s pretty cool,” said St. Pius X Catholic School social studies teacher, who last year led four 22-student history classes on a virtual tour of Versailles when they were studying King Louis XIV. “It’s pretty cheap, too. Normally a field trip to France costs several thousand dollars” (Earle). Advancements in technology allow learning to grow to limits beyond traditional teaching. I also believe that this gets kids excited to learn. Changing teaching methods allow for the students to experience various ways of learning which is more beneficial in the long run. I think that a major con with these virtual worlds is that there is a lack of communication in the real world. Even if there is more than one person in the same virtual world with you, your characters are interacting, not your actual self. “In the 1950s, you played with everyone on your street” (Mehta). Just this one newer application shows how times have changed over the last few decades. I also feel that some people may become so consumed with the virtual world that they ignore the realities of the real world. 

Virtual worlds foster tons of creativity. My best friend actually got a VR system in her living room this past summer. It was fun to play some of the games that came with the program, but I really enjoyed using the Google maps application. I was able to visit all of the Disney Worlds and Disneylands without leaving her house. It was quite magical! We were able to go up into outer space and walk around Machu Picchu in Peru. I could visit anywhere that Google has put into this search engine. As mentioned before, these virtual worlds are also great for learning, where kids can be as creative as they want. Basically, anything that you image can be created in a virtual world which is something that many never thought as possible. 

I think that virtual worlds are the way of the future because it can impact every aspect of our daily lives. There is this Progressive Insurance commercial where a boy was consumed in VR, maybe believing it was reality. Flo and his father were just analyzing the entire scene wondering if this is what future interactions will look like. This commercial sums up how these advancements have changed the way that we interact and will continue to develop in the future.  

Citations:

The virtual world moves into the classroom Posted by Joe Earle | Sep 14, 2018 https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2018/09/14/the-virtual-world-moves-into-the-classroom/

After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get A Reboot. April 30, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/ 

Progressive commercial: https://youtu.be/NLTKvGgTb10

Image: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-augmented-reality-and-virtual-reality-technologies-will-transform-utili




Comments

  1. Roshen V.November 13, 2018 at 1:45 PM

    Hi Allysia!

    I also mentioned the article about moving virtual reality into our classrooms in my post and I completely agree with your point about the pros and cons VR could bring. I know personally, when I was in elementary school and high school, history was a boring class for me since it was just memorizing dates and names. If I was able to experience something like being able to walk around Versailles, I am sure I would've been much more engaged and excited in that class. Just like you mentioned visiting DIsneyland without actually going there, I really love how VR has given us the ability to experience things we don't always have access too. For me, the NBA introducing VR games was very exciting because I was now able to experience watching a courtside game without having to leave my house and buy a ticket.

    - Roshen V

    ReplyDelete

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