Key points:
Integrating virtual reality (VR) into your classroom may be easier than you think. With rising demand and innovations in the VR technology space, the present may be the best time to integrate virtual reality into your day-to-day lessons. Where it once was an experimental and cutting-edge technology, it’s now gone mainstream.
Before diving into specifics of why virtual reality integration will lead to success in your classroom and how to do it, let’s first define what it is and how it’s similar to (and different from) other recent technologies.
What are VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality)?
According to the Britannica encyclopedia, virtual reality refers to “the use of computer modeling and simulation that enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional (3-D) visual or other sensory environment.” This is achieved through putting on a headset equipped with a screen and lenses that trick the brain into seeing depth into a 3D environment. With this technology, a user can look around in and interact with a digital three-dimensional space like they were actually there.
Similar to virtual reality, Britannica tells us augmented reality (AR) is “a process of combining or ‘augmenting’ video or photographic displays by overlaying the images with useful computer-generated data.” Unlike VR, which takes the user to a digital 3D environment, AR simply overlays images and information over the user’s real life environment. AR is a useful technology that deserves its own article and analysis–I just won’t be doing that here!
Why use virtual reality in education?
Experiential learning is a concept that has lived in education for a long time. A quote attributed to Confucious explains the concept in simple terms:
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
Experiences, especially hands-on learning experiences, can be powerful opportunities for students. It’s one thing to study a concept in a textbook. It’s another to see that concept come to life. While it may not be possible for you to take your class on as many field trips to as many places as you like, virtual reality may open the door to more experiential learning opportunities. While an in-person field trip may cost thousands of dollars for a school, the same enriching, interactive virtual reality experiences can be had at a fraction of the cost, with many being free. Your students can visit a variety of places in these virtual field trips, from sending slime into space to innovative makerspaces and manufacturing, the opportunities are virtually endless!
A recent study compared two groups of students learning in an art appreciation course–one learning in a more traditional learning model and the other group integrated virtual reality. They found that students who used virtual reality to see and interact with the art pieces showed more motivation to learn, and even showed higher achievement in the end.
Also, the students of tomorrow may already be integrating virtual reality into their own lives. Recent research suggests that as many as one in every three teens owns or uses a virtual reality headset. When blogs first appeared online, teachers met that technological growth by blogging with students. With the advent of short-form video content on so many sites, teachers are turning to designing bite-sized instructional videos. I think it’s time to meet the students where they’re at with virtual reality, too.
Integrating virtual reality is easier than you think!
Now that we’ve established what virtual reality is and why virtual reality is a great addition to any teacher’s classroom, let’s see how we can let students access it.
At first glance, you may find many virtual reality headsets on the market that may make your teacher heart sink. With models ranging from $500 to $3,000, it doesn’t seem like it would be possible or feasible to integrate virtual reality into your school or classroom. However, the solution may be so easy, it could already be in your pocket. For a few dollars, you can turn a smartphone into a VR headset with products like Google cardboard. With up to 91 percent of 14-year-olds having access to a personal smartphone, teachers can use virtual reality in a classroom with little monetary investment! Students can download a virtual reality app on their phone, insert it into the headset, and jump into VR right away.
There are also many grants and funding opportunities available, like ClassVR, for example, or even the National Science Foundation. I remember my mom, a teacher and innovator of over 30 years, applying for grants so her school could be one of the first in our city to get a computer lab. In today’s world, you could be the first in your district to integrate virtual reality with one of these grants.
Final thoughts
Getting the benefits from integrating virtual reality into your classroom may be easier than you think! With grants, the cellphones already in students’ pockets, and the inexpensive cost of virtual field trips, you may find yourself going on a virtual field trip sooner rather than later!
While our schools may not have the budget for many field trips in a year, virtual reality can take us there and give students experiences that would otherwise not be possible. You can be an innovator and meet the kids where they’re at–the opportunities and virtually endless!
