This course is part of the Virtual Reality Specialization

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Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan +1 more instructor

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Offered By

University of London

Goldsmiths, University of London

Virtual Reality SpecializationUniversity of London

About this Course

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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.

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 1 of 5 in the

Virtual Reality Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 5 in the

Virtual Reality Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.78/5 (445 Ratings)

Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan

Lecturer, Department of Computing

Goldsmiths, University of London

106,509 Learners

5 Courses

Dr Marco Gillies

Senior Lecturer

Computing Department, Goldsmiths, University of London

408,634 Learners

14 Courses

Offered by

University of London

The University of London is a federal University which includes 18 world leading Colleges. Our distance learning programmes were founded in 1858 and have enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality University of London degrees wherever our students are across the globe. Our alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners. Today, we are a global leader in distance and flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 50,000 students in over 180 countries. To find out more about studying for one of our degrees where you are, visit www.london.ac.uk

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.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(18,392 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

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.

4 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 78 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz

15 videos

Welcome to the Virtual Reality Specialisation!4m

Welcome to Introduction to Virtual Reality!1m

Introduction to Week 147s

What is VR and How is it Different from Other Media?5m

Displays | CAVE and HMDs3m

Head Tracking5m

Controllers5m

Choosing your VR Device5m

HMD | Oculus Rift1m

HMD | HTC Vive3m

HMD | Sony PlayStation VR4m

HMD | Mobile VR | Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear2m

CAVE VR Systems8m

Part 1 | VR in the Analogue Age7m

Part 2 | VR in the Digital Age16m

7 readings

Course blog10m

HMD | Windows Mixed Reality10m

HMD | Oculus GO10m

HMD | Oculus Quest10m

Where to Download VR Apps10m

Summary | How To Choose Your VR HMD10m

VR History10m

1 practice exercise

VR HMDs and VR History30m

Week

Week 2

4 hours to complete

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.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 33 min), 7 readings, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Introduction to Week 248s

Introduction to the VR Technical Framework5m

360 Video and Model Based VR6m

Being Someone Else4m

Sports3m

News and Documentary Films2m

Scientific Data Visualisation3m

Medical Training2m

Physical Rehabilitation and Psychotherapy3m

7 readings

Week 3

4 hours to complete

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!

4 hours to complete

22 videos (Total 105 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

22 videos

Introduction to Week 31m

A Brief History of VR4m

Levels of Immersion in VR Systems10m

Sensorimotor Contingency (SC)2m

Sensorimotor Contingency in VR4m

Why Do We Need Immersive VR?4m

Introduction to the Three Illusions4m

Introduction to Place Illusion (PI)6m

Does Immersion Cause PI?4m

Introduction to Plausibility Illusion (Psi)3m

Necessary Conditions for Psi4m

Break of Presence2m

Presence, Immersion, PI, and Psi2m

The Pinocchio Illusion2m

The Rubber Hand Illusion2m

Psychological Effects of Embodiment Illusion7m

Visual-Tactile and Visual-Motor Synchrony13m

The Technical Setup of VR Embodiment2m

Changes in Attitude, Behaviours, and Cognition9m

Self-Counselling and Treating Depression5m

Comparing CGI and 360 Video4m

The Future of Embodiment in VR2m

4 readings

The Three Illusions10m

The Technical Setup of VR Embodiment10m

Changing Bodies Changes Minds: Owning Another Body Affects Social Cognition10m

Embodiment in Self-Counselling and Treating Depression10m

1 practice exercise

The Three Illusions of Virtual Reality30m

Week

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Challenges in Virtual Reality

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 26 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Reviews

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419 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL REALITY

by MAMay 13, 2020

The course is highly recommended by me. Learned so many things at once. All the lecturers are too good in illustrating a complex issues and now my basic ideas about virtual reality is clear and wider.

by NCJan 28, 2018

Very good overview of theory of VR and a great start to deepen the knowledge. The course encourages you to seek out additional information and prompts you to think of applications of the technology.

by ASDec 20, 2019

I wish there could've been a one-and-one facetime for the "final project" or just a professional feedback for that last paper that we all did. Otherwise, overall a good course to take for beginners.

by JPJun 15, 2018

Excelent content, there are so many interesting subjects about VR that I have not thought yet. Every lesson makes me fall even more in love to VR and its possibiilties to change our world for good.

View all reviews

About the Virtual Reality Specialization

This specialisation from the University of London will introduce you to virtual reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Introduction to Virtual Reality

About this Course