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Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool in the world of art, transforming the way we experience and create. The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University’s Continuing Education program (SMFA CE) has been at the forefront of leveraging VR technology to bridge the gap between art and technology. As part of their commitment to exploring this intersection, SMFA CE hosted a captivating Virtual Reality Speaker Series, featuring thought-provoking discussions and presentations by leading experts in the field. The first focused on the uses across the healthcare industry, and the second turned to the field of education.
For the first installment of the Speaker Series, Virtual Reality Speaker Series – Volume 1: Healthcare & Medicine, former associate director of SMFA CE, Sarah Biggers, is joined by Aubrey Simonson, virtual reality interaction designer and researcher; Nancy Baker, associate professor of occupational therapy; and Trent Simmons, XR initiative director and PhD student at Northeastern University. Their discussion focused on the current uses and future applications of VR in the healthcare industry as it relates to chronic pain treatment, biometric data optimization, traumatic brain injury treatment, and other various therapeutic practices.
“Compared to a lot of other forms of long-term and ongoing healthcare, VR has gotten remarkably cheap. It [has] started to become something that is cost-effective for people. And the fact that increasing the number of repetitions with which you use it doesn’t increase its cost can make it really useful for long-term and ongoing forms of therapy.”
-Aubrey Simonson, VR interaction designer and researcher
In Virtual Reality Speaker Series – Volume 2: Education, the second installment of the series, the group discussed the unique challenges and opportunities in VR as it is used as an instrument to teach and optimize education. Moderated by Rebekah Plotkin, director of Tufts Professional & Custom Education Programs, panel members included Kyle Monahan, senior data science specialist at Tufts University; Kristin Ziska Strange, associate director at Tufts University; and Nick Babich, product designer.
“I predict by 2030, we will likely have the common standards for VR headsets and the audience will be familiar with the devices. And by that time, it will be a mainstream device for education.”
–Nick Babich, product designer
Over the course of the discussion, panelists explored where VR can take students, moving from the traditional classroom to one that discusses the inclusion of an augmented reality. From sitting on the lip of an active volcano to better understand facets of geology to exploring artifacts and collections from around the world from your classroom seat, VR has become an unmatched, hands-on tool for deepening our ability to learn, explore, and research by use of a simple headset and controllers. Panelists agree that, as VR continues to make strides in our mainstream world and become more accessible to broader audiences, we will witness a transformation in education across industries like nursing, gaming, research, medicine, and teaching.
The SMFA CE Virtual Reality Speaker Series served as a platform to explore the exciting intersection of innovation, art, and technology. Through these webinars, viewers gained valuable insights into the transformative potential of VR as a medium for practical use, stepping further away from the misconception of VR’s sole use being that of a gaming interface. By embracing virtual reality as a powerful tool, we can anticipate an exciting future where the boundaries between art and technology are blurred and new forms of immersive and interactive tools emerge. The turnout and expertise presented at the SMFA CE Virtual Reality Speaker Series serves as a testament to the ongoing dialogue and exploration that will shape the future of art in the digital age. For more information on SMFA CE’s continued exploration into virtual reality, visit go.tufts.edu/VR.
