Virtual Reality:

Emerging Applications and Future Directions

Barbara L. Ludlow
West Virginia University

Abstract
Virtual reality is an emerging technology that has resulted in rapid expansion in the development of virtual immersive environments for use as educa-
tional simulations in schools, colleges and universities. This article presents an overview of virtual reality, describes a number of applications currently
being used by special educators for personnel preparation in colleges and universities and for service delivery to children and adults with disabilities
in K-12 schools and community services, and discusses possible future directions in virtual reality applications and their implications for rural special
education.

Keywords: virtual reality, virtual environments, educational simulations

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Many people think of virtual reality (VR) as a futuristic tual reality applications for training, and these applications
technology associated with science fiction movies, television have transformed how learning occurs in professional prep-
series, and novels, but, in fact, most people already have expe- aration programs. VR tools have been used to prepare mili-
rienced today’s virtual reality applications, perhaps by playing tary personnel for combat, to teach medical personnel how
a computer video game, engaging in a simulated experience at to perform procedures, and to facilitate engineers’ use of the
a museum, viewing an artificial three-dimensional (3D) action product design and development cycle (Kapp & O-Driscoll,
movie at a local theatre, or using an augmented reality travel 2010). The most widely reported use of virtual reality in
app on a smartphone to navigate a new city. Most educators, education has been at the postsecondary level, where it has
however, have not yet thought about the implications of these been used for simulated learning experiences in conjunc-
developments for teaching and learning. But VR applications tion with either campus or online courses (Wang & Burton,
already have begun to impact the way that special education 2011). VR applications have been used to assist college stu-
personnel are prepared in campus and online teacher educa- dents to learn academic subjects (Dickey, 2005), to acquire
tion programs and how programs and services are delivered and practice skills (Steinkuehler, 2008), and to engage in
to children and adults with disabilities. role-playing exercises (Franklin & Arnetta, 2011). VR has
In virtual reality, technologies are used to create a been used to a lesser extent in K-12 education to teach core
3D environment which users experience through sensory academic concepts (Chang, Morreale, & Medicherla, 2010).
perception, physical movement, and text or speech com- The following sections describe VR applications that have
munication (Burdea & Coffit, 2003). These applications been used in special education for personnel preparation
can be classified along a continuum (Milgram, Takemura, and professional development and for delivering programs
Utsumi, & Kishino, 1994): (a) true virtual reality, (b) mixed and services in K-12 schools and community services.
reality, and (c) augmented reality. A true virtual reality
tool offers a wholly artificial world to create an immersive Virtual Reality Applications
experience for the user; a mixed reality tool integrates the for Personnel Preparation
artificial world with the real one (such as a physical space) to Colleges and universities have begun to make use of
enhance an experience for the user; and an augmented real- virtual reality for individual and group learning activities in
ity tool incorporates some elements of an artificial world campus and online courses. These uses include designing
into the real world to add information. They also differ on simulation activities for acquiring and practicing skills in
several dimensions: (a) desktop access by an individual view- instruction, providing a context to serve as preparation for
ing software installed on a computer or online access by one or as a substitute for field experiences, creating a setting for
or more individuals using a client viewer to access software group interactions to develop skills for collaboration, engage
hosted on a remote server; (b) simulated presentation of the in problem-based learning, and deliver live interactive class
real world or portrayal of a fantasy world; and (c) participa- sessions in courses in distance education programs. Here
tion by a single-user or multiple users. are some VR applications that have been used in personnel
Some disciplines already have made extensive use of vir- preparation for special education.

Author Note:
Please address all correspondence to Barbara L. Ludlow ([email protected]).

Rural Special Education Quarterly  Volume 34, No. 3—pages 3-10  © 2015 American Council on Rural Special Education
Reprints and Permission: Copyright Clearance Center at 978-750-8400 or www.copyright.com

Rural Special Education Quarterly   2015   Volume 34, Number 3 3

Virtual Learning Environments avatars that appear on a screen but are voiced by an unseen
Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are computer- live interactor who also controls their movements. The team
generated activities in which users interact in 2D or 3D space designed TLE TeachLivE™ as a classroom simulator to en-
alone or by collaborating with others. Like their entertain- able prospective and practicing teachers to acquire and refine
ment counterparts, such as video games like Nintendo Wii instruction and classroom management skills during both
or online worlds like World of Warcraft, VLEs can enhance preservice and inservice training. The system has been in-
motivation, engagement, and skill acquisition. Here are two stalled at various institutions of higher education and schools
VLEs that have been widely used for personnel preparation systems across the country that pay fees for various services.
and professional development in special education. More information about TLE TeachLivE™ is available at
simSchool. simSchool is a virtual learning environment http://teachlive.org.
with avatars that represent a classroom of K-12 students The TLE TeachLivE™ system can be used to allow teach-
across many different ability levels, age groups, and academic er candidates to practice skills prior to a school placement, to
content areas. Educators at the University of North Texas practice skills with coaching, or to assess acquisition of and
developed the simSchool model in collaboration with other proficiency in specific skills. The instructor designs a learning
colleagues with funding from government and foundation activity, provides the interactor in advance with instructions
sources. It was designed as a classroom simulation for preser- about the purpose of the lesson and any desired response
vice teacher education or teacher professional development. patterns specific to the learning activity. Activities can be cre-
It is used at colleges and universities across the world through ated for novice learners to gain understanding or acquire new
a licensing agreement that allows instructors and learners to skills or for advanced learners to refine and demonstrate skills
access an online site. More information about simSchool is with different ability levels or cultural groups. The learner in-
available at http://www.simschool.org. teracts with one or more avatars in learning activities, such
The simSchool system can be used as a learning tool to as conducting informal assessments of learning, teaching
acquire new skills, a practice exercise to reinforce knowledge academic content, or responding to challenging behaviors.
learned on another setting, or as an assessment of learner Although the system was designed for learners to interact
competency. Instructors can use learning activities previously with avatars as a group, it is also possible to set it so that they
designed by other simSchool users and available in an exten- only work with a single avatar. Because the system features a
sive database, or they can work with designers to customize live interactor with an understanding of each avatar’s learn-
their own exercises. Activities can be designed to be easy ing abilities and personality as well as the purpose and goals
to understand and complete for beginners or complex as a of the lesson, the avatars can respond in unique and multiple
challenge for more experienced learners. Each learner is as- ways to the learner’s commands and movements.
signed to work with one or more student avatars to complete The development team and the research university
exercises designed by an instructor to practice instructional partners have published research on TLE TeachLivE™ that
skills. When the learner selects a possible action, the avatar demonstrate its effectiveness as an educational simulation.
is programmed to respond in a way consistent with variables Studies have shown that it provides more authentic learning
pre-determined by the instructor. The system collects and experiences for preservice students (Dieker, Hynes, Hughes,
records data on the learner’s performance during the comple- & Smith, 2008). An early study found that the simulated
tion of the exercise that provides feedback to the user as well classroom was better than role playing exercises at helping
as to the instructor preservice students develop instruction and management
Its developers have researched the simSchool model ex- skills (Andreassen et al., 2008). Another study showed that
tensively. A series of studies found that preservice students the simulated classroom was as effective at improving pre-
not only became more proficient in skills but they developed service students’ skills as a school-based field experience
the ability to notice and address more subtle aspects of stu- (Whitten, Enicks, Wallace, & Morgan, 2013). A more recent
dent behaviors (Christensen, Tyler-Wood, Knezek, & Gib- study showed that the simulated classroom activity was more
son, 2011). They also acquired specific teaching skills, gained effective for skill development than classroom role play (Daw-
a sense of self-efficacy, and came to see themselves as respon- son & Lignugaris-Kraft, 2013). Other studies have found
sible for student achievement (Knezek, Fisser, Gibson, Chris- that TeachLivE™ practice sessions were effective in helping
tensen, & Tyler-Wood, 2012). Other studies have shown that preservice students learn to use differential reinforcement
preservice students who used the system stated that they felt (Judge, Bobzien, Maydosz, Gear, & Katsioloudis, 2013) and
more prepared for a teaching career (Peak et al., 2009), saw resulted in more effective use of feedback by classroom teach-
themselves as more ready to take on teaching responsibilities ers (Elford, Carter, & Aronin, 2013).
(McPherson,Tyler-Wood, McEnturff Ellison, & Peak, 2011),
and rated their level of teaching experience and confidence in Multi-user Virtual Environments.
their own abilities higher (Hopper, Knezek, & Christensen, Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are virtual
2013). worlds accessed online where multiple users can interact with
TLE TeachLivE™. TLE TeachLivE™ is a mixed real- each other’s avatars in real time. MUVEs have been used
ity application that combines a virtual learning environment extensively for personnel preparation across multiple profes-
with a real world classroom setting. A team of educators and sions (Hew & Chung, 2010; Kim, Lee & Thomas, 2012).
computer scientists at the University of Central Florida devel- Calandra and Puvirajah (2014) argued that MUVEs offer a
oped TLE TeachLivE™ with funding from public and private fourth learning space for teacher education that combines
sources. This system combines a set of virtual K-12 student the advantages of the three traditional spaces: (a) classroom

4 Volume 34, Number 3   2015   Rural Special Education Quarterly

lecture, (b) in-class practice exercises, and (c) field experiences and students perceived role-playing exercises to be more real-
in real schools. Here are two MUVEs that have been used for istic in SL simulations than in face-to-face classroom activities
personnel preparation in special education. (Gregory & Masters, 2012). Other studies have found that
Second Life. Second Life® (SL) is a MUVE available simulated practice teaching in this online immersive environ-
online across the globe that often is used for educational ment has resulted in an enhanced sense of teacher efficacy
simulations. Linden Lab, an Internet research company, cre- (Cheong, 2010; Muir, Allen, Rayner, & Cleland, 2013).
ated this online world as a free online platform to facilitate OpenSimulator. Some educators have used OpenSimula-
user-generated content for virtual reality simulations and tor, a free open source platform that can be installed on a com-
gaming. Accessing the SL server using client software down- puter to host a virtual world and to design specialized learn-
loaded to a desktop computer, users create a personal avatar ing environments and activities for access by multiple users.
that they move in a 3D space, manipulating virtual objects OpenSimulator, created through a collaboration of Linden
and communicating through speech or text with other users. Lab and IBM, is compatible with the Second Life® platform,
Although the system was not designed specifically for educa- as well as well as other virtual world viewers, and users can
tion, instructors at a variety of universities around the world move between these platforms to access public or private (with
have used it for simulations in courses in many different dis- permission) virtual environments. Although not specifically
ciplines, including preparation programs for professionals in developed for educational uses, the software was designed to
education, counseling, and nursing. More information about allow users to create their own customized virtual environ-
Second Life® is available at http://secondlife.com. ments, so researchers at several universities have used it to
Access to the Second Life® online world is free for create educational simulations for preservice teacher educa-
instructors and learners as long as they use any of the many tion programs and for K-12 students. More information about
publicly available spaces and settings. Instructors can locate openSimulator is available at http://opensimulator.org.
learning environments designed by other users that contain OpenSimulator can be used in many of the same ways
simulated settings and activities that are appropriate for their and for most of the same applications as described under
course content and instructional goals. Instructors who want the section on Second Life®. The only reported use of this
design their own unique learning experiences, however, need to technology related to personnel preparation in special educa-
make use of private spaces owned by their own institutions or tion found in the professional literature suggests that it has
rent virtual land from Linden Lab for an annual fee that varies been used successfully to train preservice teachers in skills for
with the size of the area. Second Life® cannot be accessed tutoring (Mason, Jeon, Blair, & Glomb, 2011).
by those under 18 unless they are given access to a restricted
area by a sponsoring agency, such as a school, so it cannot be Virtual Reality Applications for Service Delivery
used for learning activities for K-12 students except with direct Although the adoption of virtual reality in schools and
supervision by adults under very limited circumstances. community services has been slower than in higher educa-
Second Life® is a versatile tool that can be used for many tion, a number of VR applications for K-12 students with
different learning applications. It can serve as a virtual class- special needs in schools and adults with disabilities have been
room where instructors and learners in online courses can designed to achieve educational and intervention goals. A va-
meet for live class sessions in real time. It also can be used for riety of VR applications have been designed for K-12 students
educational simulations that learners can access together in that also can be used with those with disabilities (Strangeman
real time or alone on demand to acquire or practice skills re- & Hall, 2002). They require careful design to tailor the envi-
lated to course content. Because the system allows learners to ronment to the individual’s needs and abilities to ensure skill
interact with one another in real time, Second Life® is espe- acquisition in the virtual world as well as transfer to the real
cially effective for simulations that develop skills for interper- world (Jeffs, 2009). VR applications also have been used in
sonal interactions or professional collaboration. Instructors physical and cognitive therapy to promote individualization
who want to design unique learning experiences must secure in design of therapy activities, more precise assessment of
access to a private space, then add objects, either by using performance, real-time performance feedback, and greater op-
some of the many objects available free or for a small fee or portunities for independent practice by children and adults
by creating objects using a simple scripting language unique with disabilities (Rizzo, Strickland, & Bouchard, 2004).
to Second Life®, programming them to respond to learner Despite technical and practical challenges, VR holds great
actions. Instructors with good computer skills can master the promise for designing outcome-effective yet cost-efficient in-
scripting language with practice or they can collaborate with terventions for physical, cognitive and psychological therapy
others with some programming skills. Activities completed in and rehabilitation (Rizzo & Kim, 2005). Although many
the virtual world also can be recorded for later viewing using applications are research projects and not yet available com-
screen capture programs, such as Telestream’s ScreenFlow mercially, their initial success suggests that they will be more
(See information at http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/ widely used in years to come. Here are some of the ways in
overview.htm). which this technology can be used to support learning and
Research on Second Life® has been conducted at many enhance performance through educational applications and
different universities worldwide. A study comparing educa- therapeutic interventions.
tional role-playing exercises in a campus classroom and in the
SL virtual world found that both formats produced the same Educational Applications
number of communication exchanges and topics (Gao, Noe, Virtual reality can be used to provide experiential learn-
& Koehler, 2009). Another study showed that instructors ing opportunities using the situated and active learning

Rural Special Education Quarterly   2015   Volume 34, Number 3 5

strategies that are the hallmark of individualized special edu- Therapeutic Interventions
cation programs. VR applications offer new opportunities to Virtual reality has been used to support children and
increase the range of hands-on activities that can be provided adults with disabilities to improve health or physical condi-
in classrooms to teach academic concepts and social and com- tion, recover or enhance functioning, or develop and practice
munication skills. Here are some VR tools that have been daily living skills. VR applications can be used to provide
used with K-12 students with disabilities. guided practice in a virtual setting to prepare for using them
Academic concepts. Simulated activities in 3D virtual in a real world setting. Here are some VR tools that have been
worlds that allow K-12 students to move through space and used for therapy and rehabilitation with people with disabili-
manipulate objects have been used successfully to assist ties for basic motor skills or daily living skills.
them to learn academic concepts. A 3D version of Tetris Motor skills. A number of VR applications, often in the
was used to assist students with hearing impairments to form of games to enhance motivations and make repeated
learn academic concepts (Passig & Eden, 1999); Mathsigner practice more interesting, have been created to help individu-
was created to teach mathematics concepts to students with als with disabilities develop or enhance motor skills or regain
hearing impairments using an animated character (Adamo- and practice motor skills after an injury. These applications
Villani, Carpenter, & Arns, 2006); and Vcom3D designed include improving gross and fine motor skills of preschool-
a series of VR programs to teach students with hearing ers with developmental delays (Salern, Gropack, Coffin, &
impairments to learn concepts in mathematics and the sci- Godwin, 2012); supporting acquisition of orientation and
ences (Hurdich, 2008). Second Life® also has been used to mobility skills by individuals with visual impairments (La-
help students with disabilities learn concepts in computer hav, Schloerb, & Srinivasan, 2013); assessing and treating
science (Marghitu, Bell, Kearns, Ward, & Stephen-Pope, motor impairment in children in physical and occupational
2009). therapy (Laufer & Weiss, 2011); developing skills for driving
Social skills. VLEs have been designed to assist students a wheelchair by children with physical disabilities (Inman, et
with disabilities, especially those who have autism spectrum al., 2011); improving eye-hand coordination, attention, and
disorders, in acquiring and practicing a variety of social memory in individuals with traumatic brain injury (Rizzo, et
skills. The Transporters, an animated series of 3D vehicles with al., 2011); and enhancing physical fitness of adults with sig-
super-imposed human faces, has been used to systematically nificant developmental disabilities (Lotan, Yalon-Chamovitz,
teach facial awareness skills (Golan et al., 2010). FaceSay is & Weiss, 2011).
a computer-based social skills program that relies on avatar Daily living skills. Other VR applications focus on teach-
assistants during game activities to promote eye gaze, facial ing skills to accomplish activities of daily living. ProjectShop,
expressions, and emotions (Hopkins et al., 2011). The Second a specially designed virtual world, was developed to assist
Life® virtual world was used to construct age-appropriate students with moderate/severe intellectual disabilities in
social scenarios to provide practice in social skills for adoles- learning daily living skills and community participation skills
cents (Mitchell, Parsons, & Lennon, 2007) and young adults (Langone, Clees, Rieber, & Matzko, 2003). Second Life®
(Landalaft, Didehbani, Krawczwk, Allen, & Chapman, 2013). also has been used to create learning activities to assist adults
iSocial is a specialized 3D virtual environment created to en- with developmental disabilities to acquire health education
able students to develop targeted social skills (Schmidt, 2014; information (Hall, Conboy-Hill, & Taylor, 2011).
Stichter, et al., 2013).
Communication skills. VR applications have been de- Conclusions and Future Directions
signed to assist students with disabilities to learn more effec- This overview illustrates the range of virtual reality ap-
tive communication skills. Signing avatars are 3D animated plications that have been adopted as formats for teaching and
images that can sign words and sentences to demonstrate how learning in personnel preparation and service delivery in spe-
to sign or translate text to sign language for individuals who cial education. Although none of the applications reviewed
are deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH; Parton, 2006). SMILE here was designed specifically for rural special education, they
is a virtual learning environment designed to teach math- already have been applied to preservice and inservice training
ematics and science concepts to D/HH students through of teachers and to educational and rehabilitation programs for
manipulation of objects in a 3D world and interaction with children and adults in rural communities. It is obvious that
signing avatars (Adamo-Villani, Carpenter, & Arns, 2006). these VR tools offer both opportunities and challenges for the
SignTutor is a computer-based learning program (Aran et al., field, but it also is clear that several emerging technologies will
2009) to learn and practice sign by demonstrating signs by present additional avenues for creating even more realistic vir-
video or avatar, recording and analyzing the user’s production tual environments and simulations in the years to come.
of the sign, and avatar feedback on how to correct mistakes.
CopyCat is a virtual game created to help D/HH students Opportunities and Challenges in Using Virtual Reality
practice signing (Weaver et al., 2010). Wearing a motion sen- Virtual reality presents educators with both opportunities
sor glove, the user signs commands to an animated cat avatar and challenges as they work to harness their power for teach-
to make it respond; if the user does not sign correctly, the ing and learning in both K-12 schools and post-secondary
cat does not respond and a tutor avatar is available to dem- education settings. Although the VR applications presented
onstrate the correct sign. A potential future use of signing in this overview have demonstrated some success in using
avatars is to translate live speech into sign, reducing the need these technologies for education, there are many unanswered
for live interpreters, relay operators, and captioners (Clymer questions and more research that needs to be done to estab-
et al., 2012). lish their effectiveness.

6 Volume 34, Number 3   2015   Rural Special Education Quarterly

 Opportunities. VR technologies provide many new op- we use today—of movies, TV, videoconferencing, the smart-
tions for designing educational simulations. They allow the phone and the web. It is the ultra-immersive version of all
construction of environments and activities that may be tai- these things.” Reports of these emerging technologies hint at
lored to an individual’s specific learning needs (Levin, 2011). how their future convergence will result in even more realistic
These artificial, yet remarkably realistic, environments pres- virtual environments and activities in years to come.
ent learning activities in which users can acquire new knowl- 3D image displays. People already enjoy high quality 3D
edge and skills through first-person experiences rather than images on movie screens, while most new home television sets
study and observation (Mantovani, Castelnuovo, Gaggioli, & are now capable of displaying theatre-quality 3D images using
Riva, 2003). They enable learners to experience contexts that inexpensive glasses. In addition, people who visit museums
would be impossible, difficult, or too expensive to experience have played games using virtual reality 3D headsets that allow
in real life. Their game-like quality fosters the motivation for them to feel truly immersed in the virtual environment. The
and engagement in the activity needed to facilitate learning Oculus Rift VR stereoscopic viewers can be purchased now
(Aldrich, 2009), and they provide opportunities for repeated for developer use and soon will be available in an inexpensive
practice in a system that is always available and never tires of consumer version for use with computer games and virtual
responding (Hixon & So, 2009). They also can provide con- worlds (See information at https://www.oculus.com/en-us/).
trolled exposure to and guided practice in difficult or poten- Second Life® already has released a viewer version for use
tially dangerous situations (Landalaft et al., 2013). with Oculus Rift (See information at https://community.sec-
Challenges. VLEs also present challenges for educators ondlife.com/t5/Featured-News/Using-the-Oculus-Rift-with-
who wish to utilize them for learning experiences at the K-12 Second-Life/ba-p/2728824). These less expensive 3D glasses
or higher education levels, since little is know about what will stimulate development of enhanced virtual field trips and
makes them most effective. First and foremost, since VLEs science experiments for K-12 students (Herold, 2014).
need to be focused on learning and not entertainment, Holographic images. Most adults have encountered dis-
educators need to learn how to make learning experiences plays of holographic images, 3D displays of light that represent
both motivating and effective. Researchers have asserted that objects, such as the security images on some credit cards or the
VR simulations will be effective only to the extent that the holographic art for sale in souvenir shops. Using 3D laser pro-
situation is perceived as analogous to the real world activ- jectors, holograms now can portray life size images (Thompson,
ity task, learning is individualized, and skills are repeatedly 2010), be touchable by means of haptic points (Phillips, 2014),
practiced (Dieker, Rodriguez, Lignugaris/Kraft, Hynes, & have a wide viewing angle (Starr, 2015), and be immersive
Hughes, 2014). This suggests that VR designers must focus and interactive (Tesla, 2014). Microsoft already is developing
on identifying important and measurable learning outcomes a HoloLens headset with Windows Holographic software for
and incorporating principles of effective instructional design. use in designing 3D holographic computer games (Goldman,
Also, VR contexts need to convey a sense of realism to fully 2015). The headset is a self-contained hologram generator for a
engage learners and facilitate generalization of skills to the 360 degree virtual experience unconstrained by connections to
real world, so educators must give careful attention to the di- a computer. (See information at https://www.microsoft.com/
mensions of virtual environments. Research indicates that au- microsoft-hololens/en-us). Future developments in 3D image
thentic contexts that allow action upon objects and environ- projection using interactive stereo displays will allow users to be
ments enhance feelings of immersion and presence (Falconer, surrounded by a virtual object or environment and manipulate
2013). This suggests that well-designed VLEs will be needed it with their hands (Wolfman-Arent, 2014).
to enhance motivation for learning, engagement in activities, Activity sensors. Many people know that activity sensing
and achievement of desired outcomes. In addition, avatars devices now can be used to detect and capture movements to
clearly play a major role in virtual simulations, so educators enable animated characters to have more life-like movements
need to understand what characteristics facilitate interaction in movies (e.g., Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series)
and promote learning. Some research indicates that virtual and to control avatars in computer games (Microsoft’s Xbox
agents are judged by their believability or how like they are to Avatar Kinect and Wii from Nintendo). According to Bishop
real people (Zhu, Moshell, Ontañón, Erbiceanu, & Hughes, (2011), the creators of Avatar Kinect envisioned the product
2011). This suggests that users may prefer VLEs in which as a “first step in the creation of true three-dimensional,
avatars represent live users who initiate or respond to inter- multiparty, telepresent interactions” with applications in
actions (e.g., TLE TeachLivE™, Second Life®) rather than health care, education, and business. Kinect for Windows is a
VLEs in which avatar actions are determined by artificial in- motion-sensing device that allows users to control a computer
telligence pre-programmed by the creators (such as simSchool through hand or body motions or speech for more natural
or signing avatars). More experimentation and well-designed interactions, especially in games (See information at https://
research will be important in understanding how to create ef- www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows/). Developers
fective VR applications for educational purposes. already have designed an interface for using Kinect within
Second Life® (See video clip at http://projects.ict.usc.edu/
Emerging Technologies and the Path to the Future mxr/play/using-kinect-openni-to-embody-an-avatar-in-second-
The rapid pace of technology development suggests that, life-gesture-emotion-transference/). Oculus also plans to re-
in just a few more years, a wider range of inexpensive and lease Oculus Touch, a manual controller based on Kinect for
easy-to-use virtual reality technologies will become available. use with its 3D glasses in virtual worlds within the next year
In a New York Times article, Manjoo (2014) stated “. . . vir- (See http://vrfocus.com/archives/21813/oculus-touch-will-
tual reality is the natural extension of every major technology be-sold-in-pairs-sensor-limit-revealed/).

Rural Special Education Quarterly   2015   Volume 34, Number 3 7

 Brain implants. Most people are no doubt quite familiar next disruptive innovation in education. A group of major
with organ implants, such as heart pacemakers and cochlear universities, corporations, foundations, and government
implants, but they may be less aware of emerging applications agencies formed the Immersive Education Initiative, a non-
of implant technology. To date, brain implants already have profit international collaboration dedicated to promoting
enabled people to kick with a prosthetic leg (Boyle, 2014), effective practices in applying virtual reality in education (See
drink with a robotic arm (Devlin, 2015), and sense texture more information at http://immersiveeducation.org). Re-
and pressure with a robotic hand (Storrs, 2015). A short- searchers at Stanford University have begun to examine how
lived television series, Intelligence, which featured a character virtual reality affects the brain and to what extent behaviors
with a supercomputer micro-chip implanted in his brain to learned in virtual environments carry over into real world set-
access the Internet and control computerized systems by his tings (Novacic, 2015). VR applications, such as the ones de-
thoughts, provided a glimpse into emerging applications scribed in this article and including those discussed in more
of implant technology. Future developments in such brain- detail in this topical issue, have only just emerged as valuable
implanted sensors will allow people to connect to the Inter- tools for education, but, as these technologies become easier
net so that mind control to be used to conduct searches, send to use and more widely available, it is highly likely that they
communications, and even manipulate avatars in virtual envi- will be applied with greater frequency and in more creative
ronments (Snyder, 2013). ways in years to come.
Artificial intelligence. The many individuals who regular- Eminent Harvard scholar Chris Dede (2009) suggested
ly make use of and enjoy interacting with Apple’s Siri and An- that virtual learning environments provide new opportuni-
droid’s Eva already appreciate the power of virtual agents who ties for situated and active learning that can be useful in both
respond in human-like fashion using artificial intelligence (AI) higher education and K-12 education. According to Walker
to respond to commands, locate and assess information, and (2013), educators must face the fact that virtual tools will
help solve problems. They also interact with scripted AI agents replace books and manipulatives for the next generation.
that are programmed to respond to questions or commands Today’s technologies have the power not just to enhance
based on prediction algorithms during interactions via tele- teaching and learning but also to transform it by offering
phone answering devices or when making purchases on the new contexts in which these activities can occur (Kirkwood,
Internet. IBM’s supercomputer Watson (Thomson, 2010) is & Price, 2013). Perhaps virtual reality holds the most prom-
the first model of an intelligent computer that uses data analy- ise for assisting rural schools and communities to solve the
sis techniques that resemble how humans process language challenges they face in training special education personnel
and draw conclusions in responding to questions or solving and delivering programs and services to children and adults
problems. Future developments in AI will enable designers to with exceptionalities in rural communities. Virtual learn-
create avatars that are more “believable” agents that can react ing environments like TLE TeachLivE™ and simSchool will
to user actions and commands in a more realistic way and with become the forerunners in a wave of new educational simula-
a greater range of responses (Zhu et al., 2011). tions that will enable acquisition and refinement of teaching
skills across a wide range of learners, settings, and situations
Future of Virtual Reality in Education in personnel preparation and staff development programs in
Michael Abrash, one of the creators of the Oculus Rift rural areas. VR represents the new frontier for interactions
3D viewers, believes that virtual reality is the next major between remote locations, whether for distance education,
technology platform (Solon, 2015), asserting that reality is for meetings, or for individual interventions. Multi-user vir-
nothing more than experiences interpreted by the brain, tual environments, such as Second Life® and Open Simula-
whether perceived by the physical senses in the real world or tor, that are both immersive and interactive can become new
by electrical impulses in the virtual world. A provocative book learning platforms for campus and online courses for both
(Schmidt & Cohen, 2013) argued that, by 2025, technology real time and on demand learning activities and platforms for
will have created a new digital age in which the physical self collaborative and problem-based learning.
will be indistinguishable from the virtual self. In their vision, Refinement and wider use of VR for children and adults
people will live simultaneously in the both the real and the will enable rural schools and service agencies to offer a wider
virtual world, participating in fully immersive virtual environ- range of educational programs and intervention services
ments, sending holographic representations of themselves to than are currently available in small communities or remote
other locations, and accomplishing tasks remotely by direct- locations. Advances in technology will continue to make VR
ing the actions of robots with physical movements and voice applications for K-12 students more readily available, less
commands. As people become more accustomed to using vir- expensive, and easier to use, making them more widely avail-
tual reality experiences in their daily lives, no doubt they will able to educators who live and work in rural areas. More so-
be more comfortable with and perhaps will come to expect phisticated versions of today’s VR games and signing avatars
them to be used in educational settings in schools, colleges, will help rural educators and service providers provide high
and universities. quality programming even when specialists are not available.
When Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg invested heavily in In this brave new world of technology, when VR applications
the new Oculus technology last year (Young, 2014), it was are available in every classroom at every level, perhaps rural
with the belief that 3D virtual environments represent the schools and communities will benefit the most.

8 Volume 34, Number 3   2015   Rural Special Education Quarterly

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10 Volume 34, Number 3   2015   Rural Special Education Quarterly