According to researchers from Clemson University School of Computer Science.
The researchers’ award-winning study is one of the world’s first detailed insights into how people collaborate in virtual reality since technological improvements and price cuts began making it widely available to the masses about a year ago. five years.
Guo Freeman, an assistant professor who led the research, said the team found that people used virtual reality to work together on activities ranging from art and games to homework and coding. The team also found that the way people collaborate in virtual reality is very similar to what they do face-to-face, she said.
“They feel like they’re actually doing things together, which creates a sense of presence and engagement,” Freeman said. “Some people say it’s a good alternative if you can’t meet face-to-face offline, but still want the natural feeling of working with others.”
The team based their findings on voice and text interviews conducted over Discord, Skype and Google Hangouts with 30 virtual reality users who engaged on multiple platforms, including Rec Room, VRChat and High Fidelity. The users were between the ages of 18 and 65 and had been using virtual reality for six to 36 months.
Virtual reality typically requires users to put on a headset that immerses them in the experience with unique features including voice communication, full body tracking, and 360 degree panoramic views of the virtual world.
The School of Computing study reflected the immersive power of technology and the importance of collaboration to get the most out of it. Users described virtual reality as powerful, breathtaking and eye-opening and said they would rather experience it with other participants than alone, the researchers said.
Brian Dean, acting director of the School of Computing, said the research highlights the strengths of Clemson’s research in virtual reality.
“As this technology begins to transform the way we work, learn and play, researchers at the School of Computing are answering some of the most vital social and technical questions of virtual reality,” Dean said. “I commend the team, led by Dr. Freeman, for helping to advance knowledge on this important topic.”
Freeman said the team found a tight-knit VR community that quickly embraced the technology, was passionate about it, and eager to recruit new members. She was impressed with how creative some users are with technology.
Some, for example, have created virtual reality art, while others have created real-world art and then built virtual reality galleries to display it.
“I think it could transform the way people create things and share their creativity with others,” Freeman said.
Some virtual reality users told the team that they collaborate on homework not only with friends but also with strangers. It happened naturally and frequently, users said.
A VR user told the team, “I have helped people from different countries with their homework, and they will help me with my homework. […] I was helping people with math and someone from Japan was helping me with my Japanese. I just walk into a world and say, ‘Hey, I need help with my homework.’ Some people came to me and helped me. Other times I was like, ‘I knew that person was taking this course.’ So I asked them, ‘Hey, I know you’re taking this course. Could you help me?’ and they said ‘Yeah!’
The findings of the study were first reported in the ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction. The team’s paper was titled “Working Together Apart Through Embodiment: Engaging in Everyday Collaborative Activities in Social Virtual Reality.”
Co-authors were Freeman; Dane Acena, then a student and holder of a Master of Science in computer science; Nathan J. McNeese, Assistant Professor to the Dean of CECAS; and HCC doctorate. student Kelsea Schulenberg.
The research recently won the honorable mention award for best paper at the January ACM International Conference on Support Group Work. This puts the newspaper among the top 5% performers in the conference.
For Freeman, it was his ninth honorable mention for best paper in four years.
Freeman, who has studied virtual worlds and online games for a decade, said that when social VR first came out, some people thought of it as just a game, but it’s more than that.
“People always want to connect with others, and that’s another way people build relationships,” Freeman said. “I think it’s a great way to introduce social interaction in an immersive and realistic way.”
Contact us and we’ll put you in touch with the author or another expert.
Or email us at news@clemson.edu