Constructing a campus-wide infrastructure for virtual reality

Abstract

The tools, techniques, and physical infrastructure to conduct VR explorations can be expensive and require specialized facilities and training, creating obstacles for faculty and students to explore potential applications. A gap exists for a trusted environment to develop and support best practices. This study documents lessons learned from the transformation of existing library spaces into VR content creation and exploration spaces, as part of an integrated campus-wide initiative. Results argue for the central role libraries can play in the VR lifecycle. The study presents recommendations for adapting to the rapidly-developing VR marketplace, suggests methodologies for standardizing hardware deployment, training, and application support, and recommends a support structure for academic VR support.

Keywords:

• Virtual reality
• mixed reality
• extended reality
• immersive environments

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Technology Services at Illinois, the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL), and the staff in the Media Commons in the Undergraduate Library, and the Grainger Engineering Library IDEA Lab for their generous support and invaluable work in supporting the VR efforts mentioned in this article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Technology Services at Illinois, the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL), and the staff in the Media Commons in the Undergraduate Library, and the Grainger Engineering Library IDEA Lab for their generous support and invaluable work in supporting the VR efforts mentioned in this article.