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Introduction to Virtual Reality
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University of London

Introduction to Virtual Reality

This course is part of Virtual Reality Specialization

Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
Prof Marco Gillies

Instructors: Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan

Instructors

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

4.8 (504 ratings)
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
University of London
5 Courses•133,599 learners
Prof Marco Gillies
Prof Marco Gillies
University of London
14 Courses•565,206 learners

102,631 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

•Learn more
4 modules
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(1,786 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
1 week at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course

4 modules
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(1,786 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
1 week at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course
  • About
  • Outcomes
  • Modules
  • Recommendations
  • Testimonials
  • Reviews

Skills you'll gain

  • Human Factors
  • Mental Health Therapies
  • Journalism
  • Unity Engine
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
  • Virtual Reality
  • Video Game Development
  • Virtual Environment
  • Display Devices
  • Rehabilitation
  • Human Computer Interaction

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Virtual Reality Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

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.

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.

What's included

9 videos3 readings1 assignment4 discussion prompts

9 videos•Total 59 minutes
  • Welcome to the Virtual Reality Specialisation!•4 minutes•Preview module
  • Welcome to Introduction to Virtual Reality!•1 minute
  • Introduction to Week 1•0 minutes
  • What is VR and how is it different from other media?•5 minutes
  • VR displays•9 minutes
  • Tracking•6 minutes
  • CAVE VR Systems•8 minutes
  • Part 1 | VR in the Analogue Age•7 minutes
  • Part 2 | VR in the Digital Age•16 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
  • Course blog•10 minutes
  • Where to Download VR Apps•10 minutes
  • VR History•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • VR HMDs and VR History•30 minutes
4 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
  • Introduce Yourself!•10 minutes
  • What Do You Think VR Is?•10 minutes
  • VR Head Mounted Devices (HMDs)•10 minutes
  • When Was the First Time You Heard About the Concept of Virtual Reality?•10 minutes

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.

What's included

9 videos6 readings1 assignment1 peer review2 discussion prompts

9 videos•Total 33 minutes
  • Introduction to Week 2•0 minutes•Preview module
  • Introduction to the VR Technical Framework•5 minutes
  • 360 Video and Model Based VR•6 minutes
  • Being Someone Else•4 minutes
  • Sports•3 minutes
  • News and Documentary Films•2 minutes
  • Scientific Data Visualisation•3 minutes
  • Medical Training•2 minutes
  • Physical Rehabilitation and Psychotherapy•3 minutes
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
  • Further Reading on 360 Video•10 minutes
  • Being Someone Else•10 minutes
  • VR in News and Documentary Films•10 minutes
  • Medical Training•10 minutes
  • VR in Physical Rehabilitation and Psychotherapy•10 minutes
  • Enhancing Our Lives with Virtual Reality•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • VR Applications•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
  • Design Your VR Application | First Draft•120 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
  • VR Applications•10 minutes
  • The Future of VR Applications•10 minutes

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!

What's included

22 videos4 readings1 assignment4 discussion prompts

22 videos•Total 105 minutes
  • Introduction to Week 3•1 minute•Preview module
  • A Brief History of VR•4 minutes
  • Levels of Immersion in VR Systems•10 minutes
  • Sensorimotor Contingency (SC)•2 minutes
  • Sensorimotor Contingency in VR•4 minutes
  • Why Do We Need Immersive VR?•4 minutes
  • Introduction to the Three Illusions•4 minutes
  • Introduction to Place Illusion (PI)•6 minutes
  • Does Immersion Cause PI?•4 minutes
  • Introduction to Plausibility Illusion (Psi)•3 minutes
  • Necessary Conditions for Psi•4 minutes
  • Break of Presence•2 minutes
  • Presence, Immersion, PI, and Psi•2 minutes
  • The Pinocchio Illusion•2 minutes
  • The Rubber Hand Illusion•2 minutes
  • Psychological Effects of Embodiment Illusion•7 minutes
  • Visual-Tactile and Visual-Motor Synchrony•13 minutes
  • The Technical Setup of VR Embodiment•2 minutes
  • Changes in Attitude, Behaviours, and Cognition•9 minutes
  • Self-Counselling and Treating Depression•5 minutes
  • Comparing CGI and 360 Video•4 minutes
  • The Future of Embodiment in VR•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
  • The Three Illusions•10 minutes
  • The Technical Setup of VR Embodiment•10 minutes
  • Changing Bodies Changes Minds: Owning Another Body Affects Social Cognition•10 minutes
  • Embodiment in Self-Counselling and Treating Depression•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • The Three Illusions of Virtual Reality•30 minutes
4 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
  • Levels of Immersion of VR Systems•10 minutes
  • VR Hardware and Immersion•10 minutes
  • Plausibility Illusion•10 minutes
  • Embodiment Illusion in Real Life•10 minutes

What's included

7 videos3 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

7 videos•Total 26 minutes
  • Introduction to Week 4•1 minute•Preview module
  • Realism | Graphics•6 minutes
  • Realism | Animation•4 minutes
  • Navigation•4 minutes
  • Nausea•3 minutes
  • Meeting Other People•3 minutes
  • Haptic Feedback•2 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
  • Basic Concepts in 3D Computer Graphics•10 minutes
  • Simulation Sickness•10 minutes
  • Thank You and Course Blog•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Challenges in VR•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
  • Design a VR application•120 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • Real-Time 3D Graphics in Games•10 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Instructor ratings

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

4.8 (504 ratings)
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
University of London
5 Courses•133,599 learners

Instructors

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

4.8 (504 ratings)
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
Prof Sylvia Xueni Pan
University of London
5 Courses•133,599 learners
Prof Marco Gillies
Prof Marco Gillies
University of London
14 Courses•565,206 learners

Offered by

University of London

Offered by

University of London

The University of London is a federal University which includes 17 world leading Colleges. With extensive experience in distance learning since 1858, University of London has enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality degrees across the globe. Today, University of London is a global leader in flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 45,000 students in over 190 countries, delivering world-leading research across the world. To find out more about University of London, visit www.london.ac.uk

Goldsmiths, University of London

Offered by

Goldsmiths, University of London

Championing research-rich degrees that provoke thought, stretch the imagination and tap into tomorrow’s world, at Goldsmiths we’re asking the questions that matter now in subjects as diverse as the arts and humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, and entrepreneurial business and management. We are a community defined by its people: innovative in spirit, analytical in approach and open to all.

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Learner reviews

4.7

1,786 reviews

  • 5 stars

    77.61%

  • 4 stars

    18.57%

  • 3 stars

    2.12%

  • 2 stars

    0.61%

  • 1 star

    1.06%

Showing 3 of 1786

A
AK
5

Reviewed on Jun 28, 2020

Excellent Course. This course will make you understand the Virtual Reality Concept and developments in the field so far. The use cases explained helped a lot to understand the concepts.

M
MM
5

Reviewed on May 3, 2021

According to me, it was a wonderful introduction to the medium of VR and the topics discussed surely help establish a strong base to ground my applications on, in the future.

M
MW
4

Reviewed on Aug 13, 2020

This course is very beneficial for anyone who want to gain knowledge in VR (virtual Reality).And I feel that now I have more knowledge,more Idea about in this VR field :)

View more reviews
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