SMASH Reflections: Experiential Media and Immersive Storytelling

This post is part of our ongoing SMASH Reflections series, authored by our inaugural class of Fellows.

By Vanina Harel

“What’s VR?” I asked, “and why is everyone talking about it?” Somebody turned to me and said “here, I’ll show you.” I put the headset on and was instantly transported. “I’ve always wanted to dive with whale sharks!” I shrieked.
 
Experiential media has immense potential and can take different forms. It can be 360° video, computer-generated virtual worlds, games, augmented reality, or a combination of forms. In the context of science, it provides a new opportunity to engage and inspire. So, what is the potential of experiential media and how can we use it in science communication? Here are a few takeaways from the September 20th session.
 
How is it different from other forms of media?

• Users become active participants instead of passive observers. They are fully engaged as opposed to splitting their attention between multiple platforms (texting, tweeting, and checking Facebook while watching a TV show, for example).
• “Learning happens around ‘aha’ moments, and education should also be inspiring,” says Albert Lin, research scientist at the University of California, San Diego, National Geographic explorer, and co-founder of Planet3. Immersive media can give kids an opportunity to be the hero of a story, exploring a new world and making their own discoveries, triggering their inherent curiosity.
• In a virtual world, people who are in different physical spaces can interact and collaborate to solve a game. A user can be transported to a research lab in the U.S., a village in Kenya, or a war zone in the Middle East simply by putting on a headset. Immersive media can be a tool to bridge cultures and decrease the separation between scientists and the public.

 
How can we use it?

• Conservation: VR can be a powerful tool for conservation. Anthony Geffen, CEO and filmmaker at Atlantic Productions and Alchemy VR, recently released Great Barrier Reef Dive VR, which takes the viewers on a journey underwater with David Attenborough. Only 5% of Australians have been diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and the immersive experience, he says, enables them to discover a whole new world and inspires them to protect it.
• Healthcare: Experiential media can also have a healthcare application. Peggy Wu, senior research scientist at Smart Information Flow Technologies (SIFT), has been using it as a narrative therapy for aphasia, helping people regain their ability to communicate.
• Education:
  • Augmented reality can be used as a teaching tool in classrooms. Wearing a small headset and projecting 3D holograms of the human body, for instance, allows users to interact with their classmates, pointing at and walking around a 3D image.
  • Games are also a unique teaching tool. Game participants have specific goals and get feedback on their experiences, says Kurt Squire, Professor at the University of Wisconsin. They are also able to collaborate with other participants and to fail without real consequences, which is extremely important in learning.

 
So, why aren’t we all using yet?
 
Anthony Geffen compares the current state of VR to the early days of the iPod: “We had a cool new technology but no music to download for it.” VR is still new and we are still figuring out the rules, but the opportunities are limitless. In 5 to 10 years, we may all have a VR headset at home, at school, and at work. We are not there yet, but immersive storytelling is definitely a new opportunity for powerful science communication and education, and we should embrace it.
 
About the author: Vanina Harel is a National Geographic Young Explorer and a filmmaker. She has travelled to South Africa and Botswana to produce a short film about rhinoceros conservation, co-produced Chesapeake Villages, a 30-minute documentary that aired on Maryland Public Television, and recently completed a 22-minute documentary film about lagoon conservation in Mauritius.