In the age of the internet and information at our fingertips, the traditional library may seem a little antiquated but they still have a purpose in our fast-paced modern society. And to help encourage more people to head to their local library this Spring is the BBC, adding a 21st-century flavour to all the books by touring the UK with its latest virtual reality (VR) experiences.
The BBC VR Hub team will be taking a mixture of VR content to over 40 libraries around the country, heading to a number of locations in Lancashire this week, including Tarleton, Skelmersdale, Eccleston and Adlington, before moving on to Nuneaton, Leeds, Dundee and a whole host of others across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“Virtual reality is an extraordinary way to experience a story, by immersing yourself in it completely you get a huge connection to it,” says Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub. “The trouble is that headsets are expensive, and only a very small number of people have them at home. That’s why we wanted to bring some of our favourite experiences out on the road, and by putting them into local libraries across the UK we’re hoping to give everyone the chance to try out virtual reality.”
There will be three titles on the tour, with 1943 Berlin Blitz and Congo VR available at every location with a select number also showcasing People Just Do Nothing VR. 1943 Berlin Blitz launched for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in October 2018, putting viewers in the shoes of Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, a BBC war correspondent and sound recordist, Reg Pidsley, as they documented their flight on a genuine bombing run during World War 2.
Congo VR was another 2018 release, this time on the BBC VR app for Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Go. It is a three-part news documentary series following BBC Africa correspondent Alastair Leithead on assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. People Just Do Nothing VRis much more light-hearted, a 360-degree version of the comedy series.
The BBC VR tour begins today, to see which libraries will be on the tour head to the official website for further info. As the BBC continues to release new VR content like the new Doctor Who: Runaway animation short, VRFocus will keep you updated.
2018 has been a great year for immersive technology in education. From the launch of the affordable Oculus Go headset to the transition of the Merge Cube from toy to educational tool to the plethora of ARkit and ARcore enabled experiences that launched on mobile devices, there has been a wealth of opportunities for educators around the world to begin integrating AR and VR in classrooms like never before. Whilst mobile developers seem to be focusing more squarely on AR-enabled content, there have been some stellar virtual reality experiences released for the Vive, Rift and even WMR headsets.
I actually produced a “Best of the Year” list last year (which you can find on my site www.virtualiteach.com) but I specifically focused on educational apps for the Vive. For this year’s list, I’m expanding the range to include other platforms as some excellent content has launched outside of the Steam VR Store. I will only be including apps that were actually released during 2018 though and I would highlight the fact that every app on this list was personally selected by me and this list does not represent the views of VRFocus as a whole.
Before we take a look at the Top 10 itself, I want to give honourable mentions to five apps:
Honourable Mentions
Sharecare VR – This excellent app launched late in 2017 but I didn’t try it in time to include it on my list last year. Being able to stand inside a beating human heart is a breathtaking experience that literally echoes the educational future portrayed in Ready Player One.
Kolb Antartica Experience – A great idea and I love the interactivity with the penguins but it only lasts about three minutes at present. I’ll return to this in 2019 to see how it has developed.
Robotics in VR – This app lets you build a giant Lego EV3 robot then program it to move around a warehouse-sized maze. It’s still early-access but well worth a look.
Dreams of Dali – As weird as you’d expect but great for art students looking for a new perspective on the work of Salvador Dali.
1943 Berlin Blitz – Brilliant use of historical recordings to bring this moment to life in VR. It’s annoying that the app insists on the use of a gamepad controller though!
With the honourable mentions out of the way, let’s dive into the actual Top 10:
Top 10 VR Education Apps 2018
1. Number Hunt (Vive/Rift/WMR)
I absolutely loved the Number Hunt concept as it’s an excellent example of gamification in action. Taking the format a first-person shooter, you find yourself hurtling around a range of vibrant arenas that are populated by anthropomorphised numbers. Your aim is to make target totals before your opponents by shooting these numerical NPCs with a gun that can apply each of the four operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide). It’s great fun and a totally unique approach to practising maths.
2. Nanome (Vive/Rift/WMR)
In the popular SAMR model for technology integration on education, the highest level (Redefinition) is defined as “technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable.” Virtual reality seems to achieve this quite easily, especially when using an app like Nanome – one of the most exciting scientific apps to launch in 2018. Nanome allows the user to interact with an enormous range of chemicals and proteins like never before. It supersizes nanotechnology as if the student was Ant-Man and offers huge potential both in the upper levels of schools, higher education and beyond. Best of all it allows for multiple students to collaborate within the same space!
3. Nefertari: Journey to Eternity (Vive)
Ancient Egypt is my all-time favourite topic to teach and so I’m always eager to try new Egypt-themed VR experiences. This one really did raise the bar though. The app allows you to walk through Queen Nefertari’s tomb, guided by some first-rate narration and interaction points teach students about the history, culture and construction of the tomb. It also boasts some incredibly crisp visuals thanks to the use of super-precise digital scanning and unlike some other Egyptian tomb apps, it’s not terribly dark, which can be off-putting to younger students. It really is great to see educational content being produced with such polish and detail.
4. Becoming Homeless (Vive)
I actually had to double check the release date on this one as I was convinced it came out in 2017 (it was actually launched January 2018.) Stanford VR Lab set the benchmark when it comes to empathetic VR experiences and exploring how VR affects us as human beings and Becoming Homeless is a great example of this. It’s a short but potent experience which sees you step into the shoes of someone who can no longer afford a home. As your situation worsens, you experience the harsh realities of life on the streets first-hand. Powerful and moving, this app can easily be used as a stimulus for writing, a discussion piece in the social studies classroom or an experiment in the psychology classroom.
5. Hold The World (Rift/WMR)
Produced by Sky and featuring the living legend that is Sir David Attenborough, this is unlike any other virtual museum app out there in that it focuses on interaction. This summer I took my kids to The British Museum in London and some of their favourite parts were the various stations where you could actually handle artefacts under the guidance of a resident historian who would explain the significance of each object. Hold The World offers a similar experience at London’s Natural History Museum with the unparalleled Sir Attenborough as your guide. Having selected the object you wish to learn more about, you can then focus on specific parts and dive deeper into its story. Incredible and fascinating in equal measure.
6. Google Tour Creator (Web)
Tour Creator is a web-based tool for building interactive, multi-scene virtual tours. Whilst it’s similar to several other pre-existing platforms, it streamlined the creation process (and made it free) so that it is by far the most accessible tool for educators looking to integrate simple 360 tours across the curriculum. Completed tours can be viewed in stereoscopic mode on iOS and Android devices and it also boasts Google Poly integration for easy sharing of projects. Like many other educators, I hope that it will also integrate with the Expeditions platform in the near future. It may be the only app on the list that isn’t a 6DOF, room-scale experience but Tour Creator offers a great stepping stone for educators new to VR.
7. Apollo 11 VR HD – (Vive/Rift/WMR)
I nearly left this high definition re-release of Immersive VR Education’s landmark title of the list since the original version was a launch title for the Vive and Rift back in 2016. I changed my mind though since even those who have tried the original will find fresh awe and wonder in this stunning update that serves as a testament to how far IVRE have progressed in such a relatively short space of time. The addition of new demo modes which allow you to choose specific scenes from the full experience are also useful for educators looking to facilitate larger groups. Essential stuff.
8. Anne Frank House VR (Rift/Go/Gear)
I’m a huge proponent for using VR to allow students to travel in time and walk through history and this is a superb example of just that. Produced in association with The Anne Frank Museum, this richly detailed experience recreates the infamous Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding for more than two years during the Second World War. Historically accurate and punctuated by quotes from her diary, it is a truly powerful way to engage young historians with one of the most important stories of the last century.
9. The Kremer Collection VR Museum
I love the whole concept of virtual museums and galleries allowing people without the means of visiting the real places to engage with exhibitions like never before. 2018 saw the release of the Kremer Collection VR experience which many feel raised the bar. This virtual gallery contains more than 70 classic works of Old Masters like Rembrandt rendered in stunning detail and allowing you to get closer than ever before. Each is accompanied by both text and audio, a simple but important accessibility feature that enables a broader range of ages to engage with the artwork.
10. HoloLab Champions (Vive/Rift)
I remember watching previews of this Chemistry themed app from Schell Games in 2017 and thinking it looked fantastic and it didn’t disappoint. There are several virtual lab sims out there nowadays but none offer such a student-friendly approach through the clever gameshow framing of the science. Students are challenged to complete experiments quickly but also safely to become a Champion and unlock various achievements. It’s a canny mix of entertainment and education that is often lacking in other more serious titles and it’s an incredibly engaging way to let students hone their practical science skills in a safe environment.
Earlier this summer the BBC revealed a couple of immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences it was working on Make Noise and 1943 Berlin Blitz. Today, the broadcasting corporation has announced that 1943 Berlin Blitz will be available this Thursday for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive owners.
Originally premiering at Venice Film Festival, the film puts you in the shoes of Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, a BBC war correspondent and sound recordist, Reg Pidsley, as they document their flight on a genuine bombing run during World War 2. You’ll be able to listen to his dramatic commentary of the action taken from the original radio broadcast that went out over the airwaves on 4th September 1943, all from the BBC Archive.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response to Berlin Blitz so far. People are finding it profoundly moving,” said Peter Rippon, editor of BBC Archive in a statement. “The authenticity of the audio and the nobility of the characters involved, combined with virtual reality means audiences can now relive with past with an intensity not previously possible.”
A collaborative effort between BBC VR Hub, BBC Northern Ireland and Immersive VR Education (Titanic VR), the experience transports viewers into the belly of Lancaster bomber ‘F for Freddie’. This gives a sense of what it was like to fly over Berlin while anti-aircraft shells burst all around.
“This film is a wonderful example of how virtual reality can bring the BBC’s archive to life in a way we’ve never really seen before,” adds Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub. “VR adds a vivid, tangible dimension to an exceptional and extraordinary piece of journalism, and brings the past and future together beautifully – using a 75-year-old broadcast to demonstrate the very best of what this new form of storytelling has to offer.”
1943: Berlin Blitz will be available this Thursday on the Oculus and Steam stores for Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive headsets. Versions for Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream will also soon be available. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
So far UK broadcasting group the BBC has delivered some of the most powerful VR experiences yet seen in headsets. From the fantastic underwater exploration of Life in VR to the storybook novelty of The Turning Forest, the organization has produced content that truly capitalizes on the format. Good news, then; it’s got more of that on the way.
The BBC today announced two new VR experiences set to release later this year. One, Make Noise, celebrates the centennial of the suffragette’s movement in which women campaigned to win the right to vote while the other, 1943: Berlin Blitz, does the same for the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
Make Noise is a vibrant-looking piece that will employ the use of the viewer’s voice. Inspired by leading suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst’s call for people to “make more noise”, viewers will hum, sing and shout along to the experience, changing the world around them in the process. The journey will take you through various stages of the suffragette movement, narrated by actor Nikki Amuka-Bird. It features archive material from the BBC including the voices of real-life suffragettes. It’s developed by the BBC’s new VR Hub with the help of Anagram.
Berlin Blitz, meanwhile, recognizes the work of the RAF by recreating a bombing run over Berlin that was attended by BBC journalist Wynford Vaughan-Thomas on September 4th 1943. You’ll find yourself in the Lancaster bomber, the most successful heavy bomber used by the RAF in the Second World War. This piece was created by BBC Northern Ireland and Immersive VR Education and will be on display at the RAF’s International Royal Air Tattoo in Fairford from July 13th – 15th.
Look out for these experiences to release on a VR headset near you later this year.
When the BBC decides to create immersive content there always seems to be good reason behind it, with the company focused on highlighting important subject matter. Today is no different, with the BBC VR Hub announcing two new virtual reality (VR) experiences; Make Noise and 1943: Berlin Blitz.
Created by BBC VR Hub with Anagram, Make Noise has been inspired by the suffragettes and Emmeline Pankhurst’s advice to ‘make more noise’, using a combination of voice technology and VR. Viewers will need to hum, sing and shout along with narrator Nikki Amuka-Bird as they are transported through a series of colourful and abstract worlds that represent the stages of the suffragettes’ struggle.
“BBC VR Hub exists to excite audiences by creating the most enthralling experiences imaginable using the power of VR, and both of these do that, but in very different ways. Make Noise uses voice technology in an innovative way to put you in the shoes of the suffragettes, encouraging you to follow their example and use your voice to change your world. It’s empowering, profound and yet playful, and a great example of why we should follow Emmeline Pankhurst’s advice and ‘make more noise’”, said Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub in a statement.
The second experience 1943: Berlin Blitz puts viewers in the shoes of BBC war correspondent Wynford Vaughan-Thomas. Using the original radio broadcast of Vaughan-Thomas’ report taken from the BBC Archive, the VR experience allows users to retrace his journey on a genuine bombing raid to Berlin at the height of the WWII.
Created by BBC Northern Ireland and Immersive VR Education (Titanic VR), 1943: Berlin Blitz celebrates the 100th anniversary of the RAF.
“1943: Berlin Blitz on the other hand uses VR to breathe new life into the BBC Archive, using an extraordinary piece of journalism to transport you to Berlin at the height of the Second World War,” adds Watson. “It really gives a sense of just how brave the RAF and the BBC’s war correspondents were back then, and providing new context for the threats our colleagues face today when reporting from dangerous situations. For now they’re both available at a small number of select events and screenings, and we hope to launch them to the public later in the year.”
Both experiences are scheduled to be released later this year although no platforms have yet been specified. At the end of this week 1943: Berlin Blitz will be shown at a special preview during the RAF’s International Royal Air Tattoo in Fairford from the 13th – 15th July. For any further updates from the BBC on its VR projects, keep reading VRFocus.
