SUMMARY:
The interview starts by providing some history, specifically Professor Walsh's work in Boston College's Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in the early 1990's. He then went on to build a person VR system with the help of his manager Paul Dupuis in a time when running 3D in personal computers was very rare. Professor Walsh then began working as the chairman of the Web3D Consortium and Moving Picture Expert Group before moving on to Media Grid and Immersive Education.
The article then transitions on to the courses that Walsh teaches and explains what a virtual world is. His three courses each utilize the use of virtual worlds in an "immersive education" experience, which "refers to the combination of 3D/VR and digital media specifically for learning". He also describes the challenges and advantages of using virtual worlds as a tool for education. One of the main obstacles, especially earlier on in his career, was overcoming the issue of underpowered student hardware. Meetings simply could not be conducted with the lack of power that "off the shelf" computers provided in the 1990's. However, these are not issues that we worry too much about today as modern computers are more than capable of handling the demands of 3D and virtual reality. Then there are the human related obstacles in learning with this digital media. Some students thrive while working and learning virtually, while some really never get comfortable and prefer the traditional brick and mortar type educational setting.
Another major point that Walsh makes and one that was covered in this Class 10 was the term "immersive illness" which he believes is a concern for the future of 3D and virtual reality. Immersive illness is an addiction to gaming and virtual worlds causing addiction, isolation, mental schisms, and more. At the present, modern computers cannot handle the demands of photo realistic digital media and virtual reality. But what happens when in 10, 15, 20 years from now "middle of the road" computers will be well equipped to handle photo realistic media in real time? That's precisely the concern Professor Walsh talks about in his interview because we won't know the full impact it'll have on society until we get to that time frame. He states that it's not all bad news, and this sort of power in technology is welcomed, but we also have to be mindful on the negative impacts that it could bring as well. Walsh describes some positive instances of immersive education such as the time saved in traveling to and from class. Another benefit which you have to take into account in the "fun factor" that this type of education brings.
The interview then closes out with Walsh receiving a Teaching with New Media (TWIN) award for his efforts in immersive education. The discussion then goes on to the Professor's role in spreading his initiatives to other institutions. One aspect I found interesting is his work in next generation platforms with an attempt to involve international students. Even though the use of 3D and virtual reality in education is becoming increasingly popular, he believes that this type of education is still in it's infancy and there's much more in store for the future of immersive education.
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