Applications of Virtual Environments in Experiential, STEM, and Health Science Education
Kelly S. Hale, Kay M. Stanney · 2014
This chapter presents examples of utilizing virtual environments for experiential learning and training purposes, with applications to several areas in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and health sciences. The chapter starts with a general introduction to experiential learning, followed by a presentation of various technologies for enhancing the experience in virtual environments. The rest of the chapter is organized into two sections that discuss specic examples of virtual environments for experiential learning and therapeutic medical applications, respectively. More specically, the examples will demonstrate the following: the use of low-cost haptic devices in virtual environments for learning nanotechnology, experiential learning environments for forest education, the use of virtual reality theaters as an educational tool in the arts and the humanities, virtual environments for therapeutic solutions, interactive tools for treating motor disabilities using BCI for interaction with virtual environments, and experiential 41.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1057 41.2 Experiential Learning through Virtual Reality .................................................................. 1058 41.2.1 Foundations of Experiential Learning .................................................................... 1058 41.2.2 Designed Experiences in Game-Based and Virtual Learning Environments ........ 1059 41.3 Augmenting Experience Using Natural User Interfaces .................................................... 1060 41.3.1 Sight ........................................................................................................................ 1061 41.3.2 Hearing ................................................................................................................... 1062 41.3.3 Touch....................................................................................................................... 1063 41.4 Designing Virtual Systems for Learning through Agile Development .............................. 1063 41.5 Interactive Virtual Worlds for Experiential Learning ........................................................1064