PhD Study : The role of Virtual Reality, and cognate technologies, in supporting education in schools.

Summary

The commercial viability and economic potential of Virtual Reality (VR) are in a period of significant growth. In the UK, the market value of VR is reported in popular press (Pham, 2017) to be on track to rise by 390% between 2016 and 2020 to £354.3m. Growth is further emphasised by the UK Head of Entertainment at PwC stating “The UK’s VR industry will generate more revenue than any other country in Western Europe…” by 2022 (McDonald, 2018). The adoption and advancement of VR by global technology giants such as Facebook, Samsung and Google herald unprecedented commercial interest in this area with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg citing VR’s potential to be “the next major computing platform” (Urstadt & Frier, 2016).

Similarly, if the rise in the variety and number of educational outputs is an effective guide, VR is increasingly in use in education and training. The technology has been cited by researchers from a range of diverse fields such as dissecting a virtual frog (Lee, Wong and Fung, 2010), teaching mathematical concepts (Pasqualotti & Freitas, 2002) or learning about thermodynamics (Coller & Shernoff, 2009).

Despite the proliferation of research on the potential effectiveness of VR across a range of educational settings (Vaughan et al., 2016), examining how it can be implemented with and help to support Initial Teacher Education (ITE) seems to have been little researched. If the ambitious growth projections are to be realised, it is imperative that tomorrow’s workforce, today’s school children, have access to similarly immersive, creative and pedagogically robust learning experiences designed and facilitated by a well-informed teaching profession.

Considering immersive technologies as a continuum which includes Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 360 video and imagery, this proposed PhD Studentship will address how immersive technologies can be used by teachers, through the creation and use of reusable learning objects which support the Northern Ireland Curriculum using both free and commercially available platforms. It will aim to examine the impact of VR, and associated technologies, through the creation of Situated Experiential Educational Environments – SEEEs (Schott and Marshall, 2018) and other artefacts to examine the impact that virtual environments can have on learners occupying a virtual space.

The successful candidate will investigate and design ways to improve the efficacy of learning and teaching when using this technology in schools, and how the impact on profound learning of VR-type technologies in education can be maximised. The research output and findings will be prepared for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals, international conferences and summarized in the final thesis.

References

Coller, B. D., & Shernoff, D. J. (2009). Video game-based education in mechanical engineering: a look at student engagement. International Journal of Engineering Education, 25, 308–317.

Lee, E. A., Wong, K. W., & Fung, C. C. (2010). How does desktop virtual reality enhance learning outcomes? A structural equation modeling approach. Computers & Education, 55, 1424–1442.

McDonald, A. (2018) PwC: VR the fastest growing segment of UK media sector. London: Digital TV Europe. Available from: https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2018/06/07/pwc-vr-the-fastest-growing-segment-of-uk-media-sector/ [Accessed 10 November 2018]

Pasqualotti, A., & Freitas, C. M. D. S. (2002). MAT3D: a virtual reality modeling language environment for the teaching and learning of mathematics. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(5), 409–422.

Pham, M. (2018) Samsung predicts VR to soar 390pc by 2020. https://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/2017/01/31/samsung-predicts-vr-soar-390pc-2020/ [Accessed 10 November 2018]

Schott, C. and Marshall, S. (2018) Virtual reality and situated experiential education: A conceptualization and exploratory trial. Journal of Computer Assisted Learnin,g 34, 843-852.

Urstadt, B., & Frier S.  (2016) Welcome to Zuckerworld. New York: Bloomberg Businessweek. Available from: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-facebook-virtual-reality/ [Accessed 10 November 2018]

Vaughan, N., Gabrys, B. & Dubey, V.N. (2016) An overview of self-adaptive technologies within virtual reality training. Computer Science Review, 22, 65-87

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
• Research proposal of 1500 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• For VCRS Awards, Masters at 75%
• Completion of Masters at a level equivalent to commendation or distinction at Ulster

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living