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Virtual Reality in the Educational Environments

− visual realism (that is an accurate representation about the virtual world). Virtual reality (VR) refers to real systems modeled by computer graphics that allow user interaction and movements with three or more degrees of freedom. VR is being used, in architecture by visualizing large and small scale design process, in health care by visualizing surgical process, and in training airforces by visualizing virtual air fights. Furthermore, virtual reality is a technology which can help the educational process in a variety of fields. The aim of this paper is to present an educational experience of the use of the virtual reality in two different undergraduate courses of Mathematics (Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 5) at the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, Switzerland (University of Italian Switzerland).To introduce the connections between mathematics, nature, arts, and architecture we have organized our lectures using multimedia technologies and some virtual objects, created using VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language). In this paper we will present some applications of the virtual reality in the educational process in two undergraduate courses of Mathematics at the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio (University of Italian Switzerland). The paper is organized as follows: section 2 presents VR in educational processes; section 3 describes our educational examples of the use of virtual reality; finally, in the section 4 we have our conclusions. 2. Virtual reality in the educational processes Starting point for our investigation is the following question: “Virtual Reality is a technology, but can virtual reality aid in education?” Many researchers believe that Virtual Reality offers strong benefit that can support education. For some, VR’s ability to facilitate constructivist learning activities is the key issue. Others focus on the potential to provide alternative forms of learning that can support different types of learners, such as visually oriented learners. Still others see the ability for learners, and educators, to collaborate in a virtual class that transcends geographical boundaries as the major benefit. In traditional instructional environments, students learn by assimilation, for example, by listening to an instructor lecture about a subject. Current educational thinking is that students are able to master, retain, and generalize new knowledge in a learning-by-doing situation. This philosophy of pedagogy is called constructivism and its supporters vary, ranging from those who see it as a useful complement to teaching – by – telling to those who argue that whole curriculum should be reinvented by students through gently guided discovery learning [7]. The major distinction between traditional instructional design and constructivism is that the former focuses on design instruction that has predictable outcomes and intervenes during instruction to map predetermined conception of reality onto the student’s knowledge, while the latter focuses on instruction that fosters the learning process instead of controlling it [8]. Educational theory and cognitive science support the exploration of VR as an educational tool. VR can present abstract information in concrete