Last year, the Learning Spaces and Media Services (LSMS) team launched a Virtual Reality (VR) pilot program. Phase one invited faculty to experience VR and learn about how it could enhance the learning experience. In September, LSMS introduced phase two of the pilot program by integrating VR into course curriculum.
Last week, students from ART 1310 met in Moody 104 to learn about and experience virtual reality. Professor Benny Fountain used the library’s VR to teach a lesson on perspective and creation in a 3D environment. Students also learned how to use the equipment and Tilt Brush, a 3D painting application from Google. This software allows artists to paint in a 3D environment using several different canvases and brushes.
At the end of class, students were instructed to book at least two hours in the VR Lab in the TechPoint Media Lab. Fountain didn’t require specific parameters; he wanted his students to freely create without boundaries. Fountain intends to meet in Moody 104 after the due date and have students showcase their creations.
“This assignment is shaping the future of VR in the libraries and how we can help implement it into curriculum,” said Tanner Osborn, academic consultant for LSMS. “Through theses phases, we are identifying what role the libraries will play in access to VR as a learning tool.”
To learn more about the libraries’ initiatives with VR, contact Tanner Osborn at tanner_osborn@baylor.edu.