VR Education Research Labs

By: Elaine Jiang

Academic Labs Specializing in VR/AR and Education

Gizmo EdTech Lab (Teachers College, Columbia University)

The Gizmo EdTech Lab "examines how innovative technologies (including virtual and mixed reality environments) can prepare students for future learning, facilitate peer learning, design relationships that act as a threshold to learning, instruction, and assessment in STEAM areas." 

Most of the research involves investigating whether new technologies such as VR enhance student learning.

Relevant current projects:

Past projects:

Contact:

Source:

Teachers College, Columbia University. "Gizmo Edtech Lab." Accessed April 30, 2018. https://www.gizmoedtech.com/.

Games Research Lab (Teachers College, Columbia University)

The CMLTD Games Research Lab "seeks to gain knowledge of human cognition, collaboration, media effects, modern culture, creativity, improvisation and other factors within games that have implications for education. Faculty and students involved with the Games Research Lab have broad-ranging interests, and the lab has resources allowing the study of video games, traditional board and card games, role-playing games, games for teaching and learning, "serious" games, media literacy, the psychology of games, and related topics."

Sample relevant publications:

All past published research can be found here.

Contact:

Source:

Teachers College, Columbia University. "Games Research Lab." Accessed April 30, 2018. http://www.tc.columbia.edu/games-research-lab/.

Virtual Human Interaction Lab (Stanford University)

The Virtual Human Interaction Lab seeks to "understand the dynamics and implications of interactions among people in immersive virtual reality simulations (VR), and other forms of human digital representations in media, communication systems, and games. Our work is centered on using empirical, behavioral science methodologies to explore people as they interact in these digital worlds. However, oftentimes it is necessary to develop new gesture tracking systems, three-dimensional modeling techniques, or agent-behavior algorithms in order to answer these basic social questions. Consequently, we also engage in research geared towards developing new ways to produce these VR simulations."

Sample current projects:

All current projects can be found here

Past projects:

Contact:

Source:

Stanford University. "Virtual Human Interaction Lab." Accessed April 30, 2018. https://vhil.stanford.edu/.

Emerging Analytics Center (University of Arkansas, Little Rock)

The Emerging Analytics Center  focuses its research "in the areas of immersive and interactive visualization for complex and big data applied to practical problems in industry, government, and research organizations." The EAC has a VR/AR team that investigates new approaches to virtual technology and how they apply to disciplines such as education, art, and medicine.  

Sample current projects:

All current projects can be found here

Contact:

Source:

University of Arkansas at Little Rock. "Emerging Analytics Center" Accessed April 30, 2018. http://eac-ualr.org/index.php.

Buckeye Virtual Reality Project (The Ohio State University)

Buckeye VR is "an Ohio State University-led effort to develop and research classroom-ready VR solutions, especially for smartphone-based VR."

Their main project,  Buckeye VR Electric Field View app, is available on the App Store here. It is an educational app that teaches students about electric fields. 

Contact:

Source:

The Ohio State University. "Buckeye VR" Accessed April 30, 2018. https://buckeyevr.osu.edu/.