Virtual Reality and HyperReality Technologies in Universities

Abstract

The term HyperReality (HR) was coined by Nobuyoshi Terashima to refer to “the technological capability to intermix virtual reality (VR) with physical reality (PR) and artificial intelligence (AI) with human intelligence (HI)” (Terashima, 2001, p. 4). HR is a technological capability like nanotechnology, human cloning and artificial intelligence. Like them, it does not as yet exist in the sense of being clearly demonstrable and publicly available. Like them, it is maturing in laboratories where the question ‘if?’ has been replaced by the question ‘when?’ And like them, the implications of its appearance as a basic infrastructure technology are profound and merit careful consideration (Tiffin & Terashima, 2001). Because of this, universities – if they are to be universities – will be involved with HR as a medium and subject of instruction and research, and for the storage and development of knowledge (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 2003). The concepts of HyperUniversities, HyperClasses, Hyperschools and HyperLectures are at the same level of development as the concepts of virtual universities, virtual classes, virtual colleges and virtual schools in the later part of the 1980s (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995).