Teaching and Learning Resource Center

Virtual reality (VR)

Definition

A fully immersive environment in which a user experiences a completely computer-generated world. The sensory experiences are provided by computer simulation. With current technology, a VR user still moves through a physical real-world environment, but the user's input is translated into the virtual world, often at a 1:1 ratio. As costs continue to fall and systems continue to develop, virtual reality will likely become an incredible instructional tool to replicate inherently dangerous situations in the safety of a classroom, such as flight simulators.