360° virtual reality (VR) video is an exciting and evolving field. Current technology promotes a totally immersive, 3-dimensional (3D), 360° experience anywhere in the world using simply a smart ...phone and virtual reality headset. The potential for its application in the field of surgical education is enormous. The aim of this study was to determine knot tying skills taught with a 360-degree VR video compared to conventional 2D video teaching.
This trial was a prospective, randomised controlled study. 40 foundation year doctors (first year postgraduate) were randomised to either the 360-degree VR video (n = 20) or 2D video teaching (n = 20). Participants were given 15 min to watch their allocated video. Ability to tie a single handed reef knot was then assessed against a marking criteria developed for the Royal College of Surgeons, England, (RCSeng) Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) course, by a blinded assessor competent in knot tying. Each candidate then underwent further teaching using Peyton's four step model. Knot tying technique was then re-assessed.
Knot tying scores were significantly better in the VR video teaching arm when compared with conventional (median knot score 5.0 vs 4.0 p = 0.04). When used in combination with face to face skills teaching this difference persisted (median knot score 9.5 vs 9.0 p = 0.01). More people in the VR arm constructed a complete reef knot than in the 2D arm following face to face teaching (17/20 vs 12/20). No difference between the groups existed in the time taken to construct a reef knot following video and teaching (median time 31.0s vs 30.5s p = 0.89).
This study shows there is significant merit in the application of 360-degree VR video technology in surgical training, both as an independent teaching aid and when used as an adjunct to traditional face to face teaching.
•To determine knot tying skills taught with a 360-degree Virtual Reality video compared to 2- Dimensional video teaching.•Using video teaching alone, knot tying scores were significantly better in the 360-degree Virtual Reality video arm.•More people in the 360-degree Virtual Reality video arm constructed a complete reef knot than in the 2-Dimensional arm.
Emerging virtual reality ( VR ) applications require high data rate transmission and low end-to-end latency, which has become one of the main challenges for future wireless networks. Unmanned aerial ...vehicle ( UAV ) mounted base stations and computing facilities can be used to provide better wireless connectivity and computing services to edge VR users to meet their computing needs and reduce the end-to-end latency. We propose a novel UAV assisted mobile edge computing ( MEC ) network to enable high-quality mobile 360-degree video VR applications by leveraging UAVs to provide the required communication and computing needs. Then, we formulate the joint UAV placement, M EC and radio resource allocation, and 360-degree v ideo content layer assignment ( UAV-MV ) problem, which aims to select the allocation of computing and communications resources and the location of the UAVs such that the delivered quality of experience ( QoE ) is maximized across the mobile VR users, given various system constraints. We show that the problem is NP-hard, and decompose it into three lower-complexity subproblems that we solve sequentially. We design an approximation algorithm with performance guarantees that solves the UAV-MV problem based on the solutions to the three subproblems. Our simulation results show that the average QoE enabled by the proposed algorithm is 15% and 90% greater relative to two competitive reference methods.
360° videos provide an immersive experience, especially when watched in virtual reality (VR). Yet, even though the video data is inherently three-dimensional, interfaces to access datasets of such ...videos in VR almost always use two-dimensional thumbnails shown in a grid on a flat or curved plane. We claim that using spherical and cube-shaped 3D thumbnails may provide a better user experience and be more effective at conveying the high-level subject matter of a video or when searching for a specific item in it. A comparative study against the most used existing representation, that is, 2D equirectangular projections, showed that the spherical 3D thumbnails did indeed provide the best user experience, whereas traditional 2D equirectangular projections still performed better for high-level classification tasks. Yet, they were outperformed by spherical thumbnails when participants had to search for details within the videos. Our results thus confirm a potential benefit of 3D thumbnail representations for 360-degree videos in VR, especially with respect to user experience and detailed content search and suggest a mixed interface design providing both options to the users. Supplemental materials about the user study and used data are available at https://osf.io/5vk49/.
Video self-reflections can be an effective self-development tool for student teachers; however, its value is often limited as video provides only one perspective of the classroom. This project, an ...interpretive case study, used think-aloud protocol and interviews to explore how the use of 360-degree video can support student teacher reflection. Results suggest that the immersive, embodied experience of reflecting using 360-degree video develops a more nuanced understanding of microteaching practice, as well as supporting student teachers’ self-efficacy towards teaching. This has the potential to facilitate a more active and student-centred approach to initial teacher education within Higher Education.
•Use of 360-degree video develops more nuanced reflections of microteaching.•The embodied cognitive experience of watching 360-degree video is significant.•Immersive reflection of microteaching supports student self-efficacy to teaching.•Facilitates an active, student-centred approach to teacher education within HE.
The development of effective leaders and leadership behavior is a prominent concern in organizations of all types. We review the theoretical and empirical literature on leader and leadership ...development published over the past 25 years, primarily focusing on research published in The Leadership Quarterly. Compared to the relatively long history of leadership research and theory, the systematic study of leadership development (broadly defined to also include leader development) has a moderately short history. We examine intrapersonal and interpersonal issues related to the phenomena that develop during the pursuit of effective leadership, describe how development emerges with an emphasis on multi-source or 360-degree feedback processes, review longitudinal studies of leadership development, and investigate methodological and analytical issues in leader and leadership development research. Future research directions to motivate and guide the study of leader and leadership development are also discussed. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
This study investigated the potential of Virtual Reality (VR), using 360-degree (360°) videos, as a tool to teach children about water-safety skills. Children (n = 182) aged 10–12 years were randomly ...assigned to learn about water safety using one of three instructional mediums: 360° VR videos, traditional video, or poster. The training was designed to address specific themes that contributed to drowning in coastal environments, allowing children to learn about dangers of rip currents in a relatively safe environment. Overall, 95% showed improved knowledge of water safety after participating in the water-safety workshop and retained their knowledge during the subsequent tests both one and eight weeks later. No difference was found in the learning outcomes obtained across the three mediums; however, participants in the 360° VR medium reported higher levels of interest and enjoyment than participants using the other two mediums (91% of students in the 360° VR video group found the activity engaging versus 61% for traditional video and 51% for the poster). Teacher feedback also indicated that 360° VR videos are a useful, engaging, and effective method of learning. Overall, we found support for the hypothesis that 360° VR videos are a useful tool to teach targeted skills, and that using 360° VR videos is more motivating and engaging than using traditional learning methods. We also found evidence to support the hypothesis that 360° VR videos are an effective tool for self-directed learning.
•A 360°virtual reality (VR) water-safety training program for children was evaluated.•Children learned from the program and retained this knowledge for up to 8 weeks.•Children were more engaged by the 360°VR program than traditional teaching methods.
In the field of technological construction tools, 360-degree panorama provides a panoramic virtual reality capable of representing the construction environment in great detail. While there are many ...studies on their pedagogical and safety applications, few studies address the benefits of their use in construction monitoring and control. For this reason, the present research aims to explore its application and benefits for monitoring and control, the research for which begins with a literature review of the application of 360-degree panoramas in construction, where the authors identified the main benefits. In the second stage, the authors analyzed two case studies of its application: the first is based on the construction of a retail project, and the second is based on an infrastructure project. After the implementation, the researchers conducted interviews with the team members responsible for implementing 360-degree panorama. The main benefits of 360-degree panorama are as follows: a complete overview of the construction site situation, verification of the distribution of the space used, documentation of the current project situations, as well as progress control and quality control. These results will hopefully help to improve the understanding of this tool’s current state of the art in the construction field and open the door to future investigations on cost–benefit analysis that facilitate the application of this tool in construction sites.
In Taiwan, 50 % of the chemical disasters in the last decade were industrial accidents. The leakage of industrial toxic chemical substances may cause significant environmental pollution and harms. ...Taiwan's chemical disaster education and training mainly rely on simulation, which is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly. Tabletop drills are often used to as a substitute for simulations. However, tabletop drills lack a realistic presence. The 360° virtual reality (VR) transforms knowledge of disaster preparedness into audio-visual and other sensory experiences and allows participants to be physically immersed in an environment.
This study examined effectiveness of a “360° VR chemical disaster training program” on disaster preparedness and self-efficacy in ER nurses.
This study used convenience sampling and quasi-experimental design with two-group repeated measures. Seventy-seven ER nurses were recruited with the experimental group (n = 32) receiving chemical disaster training through 360° VR and the control group (n = 35) receiving training through tabletop drills. Data were collected before, one week after and three weeks after the intervention.
Participants in the experimental group were significantly younger and less experienced in disaster management than those in the control group. There were no between-group differences in the participants' self-assessment of chemical disaster preparedness and self-efficacy before the intervention. The intervention group showed significantly higher self-assessment chemical disaster preparedness scores than the comparison group (p < .05) one week after the intervention. However, no significant differences were found three weeks after the intervention.
This study found that both 360° VR and tabletop drills improved preparedness and self-efficacy in chemical disasters among ER nurses. VR could be used for disaster preparedness training for nurses without prior disaster response experiences/ drills, whereas tabletop drills were more suitable for nurses with prior experiences. Both methods may effectively promote nurses' learning effectiveness and self-efficacy in chemical disaster preparedness.
•ER nurses need to possess the disaster preparedness core knowledge and skills.•Virtual reality (VR) is fit for teaching rare and complicated clinical situations.•VR provides realistic immersive experiences to promote learning effectiveness.•360° VR could be used for nurses without prior experiences of managing disasters.•Tabletop drills were suitable for nurses with prior disaster response experiences.
Immersive storytelling technologies in journalism are thought to have the power to boost viewer responses to news in ways heretofore undreamed of. However, research is scarce. This study is the first ...to investigate what 360-degree camera video as a means for conveying news stories might add to traditional 2D video. A one-factorial between subjects experiment (N = 83) was conducted to investigate the effect of 360-degree news on presence, enjoyment, credibility, recognition, and understanding. The experimental group watched a news video in 360-degree format, whereas the control group viewed the same video in 2D. Results show that 360-degree video is evaluated higher in terms of presence, enjoyment, and credibility, while there are no negative effects of 360- degree video on recognition and understanding. The effects on enjoyment and credibility are mediated by presence. Although 360-degree journalism research is still in its infancy, the current study indicates that this form of news reporting has the potential to involve audiences as never before.
•360-degree video news is evaluated more enjoyable and credible than 2D news.•360-degree video and 2D news are equally recognizable and understandable.•Effects of 360-degree viewing on enjoyment and credibility are mediated by presence.
Abstract
Despite the technological advancements in Virtual Reality (VR), users are constantly combating feelings of nausea and disorientation, the so-called cybersickness. Cybersickness symptoms ...cause severe discomfort and hinder the immersive VR experience. Here we investigated cybersickness in 360-degree head-mounted display VR. In traditional 360-degree VR experiences, translational movement in the real world is not reflected in the virtual world, and therefore self-motion information is not corroborated by matching visual and vestibular cues, which may trigger symptoms of cybersickness. We evaluated whether a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) software designed to supplement the 360-degree VR experience with artificial six-degrees-of-freedom motion may reduce cybersickness. Explicit (simulator sickness questionnaire and Fast Motion Sickness (FMS) rating) and implicit (heart rate) measurements were used to evaluate cybersickness symptoms during and after 360-degree VR exposure. Simulator sickness scores showed a significant reduction in feelings of nausea during the AI-supplemented six-degrees-of-freedom motion VR compared to traditional 360-degree VR. However, six-degrees-of-freedom motion VR did not reduce oculomotor or disorientation measures of sickness. No changes were observed in FMS and heart rate measures. Improving the congruency between visual and vestibular cues in 360-degree VR, as provided by the AI-supplemented six-degrees-of-freedom motion system considered, is essential for a more engaging, immersive and safe VR experience, which is critical for educational, cultural and entertainment applications.
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