Times and Spaces of VR: Virtual realities and the exploration of complex natural and social phenomena

Keywords: VIrtual Realities, Education, Digital Geography, Educational Technologies, Complex Problems, Space
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 14

Abstract

The ability to play with time, space, and scale in Virtual Reality makes it particularly well positioned to provide immersive engagements with complex socio-natural processes in ways that can improve human understanding of these conceptually challenging and abstract processes. This paper explores in detail the potential for VR to allow users to access, play with, and embody, temporal and spatial scales that are beyond the normal human experience. It argues that these characteristics of virtual reality offer unique opportunities for immersive engagements with "wicked" socio-environmental problems that attend to key challenges in understanding, communicating, and responding to these complex problems. Context and limitations of current VR technology to realize this potential is discussed, particular considering the political economy of VR in shaping the current and near future development and deployment of VR technologies. Finally, the specific implications of this technology for effective learning and communication vis-a-vis select current global environmental problems, most notably Climate Change, are discussed.