Virtual Reality, some may think that it is just a headset to play games on but it is so much more. Virtual Reality yes is a game but it is also a new way to teach and engage students in the classroom. Virtual Reality can be experienced through headsets, apps, smart phones and laptops. Many teachers around the world are now using VR in their classroom to allow their students to be able to visualize things easier, help break down language barriers, increases student engagement and it can also be used for students who have learning disabilities to experience a new way of learning they find comforting. Here is a great article that discusses other benefits of using VR in the classroom https://www.classvr.com/virtual-reality-in-education/virtual-augmented-reality-in-elementary-education/These are just a couple of benefits of using VR in the classroom however like everything else they are drawbacks.  A major one is the cost.  Virtual reality can be very expensive therefore, many schools cannot afford it. However, Google has recently created the “Google Cardboard” which is a cardboard headset that attaches to a smart phone and only costs around $15. The true definition of VR is constantly changing but the main idea is that it is a type of technology that creates a stimulated enclosed environment. 

I attend North Carolina State University and we have a VR lab on campus.  In one of my classes we were supposed to visit the VR lab however, due to the virus outbreak that was cut out.  We did however did get to experience some VR in our classroom.  My group and I used the Merge Cube and the app called Quiver. The Merge cube is a cube that you can see 3D objects and images through the use of the app that goes along with it. The app named Quiver is another VR element that also allows you to see images 3D. You can print off a color page, color it, download the quiver app and hold your device over the paper to see the image in 3D. In that same class I also got to make my own tour using Google VR. Here is my Google tour! 

 

Prior to class I just assumed VR was just a game people would play through a headset that was expensive. After learning what it is all about along with its benefits, I hope I can include it into my lesson plans in my future classroom. I would most likely use quiver as if I think that is the least costly.  I plan to teach elementary also so I feel as if that would be the easiest to use as well.  If we are reading a book with a certain character I can make a coloring sheet for my students and allow them to see their picture in 3D with the use of the Quiver app. Overall, VR in the classroom is a great thing and can surely change the traditional way of learning.