Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology that allows its users to see a computer-generated simulation of a 3D environment most commonly seen through a headset but can also be seen through other devices such as phones. Using the device users can interact with the environment around them. Unlike Augmented Reality (AR) which still shows the user's direct surroundings, VR creates a whole virtual world and immerses the user allowing them to interact with virtual objects and surroundings as if they were real. It has only just begun being used in classrooms in the last few years and the best way to employ it in the classroom is still being established. However, initial reports suggest that even the most reluctant of learners enjoy learning using VR (Cooper et al., 2019).
The pedagogical issues that arise with VR are similar to that of AR as they are similar in terms of technology. Some of these are;
- Cost and Accessibility - Not all schools can afford the hardware and software to properly employ VR in the classroom. This disadvantages the students in these schools compared to those in richer schools that can afford the technology.
- Safety Concerns - As VR is a totally immersive experience this may be uncomfortable for some students. Teachers need to carefully monitor students when they are using VR for their reactions and ensure they're enjoying the experience.
Learning Outcomes - VR should be used as a tool in the classroom for other learning or creativity purposes. It shouldn't be used for the sake of using VR. Teachers need to plan lessons carefully to ensure that the use of VR coincides with the curriculum.
In our tutorial, we were given the privilege of being able to use VR ranging from on our own phones to actual headsets. We were also given the opportunity to create our own VR experiences.
This photo depicts me using a VR headset. When you put the headset on you were placed inside a library where you could move around and interact with the books in the library using the controllers held in your hands. As this was only my second time using VR it is a very weird feeling to get used to but it is certainly engaging.
CoSpaces
In terms of creativity in the classroom. Using VR CoSpaces is the program a teacher could employ to get students to create their own VR environments or object to interact with. In our tutorial, we interacted with CoSpaces both making our own environment and the Merge Cube.
As you can see mine is still only on a laptop but if you had the hardware you could be placed in my environment and be able to walk around and interact with it.
We also used the CoSpaces Merge Cube. What it is is a cube that you have in real life and you also have it through the CoSpaces Program on the program you can build anything you want around the cube and then when you're done you use your phone to point it at the cube you have physically in front of you and you then can see your own creation you used the CoSpaces program to make sitting in front of you. Here are some photos to better explain what it does and my own creation.
Photo of my CoSpaces Merge Cube creation digitally on the laptop.
And here is me holding the cube in front of me in real life and as you can see it has my creation on it from a bird's eye view perspective. These are only the basics of what a student could do if they had more time on their hands to create something way more interesting and interactive. CoSpaces is just the beginning of how VR can be used to foster creativity in the classroom VR truly has limitless creative potential and I am 100% sure that VR will be a mainstay in the classroom in the next few years as an invaluable learning tool.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barkatsas, T., Carr, N., & Cooper, G. (2018). STEM education: An emerging field of inquiry. STEM Education: An Emerging Field of Inquiry, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004391413_001
Castaneda, L. M., Bindman, S. W., & Divanji, R. A. (2021). Don’t forget to assess: How teachers check for new and deeper learning when integrating virtual reality in the classroom. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 55(2), 210–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1950083
Cooper, G., Park, H., Nasr, Z., Thong, L. P., & Johnson, R. (2019). Using virtual reality in the classroom: Preservice Teachers’ perceptions of its use as a teaching and learning tool. Educational Media International, 56(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2019.1583461
Kyle Lamont [09/04/2023]
Hi Euan, You did a great job displaying your knowledge in immersive VR, through your text, references, and images.
I really enjoy the use of media which was obtained by you in the tutorials, as it makes the blogs easier to believe.
I was just wondering if you could possibly go into more detail on how these technolgies may be able to be implemented into a lesson in a realistic classroom setting, as well as the critiques that these VR technoloies may bring, such as unsafe area, expensive, overwhelming to use etc.
Thank you for your great post.
Hello Euan, you have created a fantastic blog post which clearly explains the benefits of VR on student learning whilst backing up your writing with great academic references, well done! I really enjoyed viewing your blog as I found it very engaging and visually pleasing due to the variety of media impeded within your blog such as YouTube videos and images of your creations and VR experience during the Educ3620 tutorial. You have provided a great link between the VR headset and CoSapces environment which is great for teachers when they implement this technology in their class. You provided a great explanation of what merge cube is however I would have liked to read some more information about how it…
Hi Euan,
Thank you for your post, you did a really god job of making it interactive and easy to understand with the inclusion of personal examples from the tutorials. I also think you laid out your information extremely clearly and concisely.
You did a good job of outlining the limitations of this technology to consider which is always important.
Something that would be important to note is a specific subjects/brief lesson plan in which you could utilise the application co-spaces in order to foster creativity and enhance learning. For example, you could suggest the use of the virtual reality application when teaching history. As a teacher, you could set up a virtual world where children could explore significant historica…
Hi Euan, what a great post to read, I really enjoyed seeing your own photos of you using the technology during the tutorial. Your limitations around VR were really clear and extremely helpful for educators to know before trying to implement these technologies within the classroom. Overall, there are some great general applications to how you would use CoSpaces and the merge cube. I do wonder in your KLA how would you utilise this in your lesson or as a project. For instance in my KLA which is science, originally I found it challenging how I could incorporate it but after some time thinking, I could get students to recreate a science lab that has hazards in it and they…