Modern Learning: Students Dive into a Virtual Environment

With all likelihood, a new type of learning is on the horizon for students. The cyber classroom will soon become reality. This is made possible by the components from visualization and virtual reality expert Visenso, and Carl Zeiss. From the first bell, students using virtual reality systems from Visenso will move about in virtual environments in which complex phenomena from science and technology will be visualized. The video goggles enable information presented during the school day to be "experienced" again at home or at any other location.

"Students often reach the end of their imaginative powers in subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology, in particular, and therefore have trouble understanding the material. This causes many of them to spend hours going over the content matter. Especially in these areas, processes and interactions are incredibly exciting and predestined for learning through individual visual impressions," comments Visenso President Martin Zimmermann. "Delving into the material, interacting and having fun with new information will ensure considerably better learning success."

During a lecture in the classroom, students would be able to embark on a journey through the human body, for example, and experience blood flowing through the aorta up close. However, even invisible processes such as those occurring at the atomic level or in magnetism can be simulated on the stereo back-projection wall. In addition to pure observation, the next generation will also have the opportunity to interact with 3D data. Experiments reserved for the labs of research institutes or large corporations can be conducted in schools absolutely risk-free.

With the cinemizer video eyewear from Carl Zeiss, students can also re-experience fascinating moments from the classroom at home or at any other location. The cinemizer simulates a 115 cm (45 inches) screen at a distance of two meters and ensures that you can really "dive into" 3D contents. "The cinemizer does more than simply re-present school material. It is also ideal for animated graphics, movies and videos stored either on the current Nokia N series cell phones with a video port or on video-capable iPod models," adds Dr. Frank-Oliver Karutz who is responsible for multimedia devices at Carl Zeiss. To transfer learning material, the video goggles have been coupled to the Covise visualization and virtual reality software from Visenso. Training material on a CD or DVD can feasibly be given to students and watched in 3D on the cinemizer using your home DVD player.

The total solution was presented to the broad public for the first time at the Science Days in mid October at the Europapark in Rust, Germany. A pilot project is currently underway at the Thomas Strittmatter High School in St. Georgen in the Black Forest. The universal use of the virtual classroom could have a considerable impact on the economy as "more young people are once again becoming interested in science and technical professions and are receiving the corresponding education," states Martin Zimmermann.