Report OL217 Virtual Realiity: a real context for learning?

The West Denton High School project set out to investigate the feasibility of developing VR packages for use in the classroom and in industrial training applications. In the course of the project, three very different desktop-based packages were developed for use in three different educational and training contexts. The project pooled the resources and expertise of NEI Parsons Ltd., Tyneside Training and Enterprise Council ( TEC ), Dimension International and Cadonmac and thus saw the forging of valuable links between industry and education.

The project had two specific aims:
(1) to determine how far Virtual Reality was immediately accessible and relevant to education and training
(2) to ascertain which constraints limit the effectiveness of Virtual Reality as a tool for learning.

In order to achieve these aims the project team set out to: identify appropriate software, identify appropriate hardware, provide effective systems for the use of both staff and students, and create Virtual Reality environments for specific learning purposes. The entire process was monitored and evaluated with a view to providing recommendations for future development and more widespread use. The West Denton initiative combined IT, design and genuine innovation within a partnership between the education and business communities. Young learners were given an opportunity to engage in active research at the leading edge of new technology. Such activities improved their competence, their self-confidence and helped them define their goals for the future.

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This page last updated 24 January 1999.