Virtual reality “is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. Applications of virtual reality can include entertainment and educational purposes. Other, distinct types of VR style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality”, according to Wikipedia. Personally, I have never experienced virtual reality, but I have seen just how popular it has gotten over the past few years and how it is constantly advancing. I have seen many ads for virtual reality technology and they have all been very adventurous and intense. I have never seen an advertisement to show the more educational purpose for virtual reality, so I was excited to look more into it and find out some ways educators implement virtual reality into the classroom.
There are 2 virtual reality tools that I will be discussing in this post, Google cardboard and Gear VR. Google Cardboard is a VR platform for use with a head mount for a smartphone. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer, the platform is intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications. There are multiple different apps you can find once you have this VR tech. The other VR tech is Gear VR. This product is a Samsung product, collaborating with Oculus VR, and it is a virtual reality head-mounted display mount. The Gear VR headset also includes a touchpad and back button on the side, as well as a proximity sensor to detect when the headset is on.
Here is a link that explains more about Google Cardboard.
Here is a link that explains more about Gear VR.
Tools like these can contribute to successful global collaborations and can contribute greatly to students’ education. With tools like these educators have so many opportunities. An idea is collaborating with a classroom from a different location around the world and then using virtual reality to see what they see where they live. This can not only be an awesome and eye-opening experience for the kids but you can also use it to educate them on different geographical locations across the world. This will also allow the students to learn with others beyond their immediate environment and what they know.
To find more specific uses in the classroom I found a website that provides many different lesson plans that educators actually use and implement into their teaching. One example that I found really cool was a plan that brought the students to view monumental places and landmarks a part of history, this one specifically was more Memorial Day. Using VR can broaden a students’ perceptions tremendously and I believe all educators should look into using it.