On Day 2 of watching my classmates’ Educational Technology presentations, we learned about a few forms of Virtual Reality and it’s applications in the classroom.
Group 4: Virtual Reality Experiences in the Classroom
3 Types of VR:
Virtual reality – Headset tracking movement in completely virtual environment
Augmented reality – headset or glasses seeing real world with overlay – Google Glass, Pokemon Go
Extended reality – used for therapy, in the military, fighter pilot simulations
- Can be used for cross curricular learning with Phys Ed, Just Dance, sports, Beat Saber, etc
Pros:
- Engaging
- Novel
- Engrossing
- Hands on
- Learning in new ways
- Technology continues to advance
- High performance
Cons:
- Outdated hardware + software
- Immobile
- Gaming bias – not all educational games
- Motion sickness
- Expensive
- Arduous setup
Meta Quest 2 (Standalone VR)
Educational uses:
- Librarium – virtual library with flash cards, books, study space, preset courses and study guides, import your own flashcards
- Hand Physics Lab – Move manipulatives with hands
- Nanome – Chemistry visualization software
- Star Chart – Interact with space
Pros:
- Simple setup
- Portable
- Affordable
- Diverse software – less gaming bias
- More of a computer than a gimmick
- Multiplayer
Cons:
- Lower computing power
- Have to charge after 4 hours
- Potentially distracting for students
- One at a time, can’t be used in partners
- Educational software is still limited
- Limited support for people with physical limitations
Group 5: Virtual Field Trips – KaiXR
Kindergarten – Field trip to the zoo
- See what a bear habitat looks like
- Students use KaiXr to create their own habitat, assess what they learned about bear habitats
Grade 8 – Field trip to Mount St. Helens
- Use flash cards to quiz students learning from “field trip”
- Students will have all information from completing the tour
Pros:
- Engaging
- Physical limitations can attend
- Inclusive
- Can visit places that aren’t otherwise possible – Space station, top of Mount St Helens
Cons:
- Technology challenges
- Can be expensive – have to pay for entry to “field trip”
- A lot of prep to make it feel special for kids vs actual field trip
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