VR as a Learning Tool

The past few years have been full of change and adjustment. Closures due to COVID-19 have hit schools in different ways, and teachers are becoming masters at finding new ways to teach in these ever-changing times. Tame the Web’s blog shared some insight into how VR could be used as one way to adapt with the ever-changing climate of school. The idea of virtual field trips inspired me to look into different ways to use VR in classrooms. VR could be the answer to many of the complaints teachers have about lack of accessibility for students.

VR is becoming an accessible tool for schools thanks to cost-effective Google cardboard options that use cell phones with specific apps to provide a virtual experience. Youtube VR also offers ways for users to create their own VR experiences. There are many ways that VR could be effective as an education tool, and specifically social studies teachers could use this tool to eliminate barriers. Instead of traveling to many regions and areas to learn, VR could provide students with unprecedented access to different places. Historical artifacts may not be accessible in person; trip costs could be unrealistic for students; travel time could be a hindrance. While there is no replacement for in-person experiences, VR could provide access to experiences that otherwise would be impossible.

For social studies courses specifically, VR equipment could resolve existing complaints from teachers. Many teachers at my school complain about not having enough time to cover the standards, especially in world history. VR could give students the opportunity to explore independently while teachers provide additional support for other students in the classroom. The VR technology would involve some training, but teacher leaders would be a great way to promote this technology. As Educational Leadership points out, “Many master users can create practical, effective workshops for novices; teachers will also become more skilled as a technology rollout progresses” (Overbay, 2011, p.58). This technology could provide a way for students to have engaging new experiences and also opportunities for teachers to be leaders in their field.

Some resources suggest that VR could even be used as a physical classroom in some ways. After implementation of VR as a social studies learning tool, it could be used in more ways in the classroom. This may be the answer to some barriers that students face due to missing school or being unable to participate in the physical classroom due space concerns. As virtual school continues to be an option for many students, perhaps VR really is the future of education.

References:

Editor. (2020, June 29). Exploring New HORIZONS in VR. Tame the Web. Retrieved from https://tametheweb.com/2020/06/29/exploring-new-horizons-in-vr/. 

Google. (2021). Google cardboard. Google Cardboard – Google VR. Retrieved from https://arvr.google.com/cardboard/. 

Moates, C. (2021, June 30). VR is the future of education. VRFocus. Retrieved from https://www.vrfocus.com/2021/06/vr-is-the-future-of-education/. 

Overbay, A., Mollette, M., & Vasu, E. S. (2011). A Technology Plan That Works. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 56–59.

YouTube. (2021). Home - youtube vr. YouTube. Retrieved from https://vr.youtube.com/.