Gaming, VR, and Immersive Technologies for Education/Training

Abstract

Future digital lives are predicted to extend beyond mobile smart phones with devices appearing as standard eyeglasses having settings for Extended Reality (XR). This will be so that what one really experiences and what is computer-generated will be so tightly mixed together that a person will not be able to distinguish between what is real and what is an illusion. Rather than sliding a finger across a touch screen on a smart phone, it will be possible to make things happen by moving our eyes or by brainwaves. Talking with someone or playing an online game will involve seeing that person in the same room and being able to touch and feel him/her via tactile technology. XR will be used in a variety of education situations with head mounted displays (HMDs) in classrooms for all children and also in home environments where those being educated have their own headset and system; medical students and surgeons will be educated in practical skills by using virtual humans rather than cadavers; oilrig and wind-farm workers will understand how to handle maintenance, repairs, and emergencies, before they ever leave the home office (Abridged from original call for chapters for this book). This chapter reviews texts selected for this volume on Gaming, VR, and immersive technologies for education and in training. It begins with a brief introduction text speculating impact related to well-being.