What exactly is VR?
Virtual Reality (VR), in education is the enhanced communication between teachers and students using virtual technology. VR can take the form of providing a 3D stimulation via game or learning applicator using special goggles or a headset. Experiences can be planning and creating lessons, delivering mass productions, and giving students the opportunity to learn independently.
What exactly is AR?
Augmented Reality (AR), in education is the enhanced communication between teachers and students using fixed virtual technology. AR in education is still developing in ways that it gets students to visualize and understand the complex concepts that would otherwise be harder to grasp. AR takes the comprehension of textbook learning and transforms it to be compatible with the learning and engagement students need.
VR in the Classroom 
There has been more of a push for virtual reality in the classroom. Teachers are now finding more ways they can incorporate VR into their lessons to give students the full effect. There are many online lessons that give teachers access to VR in the classroom. ClassVR in particular, has the developed software to make the connections between teachers and students for VR learning. The following points of interest come from ClassVR and what they offer for VR.
Planning and Creating Lessons: ClassVR lets you select their resources or upload your own plans for VR. This site allows you to “search from over 500 resources by subject, topic, or keyword.”
Delivering: ClassVR can transmit the preplanned lessons to the headsets participating in the stimulation. The headsets can be locked to help retain focus, and are equipped to specialize in the interest of students to grab their attention.
Independent Learning: Put control into the lives of the students when using VR. With ClassVR, they can use printed worksheet for self guided learning with the headsets. Make centers more engaging when they are able to navigate around the lessons themselves.
Click the button below to see Virtual Reality in the classroom!
VR in the Classroom
AR in the Classroom
Augmented Reality in the classroom takes the form of educational apps for learning and fun in any classroom! The following are apps recommended to be used in any K-12 classroom to help bring the learning to life!
AR in the Classroom
Consider the image below that explains the growing use of AR/VR in K-12 Education (2016)
The above image depicts the growing use of VR and AR in the education system. As more technology becomes available, programming is being developed to teach teachers how to use VR/AR. In the upcoming years these percentages are expected to rise as educators become more comfortable using such technology and it becomes more affordable.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Both VR and AR come with similar benefits and drawbacks when it comes to the connection related between teachers and students. Below are a list of advantages and disadvantages VR and AR have to offer.
Benefits
1. Virtual Field Trips- Take children all across the world without leaving the classroom.
2. Learning a New Language- Stimulations can allow the brain to think you are in another destination, improving the reaction time when it comes to learning a different language
3. Development of Simple Skills- Learning anything takes practice, and real world stimulations provide the practice needed to succeed
4. Special Education- Comforting stimulations can create wonderful worlds of imagination for special education students
5. Collaboration- VR/AR has improved the collaboration and social skills between how students interact and complete missions together
6. Gamification- Many educational games have developed the stimulations to keep students engaged and learning in any lesson
7. Pure Enjoyment- With the right stimulations and programing VR/AR makes learning fun!
8. Engagement- Students hold better focus and attention when lessons are delivered in ways that have an end goal
9. Compatible in most Subjects- Virtual lessons are available online in subjects ranging from math, science, language, design, geography and many more
10. Long Term Cost Effective- VR/AR units can be cost effective in long term measures because they are saving money on the printed paper or the extra field trips that schools take
Drawbacks
1. Not all Teachers are Comfortable using VR/AR- Veteran teachers may not be ready to explore all aspects of technology, sometimes all you need is pencil and paper to succeed
2. Short Term Cost Ineffective- VR/AR units can be very expensive, it's up to the school what units can be purchased
3. Overstimulating- Stimulations do not benefit all students, whether the 3D view or headsets causes them to feel uneasy
4. Distracting- Students can be at awe of the effects and completely miss the purpose of VR in a lesson
5. Takes Opportunities Away- VR/AR can take the place of field trips that students should otherwise get the opportunity to go on
Check out the Following articles for more about Benefits and Drawbacks of VR and AR: ‘10 Ways Virtual Reality is Already Being Used in Education‘ & ‘How to Effectively Use Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Transform the Industry of Education‘
Virtual and Augmented Reality is the next big thing in today’s world, especially in the education system. Educators are researching and learning the software that is required for Virtual Reality and turning it into lessons for their students. Technology has changed tremendously just over the past fifty years, and plays a part in just about all occupations. Educators are taking matters into their own hands and preparing students for their future by incorporating technology into the classroom on a daily basis. Virtual and Augmented Reality provide the perfect stimulations for students to prepare them for their future.
I want to incorporate Virtual and Augmented Reality into my future elementary classroom. I believe that by given the right directions, I can publish lessons that are going to benefit my students into learning bigger through virtual reality. When reading through the history books, I want to be able to take my students to “destination unknown”, or on math scavenger hunts, and learning languages of a different country. The possibilities are endless when using VR and AR, and I want to make that known throughout my classroom. Students will be able to stay engaged and pick up on items that a textbook can’t teach them, instead they are getting the experience. I also believe that getting to experience VR is a privilege, and should be treated as such. As previously stated, this technology hasn’t been around long, students still should be able to read and analyze from pencil and paper. Virtual and Augmented Reality will then come into play to transform into the wonderful experiences learning has to offer from other dimensions and point of views.