View in EDS PDF Full Text

Experiencing Virtual Reality for Perspective-Taking of Blind and Visually Impaired Learners

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Experiencing Virtual Reality for Perspective-Taking of Blind and Visually Impaired Learners
Language: English
Authors: Tania Heap, Regina Kaplan-Rakowski, Audon Archibald
Source: Educational Technology & Society. 2024 27(4):375-389.
Availability: International Forum of Educational Technology & Society. Available from: National Yunlin University of Science and Technology. No. 123, Section 3, Daxue Road, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan 64002. e-mail: journal.ets@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.j-ets.net/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Computer Simulation, Blindness, Technology Uses in Education, Empathy, Visual Impairments, Perspective Taking, Diversity, Inclusion, Equal Education, School Personnel, Employee Attitudes, College Students, Student Attitudes
ISSN: 1176-3647
1436-4522
Abstract: Understanding blindness or imagining being blind can be challenging for individuals without visual impairments. One of the affordances of high-immersion virtual reality (VR) is its ability to build empathy and facilitate perspective-taking. VR can be potent when providing narrative, experience-laden education that exposes users to ideas and settings that may be beyond their immediate reach. This paper reports on a pilot study based on a series of workshops conducted at a university intended to give participants the opportunity to experience a VR non-fiction story, documenting the experience of a man who became blind after years of deteriorating vision. The workshops intended to trigger participants' interest in VR technology and brainstorm ways that VR can address equity and inclusion of individuals with visual disabilities in education and the workforce. Findings from survey responses and group discussions of 34 workshop attendees revealed that participants' general empathy levels slightly increased after the VR experience. Participants' perceptions of blind people's productivity significantly increased following the VR experience, suggesting that immersive technology can be integrated in various educational and training settings to enhance empathy and understanding of the experiences of diverse populations, including populations that are underrepresented in higher education and the workforce. This pilot study is a stepping stone for a larger project aiming to confirm the preliminary findings and to derive more exhaustive recommendations for educators and educational policy makers to address inclusion of people with visual disabilities in education and the workforce.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Access URL: https://www.j-ets.net/collection/published-issues/27_4
Accession Number: EJ1443465
Database: ERIC
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwH1TMFyWc3IZu8Evktem-AAAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDHZ6gcvC0kc0TR2_egIBEICBm6dgF7JJkkKLMgVdcz_zJ31EsiAulPHJTh61kvwdzlgtdSJsSvCspYtYlpJd9aEqr1HxOqhTsmGaMtlfnwA4eZA1q236I4jsfJuwazVKf1PsgYJbCaBAWt53KJImuxpSxouygNmuS_fx5kq7Y1xHJjmTZf4Bt0fd-ApszSmDBR19YHlvWxzv46qCOVO58RDkY7zN3kKkAA8yKhhN
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1443465
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Experiencing Virtual Reality for Perspective-Taking of Blind and Visually Impaired Learners
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tania+Heap%22">Tania Heap</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Regina+Kaplan-Rakowski%22">Regina Kaplan-Rakowski</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Audon+Archibald%22">Audon Archibald</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Technology+%26+Society%22"><i>Educational Technology & Society</i></searchLink>. 2024 27(4):375-389.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: International Forum of Educational Technology & Society. Available from: National Yunlin University of Science and Technology. No. 123, Section 3, Daxue Road, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan 64002. e-mail: journal.ets@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.j-ets.net/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 15
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Simulation%22">Computer Simulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Blindness%22">Blindness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Uses+in+Education%22">Technology Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Empathy%22">Empathy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Impairments%22">Visual Impairments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Perspective+Taking%22">Perspective Taking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity%22">Diversity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Personnel%22">School Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employee+Attitudes%22">Employee Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1176-3647<br />1436-4522
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Understanding blindness or imagining being blind can be challenging for individuals without visual impairments. One of the affordances of high-immersion virtual reality (VR) is its ability to build empathy and facilitate perspective-taking. VR can be potent when providing narrative, experience-laden education that exposes users to ideas and settings that may be beyond their immediate reach. This paper reports on a pilot study based on a series of workshops conducted at a university intended to give participants the opportunity to experience a VR non-fiction story, documenting the experience of a man who became blind after years of deteriorating vision. The workshops intended to trigger participants' interest in VR technology and brainstorm ways that VR can address equity and inclusion of individuals with visual disabilities in education and the workforce. Findings from survey responses and group discussions of 34 workshop attendees revealed that participants' general empathy levels slightly increased after the VR experience. Participants' perceptions of blind people's productivity significantly increased following the VR experience, suggesting that immersive technology can be integrated in various educational and training settings to enhance empathy and understanding of the experiences of diverse populations, including populations that are underrepresented in higher education and the workforce. This pilot study is a stepping stone for a larger project aiming to confirm the preliminary findings and to derive more exhaustive recommendations for educators and educational policy makers to address inclusion of people with visual disabilities in education and the workforce.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: URL
  Label: Access URL
  Group: URL
  Data: <link linkTarget="URL" linkTerm="https://www.j-ets.net/collection/published-issues/27_4" linkWindow="_blank">https://www.j-ets.net/collection/published-issues/27_4</link>
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1443465
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1443465
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 375
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Computer Simulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Blindness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Technology Uses in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Empathy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Visual Impairments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Perspective Taking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diversity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employee Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Experiencing Virtual Reality for Perspective-Taking of Blind and Visually Impaired Learners
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tania Heap
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Regina Kaplan-Rakowski
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Audon Archibald
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1176-3647
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1436-4522
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 27
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Technology & Society
              Type: main
ResultId 1