Semi-Immersive Desktop Virtual Reality
Desktop virtual reality (VR) runs on low-cost personal computers and enables multiple users to work collaboratively in a game, simulation or virtual world (Lee & Wong, 2014). Although desktop VR is less immersive than fully immersive, augmented, and mixed VR (Huang, Rauch, & Liaw, 2010), users of desktop VR still experience a sense of presence and immersion, depending on the degree of representational fidelity and the degree of interaction among users (Dalgarno, Hedberg, & Harper, 2002).
The use of desktop-based VR technologies for educational purposes is widespread. 3D virtual worlds are categorized as semi-immersive VR systems (Virtual Reality Society, 2018) and offer partial immersion without the need for VR gear, such as data gloves or head-mounted displays. The results of a meta-analysis suggest that semi-immersive virtual reality-based instruction is an effective means of enhancing learning outcomes (Merchant, Goetz, Cifuentes, Keeney-Kennicutt, & Davis, 2014). A total of 69 studies was categorized into three forms of desktop-based virtual reality technologies, namely, simulations, games, and virtual worlds. Real-time visualization and interaction emerged as the key factors that make 3D virtual worlds, such as Second Life, a valid alternative to fully immersive VR (Huang et al., 2010; Merchant et al., 2014), without experiencing the potential caveats of motion sickness, nausea, headaches, and fatigue commonly associated with true immersive VR (Herold & Molnar, 2018; Tax’en & Naeve, 2002).
The authors carefully considered which virtual world might be best to host the learning events described in this study. Conrad (2011) suggested evaluating virtual worlds against four dimensions, namely, their contexts, the immersion level, cost, and their persistence. The participants’ level of digital literacy, the available computer equipment, and the participants’ bandwidth needed to be taken into account. As a result, the authors chose to conduct the lecture and discussion events in Second Life due to its popularity among educators and its easy and free access. A review of over 100 articles on educational uses of virtual worlds (Duncan, Miller, & Jiang, 2012) indicates an overwhelming use of Second Life because it is relatively easy to set up and use and allows simulating a real world context in which the users are primarily in control of their interactions with other users and the environment (Richards & Taylor, 2015).
Fully immersive VR systems, in contrast, need a virtual-reality package. Although fully immersive VR has begun to make inroads in education, the educational value of fully immersive VR is not clear. More research is needed to justify why schools should invest in these technologies because “the field has suffered from a dearth of content that has clear educational value beyond simply engaging students” (Herold & Molnar, 2018, p. 10). There are also concerns with regard to the long-term impact on users’ emotions, which is why some equipment, such as Samsung’s GearVR viewer, should not be used by children younger than 13 (Herold & Molnar, 2018).