Virtual reality, the poster child of education technology for the past decade, has long held promise to redefine teaching and learning in increasingly digital classrooms. Now, some instructional leaders are establishing virtual reality as more than just a shiny new toy.
Every school administrator has heard the gospel. Powered by a headset, virtual reality programs immerse students in projects by transforming any classroom into an operating room, a rocket ship or a historical landscape.
It’s meant to drive “sticky learning”—the heightened engagement and a sense of play that leads students to retain more information, says Kim Abel, head of school at Optima Academy Online, an online K12 provider.
A recent study from Pepperdine University found that students using virtual reality in business and communication courses demonstrated greater empathy and understanding of certain ethical situations.
“This technology creates emotional access points that lectures and videos often can’t,” says Dr. Steven Bauer, the study’s lead author and a marketing professor at Pepperdine. “It’s a basic concept that applies to K12. The immersion adds to the student’s enjoyment.”
However, poor implementation can stifle virtual reality’s potential in K12, Abel notes.
“There’s a lot of dusty [VR] headsets. Many schools buy programs that provide a one-off experience, but once the lesson is over, the headsets end up in the closet. Teachers may forget they’re even in there once the next school year rolls around.”
How to better incorporate virtual reality
Optima Academy incorporates virtual reality in most of its lessons. From fourth grade and up, homeschooled students can expect to spend anywhere between 10 to 40 minutes each class period wearing a headset.
Administrator buy-in anchors any successful implementation. Also critical is PD where teachers learn the basics and how to create virtual reality lessons, Abel says. The next step is adding artificial intelligence to personalize instruction.
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Virtual reality can also provide a low-stakes environment for students to build resilience and sociability with classmates, Abel says.
“We’re seeing that connection take place among students who have struggled. It can serve as that deciding factor for students to flip their cameras on for a Teams meeting or go out and play an active part in the community.”
Whether students are diving into new lessons or simply connecting with classmates in a virtual airplane, teachers should also allocate time for students to take off the headset and reflect.
“This immersive experience can get students emotionally involved,” Pepperdine’s Bauer says. “It’s vital students have time to discuss their experiences.”
The rise of augmented reality?
While virtual reality separates users from their surroundings, augmented reality headsets layer graphics and data over the physical world.
As Meta AI, Apple and Google race to develop sleek AR lenses, the tech is also being embedded into everyday fashion and athletic apparel.
“AR adoption is going to explode,” says Jaime Donally, an edtech consultant. “Being able to pull information from a virtual landscape while simultaneously staying connected to the people around you is, I believe, the future of immersive technology.”
However, packaging the device for consumers may create cost and safety compliance barriers for K12 districts and AR curricula.
“At this moment, companies have yet to make [AR] school-friendly,” Donally says. “They’re working toward changing that, but I think many schools right now feel disenfranchised by the lack of communication on procurement and getting the technology safely to our students.”
