Immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies allow for the production of 3D spatial settings that can reflect actual or imagined worlds (Mikropoulos and Natsis, 2010). Such settings provide users with a realistic experience and stimulate interactions involving both objects and individuals (Mikropoulos and Natsis, 2010). Interestingly, virtual reality can promote creativity as it can build creative and inventive thinking skills by providing new experiences that allow people to utilise their imaginations (Burkhardt & Lubart, 2010). It can enhance the creative process, facilitate idea generation, encourage exploration and experimentation and stimulate cooperation by offering an immersive and collaborative environment (Burkhardt & Lubart, 2010; Uribe Larach & Cabra, 2010).
CoSpaces
CoSpaces is a platform that lets individuals produce, share, and experience immersive virtual reality (CoSpaces, n.d.). Because of this, Co Spaces offers students a hands-on platform to express their ideas and creativity and a unique opportunity to infuse their work with a distinctive sense of personalization, customization and creativity.
As an emerging technology, it presents students with a collaborative platform that enables them to engage in real-time exchange of ideas and feedback. This dynamic mode of interaction cultivates a sense of shared ownership and fosters a collaborative spirit among students, spurring them to synergize their respective strengths and channel their collective creativity towards the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges.
CoSpaces & Ocules Quest. CC By Zeyba Orya
Curriculum Link:
CoSpaces is a valuable tool for enhancing and fostering student creativity, particularly in the area of Forces and Law of Motion outlined in the NSW Science Syllabus for Year 9-10 Physics. Students can leverage CoSpaces to demonstrate outcomes such as Newton's Law of Motion by creating interactive models that illustrate fundamental scientific concepts like Attraction, Resistance, and Collisions.
These creations not only allow students to explore and experiment with phenomena in a dynamic and engaging manner, but also provide a creative outlet to showcase their learning in a visually compelling way.
Limitations:
The time required for students and teachers to become familiar with CoSpaces could impact the pace and flow of classroom instruction, particularly if significant amounts of class time are needed to master the platform's interface and tools. Teachers may need to allocate additional time to provide students with guidance and support to ensure that all students are able to effectively utilize the platform, which could potentially impact lesson planning and delivery.
References:
Burkhardt, J. M., & Lubart, T. I. (2010). Creativity in the digital age. In J. C. Kaufman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (pp. 561-573). Cambridge University Press.https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511763205.035
CoSpaces. (n.d.). About. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://cospaces.io/about.html
Mikropoulos, T. A., & Natsis, A. (2010). Educational virtual environments: A ten-year review of empirical research (1999–2009). Computers & Education, 56(3), 769-780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.020
Uribe Larach, S., & Cabra, J. F. (2010). Designing collaborative virtual environments for creativity support: A theoretical framework. Journal of Virtual Reality and Broadcasting, 7(7). https://doi.org/10.20385/1860-2037/7.2010.2
Hi Zeyba!
I loved the structure and reading flow of your blog! The separated sections make it really easy to follow the points that you are making. I really enjoyed seeing all the angle of you CoSpaces EDU projects, it helped but it into perspective even without the use of a VR headset for me.
I also loved that you pointed out limitations with VR. Teaching really is a profession where time is of the essence, and that definitely impacts onto the useability of a technology, especially when there is a learning curve. I feel a program such as CoSpaces could really excel in the high school domain, as students are much more able to navigate technology on their own.