In lecture the question was raised of what VR can be used for, and the fact that largely we are still exploring all the possibilities. I was interested in seeing what applications are being experimented with beyond the typical things people think of when they think of VR. I found an interesting experiment being done by the UC Davis MIND Institute:
"The UC Davis MIND Institute is developing and testing a high-tech, non-pharmaceutical way to address ADHD and distractibility in general: virtual reality.
Participants in the MIND Institute study will wear a VR headset and be tested on how they perform attention-demanding tasks in a virtual classroom environment with a high rate of distractions, such as peers talking or teachers walking by. Children will be required to practice 25-minute daily sessions in the virtual classroom. The sessions can be completed at home.
Testing will require about 25 training sessions over five to six weeks. Researchers hope to determine whether or not the training helps children learn to attend better in the virtual classroom and if improvements in the classroom transfer to real home and school environments. "
The idea is founded in the concept of exposure therapy, which is often used for people who experience anxiety, as well as habituation learning techniques, 'a type of learning in which an innate response to something diminishes with repeated exposure to the stimulus." It'll be really interesting to see whether the results of this study are shown to be effective in helping kids get more acclimated to typical classroom distractions and minimize the need for pharmaceuticals. I'm sure more and more stuff like this will be popping up in the next 5-10 years
isaaclee06
One area that I think VR are definitely prevalent in that weren't covered in lecture are for therapy uses, especially in children and people with PTSD. Exposure therapy especially.
In lecture the question was raised of what VR can be used for, and the fact that largely we are still exploring all the possibilities. I was interested in seeing what applications are being experimented with beyond the typical things people think of when they think of VR. I found an interesting experiment being done by the UC Davis MIND Institute:
"The UC Davis MIND Institute is developing and testing a high-tech, non-pharmaceutical way to address ADHD and distractibility in general: virtual reality.
Participants in the MIND Institute study will wear a VR headset and be tested on how they perform attention-demanding tasks in a virtual classroom environment with a high rate of distractions, such as peers talking or teachers walking by. Children will be required to practice 25-minute daily sessions in the virtual classroom. The sessions can be completed at home.
Testing will require about 25 training sessions over five to six weeks. Researchers hope to determine whether or not the training helps children learn to attend better in the virtual classroom and if improvements in the classroom transfer to real home and school environments. "
The idea is founded in the concept of exposure therapy, which is often used for people who experience anxiety, as well as habituation learning techniques, 'a type of learning in which an innate response to something diminishes with repeated exposure to the stimulus." It'll be really interesting to see whether the results of this study are shown to be effective in helping kids get more acclimated to typical classroom distractions and minimize the need for pharmaceuticals. I'm sure more and more stuff like this will be popping up in the next 5-10 years
One area that I think VR are definitely prevalent in that weren't covered in lecture are for therapy uses, especially in children and people with PTSD. Exposure therapy especially.