Using virtual reality and 360‐degree video in the religious studies classroom: An experiment

Abstract

The advent of relatively inexpensive 360‐degree cameras and virtual reality (VR) headsets brings new possibilities to the study of religion by allowing students to become virtually immersed in distant religious environments at very little cost. These tools can serve as the basis for assignments that help to engage students and meet core learning outcomes such as empathetic understanding and ethnographic analysis of religious place, ritual, and behavior in light of theories of religion. This article describes and reflects on the experimental incorporation of these technologies in two sections of an introductory religious studies course at a small two‐year campus in the University of Wisconsin System.

Using Virtual Reality to Enhance Food Technology Education

“…When viewed using a VR headset, the viewer can simply turn and look around as if they were there. With the ability of 360-degree video to give students a greater feeling of presence in the environment than traditional video (Harrington et al, 2018;Johnson, 2018), the ability for 360-degree content to enhance teaching is apparent. Due to increasing quality and reducing cost, 360-degree cameras are now realistic resources for schools.…”

“…The use of potential VR solutions could be restricted, for example, through a lack of access to suitable devices, headsets or fast internet. The process adopted by Johnson, where VR viewers were issued for short-term use, via the library, is a sensible solution; alternatively, with the reduced cost of mobile headsets, it is plausible that a VR headset could well become part of a student's stationery list (Johnson, 2018). Another problem, especially while the video quality is still developing, is the issue of VR sickness, an effect similar to regular motion sickness.…”

“…The likeliness of sickness with 360-degree videos can be reduced by keeping the camera stationary while recording content, but this will not prevent illness for all participants. Johnson (2018) suggests having a computer link available for those who struggle with VR sickness, allowing the capacity to view content outside a headset. Whilst this would allow the users to see similar content, not having the heightened presence the VR headset provides might be disappointing for the user.…”

Lessons learned from a project examining the learning outcomes and experiences in 360o videos

“…They are commonly used for delivering virtual tours to places of interest, museums, and archaeological sites (e.g., Argyriou et al, 2020;Skondras et al, 2019), as well as for presenting experiments and medical procedures (e.g., Ardisara & Fung, 2019;Sankaran et al, 2019). They have been also used for the teaching of subjects related to Ecology (e.g., Fokides & Kefalinou, 2020;Ritter et al, 2019), Physics (Wu et al, 2019), Physical Education (Kittel et al, 2020;Paraskevaidis & Fokides, 2020), Religion Education (Johnson, 2018), language learning (Berns et al, 2018;Xie et al, 2019), Public Health Education (Dawson et al, 2019), Safety Education (Pham et al, 2018), and for delivering virtual courses (Lee et al, 2017). 360 o videos have similarities with regular videos, as well as with VR applications.…”

Teaching Religion to Undergraduates in the 2020s: A Preliminary Reconnaissance

“…We know of several innovative approaches to packaging religious studies in individual courses and in departments. Immersive technologies, gaming, and interactive fiction that appeal to many students are creative ways of approaching course design (Johnson 2018;Lester 2018;Zeller 2018). Some departments have turned toward interfaith education or interreligious studies, often on the model of Eboo Patel and the Interfaith Youth Core (2019).…”