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University of London International Programmes

Introduction to Virtual Reality

University of London International Programmes and Goldsmiths University of London via Coursera

Overview

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This course will introduce you to Virtual Reality (VR). The course will teach you everything from the basics of VR- the hardware and the history of VR- to different applications of VR, the psychology of Virtual Reality, and the challenges of the medium.

The course is designed for people who are new to VR as a medium. You may have experienced some virtual reality before, and may have some hardware- but this course is suitable to individuals who have never experienced VR and those who do not have much hardware- we will explain Mobile VR as well as devices such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Introduction to Virtual Reality is the first course in the Virtual Reality Specialisation. A learner with no previous experience in Virtual Reality and/or game programming will be able to evaluate existing VR applications, and design, test, and implement their own VR experiences/games using Unity by the end of the specialisation.

Syllabus

  • Virtual Reality- Hardware and History
    • In this week, we’ll cover the basics of VR. We’ll start by sharing a definition of Virtual Reality, and exploring VR hardware, and then you’ll see demonstrations of a range of VR Head Mounted Devices. In the latter part of the week, you will hear more about the history of Virtual Reality and finish the week by drafting your ideas for a VR application.
  • VR Applications
    • This week, you’ll learn more about the different applications of VR- from news and documentaries, to sports, therapy, and games. You will also learn more about the VR Technical Framework, and will have the opportunity to share your thoughts on VR applications with your peers.
  • The Psychology of VR: the Three Illusions
    • In this week, Professor Mel Slater will take us through the Three Illusions. We’ll discuss Place Illusion, Plausibility Illusion, and Embodiment Illusion, with some interesting tricks along the way!
  • Challenges in Virtual Reality

Taught by

Dr Marco Gillies and Sylvia Xueni Pan

Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

4.7 rating at Coursera based on 1750 ratings

Start your review of Introduction to Virtual Reality

  • Anonymous
    I'm part way through. Unfortunately this class exhibits what I've now seen in other online courses and which needs to be said out loud: The lecturer's accent and lack of presentation skills significantly degrades the quality of the class. For this reason I'll look elsewhere instead of attempting this VR sequence. I hope this comment serves a purpose more than subtracting stars from the class.

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