By Nicholas Magana
Imagine showing up to school as a young child, sitting in your seat, and soaring through the cosmos as you learn about different planets. Textbooks are boring, and VR is here to save our future generations from falling asleep in class. Virtual Reality has come far from just sitting in a chair playing video games. Many businesses have come to realize that virtual reality can be applied to many different fields, such as medical, augmented, and even educational. A small group of educators has begun to adopt virtual reality into today's classrooms, but there is still plenty of room to grow in the education market. It is no secret that children want virtual reality in the classroom, with over 70% of students showing interest (What the Research Says Abouyt VR in Classrooms).
Within the realm of virtual reality, students would be able to go to places they would never think possible, experience history in ways never done before, or perform lab experiments that would otherwise be dangerous. Virtual reality allows the user to step away from physical barriers and allows for content to be consumed in a whole new way. I believe that virtual reality can be used to engage students and create a new sense of curiosity and involvement. There is a whole new level of immersion that virtual reality brings, and I have no doubt that students would be more interested in this method of content delivery. Steven Sato talks about how virtual reality in the classroom brings equity (How Can Virtual Reality Bring Equity to Education). He believes that there are four main reasons we should use virtual reality: It's impossible, it's counterproductive, it's expensive/rare, or it's dangerous. When you apply these concepts to the education world, it is easy to see how one day this technology could replace many subjects that are being taught through textbooks currently.
Currently, there are only a few companies tapping into the virtual reality market within education.
This is due to a multitude of reasons, but it mainly comes down to the fact that we have not perfected virtual reality yet and it can be very expensive. A few companies that are making strides towards the future are ClassVR and Google Expeditions. The two take very different approaches to virtual reality. Expeditions brings a more augmented experience through cheaper hardware that allows for students to step out of the confines of their classroom using technology (Google Expeditions). ClassVR develops their own headsets and provides software that students can use to learn different subjects ranging from history to sports (ClassVr). These are only two companies that are beginning to dip their feet into the virtual world, and I hope that as virtual reality progresses rapidly, companies will begin to realize the untapped potential within the market.
Now that we have talked about some of the potential of virtual reality within the classroom, let's explore the different kinds of lessons that can be taught in classrooms today. Virtual reality can be a powerful teaching tool, however, I think it is best taught in doses. This is because virtual reality can be nauseating if in virtual for too long, and it can also be difficult for someone who has never used it to jump in. Virtual reality is amazing because of all it's different applications. It can be used by first graders to explore ancient Mesopotamia, learn about dinosaurs, or fly through the solar system. On the other hand, it can also be used by collegiate students. An architect could use virtual reality to design a building using real-world physics to test if the integrity of the structure is sound. A medical student can lower costs by slicing into a virtual cadaver in order to practice medical procedures. In essence, we have only just begun to explore the possibilities of virtual, and I am excited to see what the future holds.
What are some interesting subjects that you wish you could have learned through virtual reality while you were in school? Do you think you would enjoy using virtual reality at all? Can you think of any other unconventional fields that virtual reality could be utilized in?
If you are interested in reading up on more virtual reality, please feel free to visit these sites:
Making Virtual Reality a Reality in Today's Classrooms
What the Research Says About VR in Classrooms
How can virtual reality bring equity to education?
Google Expeditions
ClassVR
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