{"605591":{"#nid":"605591","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Virtual Reality Takes Students Where Once Only Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus Could Go","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech undergraduate research team is taking local high school and middle school students where they\u0026rsquo;ve never been before \u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp;inside of plant and animal cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFourth-year computer science major\u003Cstrong\u003E Aditya Vishwanath\u003C\/strong\u003E and fourth-year industrial engineering major\u003Cstrong\u003E Amrutha Vasan\u003C\/strong\u003E have developed smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) video content based on Advanced Placement (AP) Biology course material.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe content was used for a recent study with students in Cobb County, Georgia, to determine the effectiveness of the new technology in the classroom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the study, the team worked with the College of Sciences\u0026#39; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CEISMC) and teachers from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gadoe.org\/Pages\/Home.aspx\u0022\u003EGeorgia Department of Education\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for more than a year to co-design and develop the VR video content based on the state of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s curriculum standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026quot;Seat belts, everyone!\u0026quot;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENearly 350 high school and middle school students participated in the study, which was approved by Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/researchintegrity.gatech.edu\/irb\u0022\u003EInstitutional Review Board\u003C\/a\u003E. The data-gathering portion of the study ended April 9. Although the analysis is not complete, initial results indicate that VR is likely to have positive educational outcomes for students.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Along with almost a full letter-grade increase in factual knowledge over the control group, we\u0026rsquo;re seeing high increases in confidence levels, student engagement, and interest levels over the control group,\u0026rdquo; said Vishwanath who is mentored by \u003Cstrong\u003ENeha Kumar\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We held design workshops with different groups of teachers, students, parents, and others from across the state with the goal of designing the curriculum using guidelines and recommendations they gave us,\u0026rdquo; said team leader Vishwanath.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team collaborated with teachers to create scripts based on AP content, which were then storyboarded and animated for the videos.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026quot;OK bus, do your stuff!\u0026quot;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENot unlike the 1990s children\u0026rsquo;s show,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/magicschoolbus.wikia.com\/wiki\/The_Magic_School_Bus_Wiki\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Magic School Bus\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the 360-degree VR videos take students \u0026ldquo;inside\u0026rdquo; of a cell for an up-close exploration. Once inside, a voiceover describes what students are seeing and how the different parts of the cell function. The series of VR videos cover topics including the mitochondria, lysosomes, DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;This is a unique chance for students to experience a cell from the inside,\u0026quot; said \u003Cstrong\u003EKristy Younker\u003C\/strong\u003E, a science teacher at Kennesaw Mountain High School taking part in the study. \u0026quot;Because they are already so comfortable with their cellphones, this technology may help students engage more with the subject matter.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ccgatech\/albums\/72157693798186164\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E[PHOTOS: See all of the pictures from Kennesaw Mountain H.S.]\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents participating in the study were divided into two groups \u0026ndash; one engaging with the 360-degree VR content, the other serving as a control group.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing normal course instruction for all of the students, the study group \u0026ndash; using inexpensive easy-to-use cardboard VR viewers \u0026ndash; watched a corresponding VR video for 10-15 minutes each day at the end of class. Students in the control group were asked to read from a textbook that provided the same content, but in written form with images and other illustrations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026quot;If you keep asking questions, you\u0026#39;ll keep getting answers\u0026quot;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We wanted to demonstrate how affordable this is. The only other technology needed is an internet connection and a smartphone, which most of the students already have,\u0026rdquo; said Vishwanath.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We don\u0026rsquo;t believe that this technology will replace traditional instruction, but we think it may reinforce learning and empower students to ask deeper, more meaningful questions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Viswanath, the study may be the largest field study of its kind.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of research has shown that VR has high learning outcomes. But most, if not all, of the current research has been done in the lab with expensive equipment, not in an actual school setting. Very little of what has been done in the past has involved common core subjects like biology,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team will wrap up the data analysis in the coming months and then submit the results for peer review. The team is also starting up an entrepreneurial initiative to further explore the potential that VR could have for formal and informal learning in more global, underserved contexts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVishwanath is heading to Stanford University this fall to begin his Ph.D. in the Graduate School of Education\u0026rsquo;s Learning Sciences and Technology Design program. He is also a recent recipient of the prestigious \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/knight-hennessy.stanford.edu\/program\/scholars\/aditya-vishwanath\u0022\u003EKnight-Hennessy scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEDITOR\u0026#39;S NOTE: This article is a slightly revised version of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/605000\/vr-taking-students-where-once-only-ms-frizzle-and-magic-school-bus-could\u0022\u003Estory by Albert Snedeker published originally by\u0026nbsp;the College of Computing on April 12, 2018\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech undergrad research team study effectiveness of virtual reality in the classroom "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech undergraduate research team is taking local high school and middle school students where they\u0026rsquo;ve never been before \u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp;inside of plant and animal cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"College of Computing undergrad explores effectiveness of virtual reality in the classroom."}],"uid":"30678","created_gmt":"2018-04-26 17:06:43","changed_gmt":"2018-04-26 17:09:24","author":"A. Maureen Rouhi","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"605009":{"id":"605009","type":"image","title":"Students participate in VR classroom study","body":null,"created":"1523547062","gmt_created":"2018-04-12 15:31:02","changed":"1523547062","gmt_changed":"2018-04-12 15:31:02","alt":"High school students using cardboard virtual reality viewers as part of Georgia Tech research study","file":{"fid":"230666","name":"VRclassroomstudy_6 copy.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_6%20copy.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_6%20copy.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":433772,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_6%20copy.jpeg?itok=amkOosik"}},"605113":{"id":"605113","type":"image","title":"GT undergrad researchers study use of VR in classroom","body":null,"created":"1523650467","gmt_created":"2018-04-13 20:14:27","changed":"1523650555","gmt_changed":"2018-04-13 20:15:55","alt":"Georgia Tech students speaking with high school students","file":{"fid":"230716","name":"VRclassroomstudy_7.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_7.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_7.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":123287,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/VRclassroomstudy_7.jpeg?itok=gH4qglT6"}}},"media_ids":["605009","605113"],"groups":[],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"177678","name":"aditya vishwanath"},{"id":"148381","name":"vr"},{"id":"145251","name":"virtual reality"},{"id":"177679","name":"cobb county students"},{"id":"177680","name":"ap biology"},{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlbert Snedeker, Communications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:albert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu?subject=VR%20classroom%20research\u0022\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["albert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}