As a child in elementary school, I can remember my teacher rolling in a huge television from the hallway into the classroom. We would watch VHS videos on the old screen. We looked forward to those days so much. This integration of technology into the classroom may seem primitive, but at the time it was cutting edge. The existence of facetime, video-conferencing, and virtual reality seemed like something that was so far out of reach.
At the time, I could not imagine technology better than this old clunky TV. Something like virtual reality seemed like technology out of a science fiction movie. However, these scientific advances are now very real. Many market researchers predict that the number of virtual reality related items will explode in the coming years. Some even predict that virtual reality in the classroom is something so imminent that it will be integrated into most classrooms within the next five years (Pell and Parisi, 2017). This growing desire to educate through virtual reality experience is on the rise and for good reason.
An interesting lesson I found in my research is the story of Mellinda Lohan’s high school history class. Melinda ensures that students know about immigration and it’s history in the United States. This study of immigration does a number of things. First, it shows students just how connected every single person in this country really is. By studying immigration and migration in a historical sense, students can get a better understanding of what it means to be a Global Citizen. Students learn that people from every lineage were once immigrants to this country, which highlights the interconnectedness of all learners.
Mellinda has students go on a “virtual field trip”, where they visit Ellis Island and Angel Island. Using virtual reality, the students in the class are able to get the true experience of what it is like to come to America during the early 20th century. They can walk through the lines of immigrants coming to this country and hear the voices and cries of others as they pass-through lines of doctors and inspectors. In the current political climate, this experience is so important. By having children experience what it is like to be an immigrant, they can grow towards becoming a more compassionate global citizen.
The idea of virtual reality in the classroom may seem a far reach because of the technology it requires, and concerns about the affordability and availability of equipment. However, things like Google Cardboard are making this type of technological integration into the classroom seamless. This equipment turns a cell phone into a VR headset for less than $10! It is truly incredible what technology provides us today! I cannot begin to imagine how much interest this concept will spark in the mind of the student. Getting out of the textbook, and into an experience, they will never forget. Above is a video that overviews the idea of the virtual reality experience and it’s implementation into the classroom.
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Pell, M., & Parisi, T. (2017). Envisioning holograms: design breakthrough experiences for mixed reality. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Envisioning-Holograms-Breakthrough-Experiences-Reality/dp/1484227484.
Thompson, M. (2018). Making Virtual Reality a Reality in Today’s Classrooms. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/01/11/making-virtual-reality-a-reality-in-todays-classrooms.aspx.