Teach the Class: Virtual Reality in Education

As part of my Learning with Digital Stories graduate course at the University of Colorado Denver, one of our flexible learning assignments was to choose a storytelling topic of our choice and teach the class. For my course, I chose to teach on virtual reality (VR) in education. I took the stance of virtual learning in the classroom, as well as virtual training in a professional setting. Within this course I aimed to give multiple flexible options for learning (e.g., readings, videos, and graphics), plus different options for the weekly assignments.

Here’s my informal walk through of my course, Teach the Class: Virtual Reality in Education, via the Circle learning management system that my course is utilizing this semester:

Additionally, please enjoy my course on your own:

“What is it like to walk in someone else’s shoes? Books allow us to imagine it, and movies allow us to see it, but VR is the first medium that actually allows us to experience it.”

-Nick Mokey

What is virtual reality?

Okay, so virtual reality is just for gamers, right? Wrong! Virtual Reality (VR) has been making waves for educational purposes in classrooms and training rooms in recent years. From Google Cardboard to the HTC Vive to the Oculus Quest, users can be immersed in a three-dimensional world, all with the help of a VR headset.

VR is being utilized in education for immersive experiences

Benefits of virtual learning

VR being utilized in learning is an example of immersive storytelling. Learners can travel to faraway places and lands for a low-cost, quickly and safely. Being exposed to new environments also evokes emotions in learners, such as empathy for different environments and cultures. For example, rather than student’s parents signing waivers for nearby field trips, students can safely travel to immersive and engaging worlds, such as the Great Barrier Reef to learn about marine life. Or, students can learn about the Incans by traveling virtually to Machu Picchu. The list is endless!

Virtual learning also acts as aid for current classroom studies, from biology to geography to art and beyond. Explore some of the VR learning opportunities possible below:

Stephen Gossett’s article on “Virtual Reality in Education: An Overview” (10 minute read)
Eli Zimmerman’s article on “AR/VR in K-12: Schools Use Immersive Technology for Assistive Learning” (10 minute read)
How to use VR in the classroom (3:48 minute video)

VR in training

In a professional setting, VR can be used to help new employees safely and quickly learn new skills and be talked through normally dangerous on-the-job situations with a mentor by their side. This eliminates liability, safely training professionals at a low-cost and low-risk (e.g., no damaged equipment, no injuries, no company liabilities). Explore some of the virtual training sessions for professionals below:

Arch Virtual’s VR Medical Simulation and Training (1:35 minutes video)
OSHA safety compliance (2:50 minutes video)
Virtual Speech article on “VR for Corporate Training: Examples of VR already being used” (10 minute read)

Challenges of virtual learning

Cost is probably the biggest challenge to implementing VR in the classroom and in a professional setting. VR headsets can range in cost from $100 to $500 for a single headset. Google cardboard is the cheapest version on the market to try to offset costs and create equity for all students with virtual learning. A Google cardboard headset costs an average of $5-10 per headset and is compatible with a smartphone, a device that many teachers and students already have access to. Take a look at some of the headsets commonly used in education.

With budget being a determining factor in access to virtual learning, access to technology, such as computers and internet are also of concern. If a classroom or organization can only afford one headset, for example, discussions of equity occur as to how to manage time that each student can spend in VR. Furthermore, with VR being newer than other technologies, long-term health effects from using VR headsets haven’t been determined. Nausea and eye strain are top health concerns mentioned by users and experts alike. See a few health concerns with VR here.

Like anything, there are benefits and concerns. With mainstream use of VR in education, where will we go next?

Learning activities/To-do this week

1) Choose 1 of the 2 articles to read/annotate with the class in Hypothes.is:

Kamińska, D., Sapiński, T., Wiak, S., Tikk, T., Haamer, R., Avots, E., Helmi, A., Ozcinar, C., & Anbarjafari, G. (2019). Virtual Reality and Its Applications in Education: Survey. Information (Switzerland). 10. 318. 10.3390/info10100318.

Sattar, M. U., Palaniappan, S., Lokman, A., Hassan, A., Shah, N., & Riaz, Z. (2019). Effects of Virtual Reality training on medical students' learning motivation and competency. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 35(3), 852–857. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.3.44

2) First, choose what of the virtual locations below to travel to:

Google Arts & Culture - Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art (Ansan si, South Korea)
Google Arts & Culture - The National Gallery (London, United Kingdom)
Circle One Studios - 360 Virtual Tour of The Great Wall of China
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Interactive Journey
You Visit’s Virtual Tour of Machu Picchu

Second, once you’ve finished exploring, add a comment in the discussion below listing:

Where you traveled to
What you found interesting about your experience
How you would use this with students in a classroom setting

3) Finally, go to our Virtual Reality Google Jamboard. Using the sticky note function in the middle-left toolbar, add a sticky note, or as many as you’d like, about things that you’ve learned about VR in the classroom and/or in training. Check back and see what other students have added!