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Turf education in the virtual world

By |  November 9, 2016 0 Comments

Distance education has globally increased in popularity. Online certificate or degree programs reach a niche group of non-traditional students who desire an education or wish to improve their academic credentials without the stress of quitting a job and physically moving themselves and/or family. Online education has been around since the early 1980s, but the ability to present and provide a learning experience has taken off in the last 10 years.

Online education is not easy. For the student, it takes considerable self-discipline, motivation and time management to complete online requirements while at the same time balance work and family responsibilities. This often requires sitting in front of a computer by themselves late at night or early in the morning. Fortunately, advanced technology allows several turfgrass certificate programs to be accessed by phone or tablet, allowing students to access classes in places like airports, restaurants and hotels — anywhere with wi-fi.

On the opposite end is the creation of these courses and certificates by faculty. Turf management actually is suited for online learning. It’s a visual and applied learning experience. We are able through videos, slide presentations, interactive programing (animations) and visual materials to describe and demonstrate the major activities involved in turfgrass management.

There always are challenges in making online education better, maybe even better than a classroom experience. One challenge: How do you best teach a student who is viewing a picture or video on a digital device in two dimensions when being in a lab or on a golf course is a three-dimensional world?

Virtual reality has the potential to change how we teach online, but also may enhance our outreach (Extension) efforts. Virtual reality gives us the ability to transport ourselves to a place where we physically are not. In the virtual world, we could place a student in the middle of a putting green, and that student could observe all the activities that are occurring.

Virtual reality is nothing new for those of us old enough to remember having a View-Master (1939), which basically way a way to view famous sites by clicking a button. Other examples include the movie “The Lawnmower Man” (1992) and Nintendo Virtual Boy (1995).

By the 21st Century, professional virtual reality devices became complex. Multiple cameras were needed, and the videos had to be stitched together. The process was difficult and time consuming, often requiring professional expertise.

That has changed. A number of virtual reality devices will be released that shoot and stitch video in one process, and they’re affordable ($1,000 to $4,000). The one I am playing with is much cheaper, around $300, called the 360fly (360fly.com). There are limitations with the camera, but I can see potential for the industry as the technology advances. I can shoot 360-degree video through the camera that can be edited and streamed live or uploaded using a computer, tablet or smartphone. Using Google Cardboard (which costs only $9), you can view video live or in virtual reality.

The ability to take a student who’s in front of a computer on a journey to a golf course anywhere in the world (if you have the video) as if you were there has limitless potential. I also believe these devices have the potential to change how we interact in the industry.

For example, imagine you find an issue on one of your putting greens, and you would like some thoughts from trusted colleagues. You can place the camera, which is smaller than a baseball, on the green, and stream it live to your colleagues in three dimensions.
It would be for those watching like they were standing there with you. I think this technology is something to look at seriously.

This is posted in Columns

About the Author: Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.

Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University. He is author of the popular The Turf Doc column that appears monthly in Golfdom. Karl writes on topics ranging from Poa annua to pest control.


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