Schoolchildren take part in virtual snowboarding learning experiment

 

A group of children aged 11 to 12 from Oakwood Technology College in Rotherham were taught to snowboard by academics at the University of Sheffield using a high-tech 3D virtual reality snowboarding simulator.

 

The group hit the slopes at the SNO!zone indoor real snow centre in Castleford for the first time this week to find out how they fared on real snow.

 

The verdict was that although the simulator had taught them some of the basic moves, that the experience was completely different.

 

Jade Wilkinson aged 12 said, "It was easier because we had already tried it before, but it was more fun doing it on real snow"

 

Sarah Finney also aged 12 added, "It hurts more when you fall, but you react quicker on real snow and it's much more fun than the simulator"

 

Professor Peter Styring, from the Department of Chemical & Process Engineering at The University of Sheffield, said: "Computer scientists have created an immersive virtual reality simulator, which using the landscape of mountains in Stratton, Vermont, USA and a snowboard simulator, feels just like you are really there.

 

"The children had been learning to snowboard purely by using the simulator and had never been on a real snow slope. We wanted to see if the children could not only learn to snowboard using the simulator alone, and if so whether it enabled them to learn faster.

 

"The children have had around 20 minutes each on the simulator but have already shown remarkable understanding of how a snowboard works."

 

SNO!zone brand manager, Lisa Allan, said: "It's a really interesting idea that a virtual learning experience could help people to learn to snowboard faster than on a real slope.

 

"However I think the children have proved that although virtual experiences can be fun, they're no substitute for the real thing."

 

For more information about learning to snowboard at one of SNO!zone's indoor real snow centres visit www.snozoneuk.com