Towards an effective low-cost virtual reality display system for education

This paper describes the results of two studies designed to assess the effects of stereo views and multiple display screens (providing a wide field-of-view) on a user's ability to search for target objects in a virtual world. Taken together, the results of the studies show that while subjects believe the side screens to be helpful, neither the number of display screens nor stereoscopic views plays a significant role in a subject's ability to search an unknown virtual world for target objects effectively. Further analysis revealed that subjects with substantial prior first person shooter video game experience were likely to move faster through the virtual world than those who did not, and subjects generally moved faster during the second visit to the world in all conditions. The results of this study demonstrate that it may be possible to construct an effective virtual reality display environment using only a single large projection screen, lowering the cost and allowing a larger number of academic institutions to afford to construct such a system.