Now anyone can go into space ;)
One of the many advantages of Virtual Reality technology is that it allows users to feel as though they have been
transported to places and/or times that they would not be able to experience any other way. This sensation, of being
immersed in a completely unfamiliar world, heightens the senses and makes the experience more memorable. Tasks
designed to facilitate language learning that students are asked to undertake in these exotic, new environments are also
likely to be more memorable than they would be if they were undertaken in a more familiar setting. So even though some
of these tasks might involve activities that students would not have to perform in everyday life, they can nevertheless
help in the learning process while providing students with a level and engagement and motivation that would be difficult
to match in a more conventional classroom environment. This explains why the virtual worlds we have developed in VR4LL
are beyond most people’s experience, and it also explains why the tasks students are asked to perform in these worlds
are mostly beyond the sort of activity they might be expected to undertake in their everyday lives.
Read more:
VR4LL Newsletter 3 – English