Swansea University VR / AR conference 2018 | Cynhadledd Rhith-wirionedd (VR) a Realiti Estynedig (AR) 2018 Prifysgol Abertawe

*Fersiwn Cymraeg isod | Welsh version below*

In this blog post I’ll highlight three interesting sessions from the Swansea University VR / AR conference that I attended recently.  Due to other commitments I attended this conference through the medium of VR rather than travelling to Swansea, and I’d like to share some of my thoughts about that concept too.

Whilst virtual / augmented / mixed realities (now referred to as XR) are being used in various research disciplines, the focus of this conference was on Education.

Using VR headsets to develop empathy and understanding of mental health experiences – City University of London / Monash University

Building on the concepts of VR being used to recreate experiences for people with social phobias in a graded exposure treatment style and the public engagement experiences such as living with Alzheimer’s experience, this teaching experience used relatively low-tech equipment (Gear VR) to view social situations through the lens of mental health disturbances and experiences how that would interfere with day to day life.  The intention of this was that the students could then apply this experience to their real practice when delivering services to people with mental health issues.

In partnership with students and service users, a 360 video was produced which could be watched through the experience of four mental health conditions: Anxiety, Depression, Mania, and Psychosis.  The video was set in a party and uses text to convey the sorts of thoughts that someone with that condition would possibly be thinking.  The text was also given a behaviour that matched the condition, sometimes making them difficult to read or manage.  Spatial audio was used to simulate psychosis.

Interviews and discussions following the experiences indicated that students were starting to develop empathy towards people who have these experiences as part of their life and felt genuinely uncomfortable in the experience at times. There was also positive feedback on their VR experience.

In the CESI, we have experience producing these sorts of video experiences and would be interested in working with people who would like to create learning experiences in immersive environments.

Creating and deploying interactive VR materials for Health, Social Care and Education – Anglia Ruskin University

This session focused on a particular teaching experience, but it was particularly interesting as they are working in a similar situation to the CESI, where we want immersive learning experiences that we help to create to be available to all students on a module, not just the ones that have a VR headset, are on-site, or show interest.

Their first experience was for social workers using a 360 panorama with hotspots to explore a patient’s house and use visual cues to help establish a rapport with their patients.  This can be watched in VR or as a screen-based experience.  This was expanded into panoramas of a skills lab so that students could explore this environment too.

They moved on to creating an immersive video experience of a patient having radiotherapy.   Students were able to experience what it was like to put on a radiotherapy mask and go into the radiotherapy machine.  This experience is likely to be used for patient preparation to potentially reduce stress before receiving their first treatment.

In the CESI, we have created 360 interactive environments with embedded hotspot interactions for student preparation before OSCEs, exploration of rooms, and as resources to be used in classroom teaching.  This is a straightforward experience to produce in a short amount of time and these have been evaluated well by students. If you have an idea that you would like to create with us, please get in touch.

Teaching empathy by simulated practice in optometry – The TESPO project

This session discussed the use of augmented reality headset displays to simulate visual impairments so that students could feel what it was like to experience these conditions with the intention of improving the empathy of undergraduate students and ensuring that they have the relevant social skills to be an effective optometrist.

There are already “simulation spectacles” used in optometry training, which are glasses where certain areas have been blacked out / blurred, and the headset method was a natural next step from these.

The app used with the headset could simulate several conditions, and the students were given everyday tasks to perform (making a cup of tea, reading a paper) whilst experiencing these.

Discussions following their experiences indicated that students felt like they understood patients differently after taking part in the simulations and highlighted to the educators that the students understanding of how people with conditions functioned on a daily basis needed to be addressed further as part of their education.

I particularly liked this session as the experience was a very realistic one due to the augmented nature of the app, rather than relying on non-realistic 3D environments.

Whilst we don’t have high end headsets in the CESI, we would welcome discussions about similar interventions that people may be interested in, and could look at how these could be achieved.

Attending through the medium of VR

Just a quick note on the way that I attended the conference.  I wasn’t expecting the VR experience to be particularly great, and I wasn’t surprised when it wasn’t.  I found that I was sitting at a computer screen, watching myself on a computer screen, watching a presentation on a screen (and using 80% of my computers gfx processor to do that).

After about an hour, I reverted to watching the YouTube streams of the event, and just logging into the VR environment to ask questions.

I think that it could have been more useful if more people had attended in VR, or if there was a “VR facilitator” that could have prompted us to discuss, however I was very aware myself and the few  people I saw in the VR environment had no idea who each other were, where we were from, or whether we were ready to, or wanted to interact.

Yn y blog hwn, byddaf yn tynnu sylw at dair sesiwn ddiddorol o gynhadledd VR / AR Prifysgol Abertawe y bues iddynt yn ddiweddar.  Oherwydd ymrwymiadau eraill, ymunais â’r gynhadledd hon drwy gyfrwng VR yn hytrach na theithio i Abertawe. Hoffwn rannu fy safbwyntiau am y cysyniad hwnnw hefyd.

Er bod realiti rhithwir / estynedig / cymysg (a elwir bellach yn XR) yn cael ei ddefnyddio mewn amrywiaeth o ddisgyblaethau ymchwil, addysg oedd yn cael y prif sylw yn y gynhadledd.

Defnyddio pen-setiau VR i ddatblygu empathi a dealltwriaeth o brofiadau iechyd meddwl – Prifysgol Dinas Llundain / Prifysgol Monash

Fe ddefnyddiodd y profiad addysgu hwn offer cymharol syml (Gear VR) i edrych ar sefyllfaoedd cymdeithasol yng nghyd-destun aflonyddwch iechyd meddwl a phrofiadau a fyddai’n ymyrryd â bywyd o ddydd i ddydd. Mae hyn yn adeiladu ar y cysyniadau o VR sy’n cael eu defnyddio i ail-greu profiadau i bobl â ffobia cymdeithasol. Caiff ei wneud ar ffurf triniaeth sy’n amrywio o ran dwysedd a thrwy brofiadau ymgysylltu â’r cyhoedd megis byw gyda phrofiad Alzheimer.  Y bwriad oedd galluogi’r myfyrwyr i gymhwyso’r profiad hwn yn eu harferion wrth gyflwyno gwasanaethau i bobl â phroblemau iechyd meddwl.

Mewn partneriaeth â myfyrwyr a defnyddwyr gwasanaeth, cynhyrchwyd fideo 360 y mae modd ei wylio trwy brofiad pedwar cyflwr iechyd meddwl: Gorbryder, Iselder, Mania, a Seicosis.  Gosodwyd y fideo mewn parti ac mae’n defnyddio testun i gyfleu’r math o feddyliau y gallai rhywun gyda’r cyflwr hwnnw eu cael.  Rhoddwyd ymddygiad i’r testun hefyd oedd yn cyfateb i’r cyflwr, gan olygu bod ei ddarllen neu ei reoli yn gallu bod yn dalcen caled.  Defnyddiwyd sain ofodol i efelychu seicosis.

Yn ystod cyfweliadau a thrafodaethau yn dilyn y profiadau, nodwyd bod myfyrwyr yn dechrau datblygu empathi tuag at bobl sy’n byw gyda’r profiadau hyn. Roeddynt yn teimlo’n wirioneddol anghyfforddus yn y profiad ar adegau. Cafwyd adborth cadarnhaol hefyd am eu profiad VR.

Yn y Ganolfan Arloesedd a Chefnogaeth Addysg (CESI) mae gennym brofiad o gynhyrchu’r mathau hyn o brofiadau fideo. Byddai gennym ddiddordeb mewn gweithio gyda phobl a hoffai greu profiadau dysgu mewn amgylcheddau cynhwysfawr.

Creu a defnyddio deunyddiau VR rhyngweithiol ar gyfer Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol ac Addysg – Prifysgol Anglia Ruskin

Canolbwyntiodd y sesiwn hon ar brofiad dysgu penodol, ond roedd yn arbennig o ddiddorol gan eu bod yn gweithio mewn sefyllfa debyg i’r CESI. Rydym am helpu i greu profiadau dysgu hynod ddiddorol sydd ar gael i bob myfyriwr ar fodiwl, nid yn unig y rhai sydd â phen-set VR, ar y safle, neu sy’n dangos diddordeb.

Eu profiad cyntaf oedd i weithwyr cymdeithasol ddefnyddio panorama 360 oedd yn amlygu mannau penodol er mwyn archwilio tŷ claf a defnyddio arwyddion gweledol i geisio meithrin cydberthynas â’u cleifion.  Gellir gwylio hwn trwy VR neu ar sgrîn.  Cafodd hyn ei ehangu i banoramâu o labordy sgiliau er mwyn i fyfyrwyr allu edrych o amgylch yr amgylchedd hwn hefyd.

Aethant ymlaen wedi hynny i greu fideo cynhwysfawr oedd yn dangos profiad claf yn cael radiotherapi.   Roedd y myfyrwyr yn gallu gweld sut brofiad oedd cael gwisgo masg radiotherapi a mynd i mewn i’r peiriant radiotherapi.  Yn ôl pob tebyg, bydd y profiad hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio i baratoi cleifion er mwyn ceisio lleihau straen cyn eu triniaeth gyntaf.

Yn CESI, rydym wedi creu 360 o amgylcheddau rhyngweithiol gyda mannau penodol wedi’u mewnosod. Defnyddir y rhain i baratoi myfyrwyr cyn eu Harholiadau Clinigol Strwythurol Gwrthrychol (OSCEs), i archwilio ystafelloedd, ac yn adnoddau i’w defnyddio wrth hyfforddi yn yr ystafell ddosbarth.  Mae’n brofiad syml i’w gynhyrchu mewn cyfnod byr o amser ac mae wedi cael gwerthusiad da gan fyfyrwyr. Os oes gennych syniad yr hoffech ei greu gyda ni, cysylltwch â ni.

Addysgu empathi drwy ymarfer efelychu mewn optometreg – prosiect TESPO

Trafododd y sesiwn hon sut y defnyddir pen-setiau realiti estynedig i efelychu nam ar y golwg er mwyn i fyfyrwyr deimlo sut brofiad yw cael y cyflyrau hyn. Y bwriad yw gwella empathi myfyrwyr israddedig a gwneud yn siŵr bod ganddynt y sgiliau cymdeithasol perthnasol i fod yn optometrydd effeithiol.

Mae “sbectol efelychu” eisoes yn cael ei defnyddio mewn hyfforddiant optometreg, sef sbectol lle mae rhannau penodol wedi’u tywyllu/gwneud yn niwlog. Y pen-set oedd y cam naturiol nesaf.

Gallai’r ap a ddefnyddiwyd gyda’r pen-set efelychu sawl cyflwr, a rhoddwyd tasgau cyffredin i’r myfyrwyr eu cyflawni (darllen papur, gwneud cwpan o de) wrth wisgo’r rhain.

Roedd y trafodaethau yn dilyn eu profiadau yn dangos bod myfyrwyr yn teimlo eu bod yn deall cleifion yn wahanol ar ôl cymryd rhan yn yr efelychiadau. Dangosodd hyn i’r addysgwyr bod angen mynd i’r afael ag addysg i fyfyrwyr ymhellach er mwyn deall sut mae pobl â chyflyrau’n gweithio bob dydd.

Roeddwn i’n hoff iawn o’r sesiwn hon gan fod y profiad yn un realistig oherwydd natur estynedig yr ap, yn hytrach na dibynnu ar amgylcheddau 3D afrealistig.

Er nad oes gennym ben-setiau drud yn y CESI, byddem yn croesawu trafodaethau am ymyriadau tebyg y gallai pobl fod â diddordeb ynddynt, a gallem edrych ar sut gallwn ymgymryd â’r rhain.

Ymuno trwy gyfrwng VR

Nodyn cyflym am sut ymunais â’r gynhadledd.  Nid oeddwn yn disgwyl i’r profiad VR fod yn arbennig o wych, felly ni chefais fy synnu gan safon y profiad.  Roeddwn yn eistedd wrth fy nghyfrifiadur, yn gwylio fy hun ar y sgrîn ac yn gwylio cyflwyniad ar sgrîn (gan ddefnyddio 80% o uned brosesu gfx fy nghyfrifiadur i wneud hynny).

Ar ôl tua awr, dychwelais i wylio’r ffrydiau YouTube o’r digwyddiad, a mewngofnodi i’r amgylchedd VR i ofyn cwestiynau yn unig.

Credaf y byddai’n fwy defnyddiol pe bai mwy o bobl wedi ymuno drwy VR, neu phe byddai “hwylusydd VR” wrth law i’n hannog i drafod. Fodd bynnag, roeddwn yn ymwybodol iawn o fy hun ac nid oedd gan y bobl a welais yn yr amgylchedd VR syniad pwy oedd yno, o ble’r oeddem yn dod, ac os oeddem eisiau rhyngweithio neu’n fodlon gwneud hynny.