I actually proposed this session for DevLearn, but was asked to speak at the new Realities360 conference. As an academic with a limited budget, I spoke on how to get started with virtual reality for learning cheaply and easily.
Conference
Realities360 (Learning Guild), San Jose, CA
Session Description
Virtual reality (VR) learning experiences are dramatically increasing in popularity. But how do you get started building VR? What if you have a low budget, or no budget at all? The cost of new technology and software, and the development time required, may thwart would-be VR developers. However, there are now several free software and media options that make it simpler and more affordable than ever to build VR.
In this session, you’ll be introduced to several free, open source, and low-cost tools to build effective VR learning experiences. We’ll cover best practices and common pitfalls of developing VR. You’ll build an interactive VR experience from scratch using an open source tool and 360 images, and we’ll talk about what’s necessary to create your own 360 photos and 3D-modeled worlds. You will leave this session well-equipped to build your own immersive VR learning experiences on a budget!
Learning Objectives
- Identify the software and hardware necessary to build VR
- Evaluate a variety of software to build VR learning experiences
- Recall common obstacles in VR development and how to overcome them
- Develop a VR learning experience using open source software and 360 media