Virtual Reality is not just for video games, it is making it’s way into the classroom and creating awesome opportunities for students and teachers. A VR tool that I found could be really interesting in the classroom is Google Expeditions. It is now found in the “Arts & Culture Expeditions” tab after they removed the original site in 2021. This tool gives students the chance to take virtual field trips to places all over the world that many people never get to visit. I think this can give students an appreciation for the rest of the world and not just their home country.

What Is It?

Expeditions is a virtual reality platform created google to give anyone a chance to get an in depth looks at monumental places all over the globe. You can get a detailed virtual experience at any famous landmark or monument you ever wanted to see.

How Does It tie Into Global Collaboration

The way I saw this tool fitting into Global Collaboration in the classroom was through discussion boards that students from all over the world can discuss the virtual trips. I think it would be awesome for classes to join together and visit somewhere near each other. Then they can enter a discussion post and have talks about what they felt when seeing the other classes country. I think this would help kids gain an appreciation for people all over the world and open their eyes to life outside of their home or country.

Another way that classes could engage with this tool would be by joining together to take a virtual field trip something like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. They could discuss the engineering that goes behind the building and the history behind why it is leaning. Being able to take the field trips with one or more classes s helps kids engage with other students and really take in the experience.

The research of this Virtual Reality tool and others has opened my eyes to the benefits in education that it has. It is more than a cool gadget, it is the future of learning and I am excited to see what VR education has in store for us.