Baptiste Fabre, Julien Bribet, Ludovic Lescieux, Aude Caussarieu
Optical Engineering, Vol. 63, Issue 07, 071411, (May 2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.63.7.071411
TOPICS: Virtual reality, Education and training, Optics education, Photonics, Motion analysis, Digital video recorders, Michelson interferometers, Displays, Optical engineering, Visualization
This communication analyzes the potential for immersive virtual reality (IVR) to improve efficiency in optics education. We first critically review the common motivations to use IVR in education. Second, we highlight the two capabilities of IVR that distinguish it from the other visualization technologies that can be used in education: immersion and analysis of the learner’s movement. Then, we identify four characteristics of situations in which IVR can efficiently support optics learning: large equipment, operating with distraction, security training, and feedback for motor skills. We illustrate these findings with 11 concrete examples.