Virtual Environments in CTE and Industry

With the development of sophisticated computers and digital imaging systems, virtual reality (VR) technologies and virtual environments (VEs) can now bring expanded learning options and benefits to the desktop at feasible costs. However, a six-year research program in desktop VR for CTE at Oklahoma State University has demonstrated that to take full advantage of the benefits of screen-based VE training, learners require considerable pre-immersion training. This paper discusses issues in preparing learners to successfully experience desktop VEs. It introduces a conceptualization of these VEs as spheres, worlds, and universes of reality, and offers a training model for preparing learners for virtual experiences in CTE. Application of the conceptualization and training model presented here may help optimize VE technology and extend its effectiveness and uses in CTE programs that benefit from immersive experiences for students before they enter today’s complex, expensive, and often dangerous working environments