App Recommendation - Tiltbrush
Sample of Google Poly Artwork. Art by Logan Ladd.
One of the most important aspects of upgrading from an Oculus Go to an Oculus Quest is the ability to use creation apps that for a long time were the domain of the Oculus Rift and other beefier VR sets. One of the best apps, in terms of simplicity and creativity, is Google’s TiltBrush. For an idea of what it can do, check out Poly.google.com and check out some of the amazing pieces artists have made.
The app is fairly simple: a user is presented with a paintbrush in one hand and a pallet in the other. The paintbrush is used by pressing the back trigger and then you can draw all around you. The pallet has options for color, brush type (a surprising amount), and tools to help the artist. However, the real power is the creativity and freedom it allows the player. You can create anything that you would like to and at the size that you would like. In just a few minutes I was able to create a duck in full 3D and then make it tower over me. It might sound simple, but I am not the greatest artist and I found it to be easy, almost intuitive, and extremely enthralling.
The curriculum opportunities for this app are limitless. The first and most obvious is the art application. Students can learn a new methodology and techniques for creating art that will prepare them for future waves of digital creation. However, in any class you could apply it as a quick assessment tool to allow students to show what they think are important in a curriculum area, as a new way to create diagrams or outlines for notes, or as an option for independent projects in a variety of subjects. Just in the little time that we have had this on our headsets, students, as well as teachers, have found this one to be the most exciting and immersive. I cannot wait to see how we use it over the next year.
