Virtual Reality (VR) in your classroom – Liat Moss

Google Cardboard

There are a lot of products at the moment causing hype within the technology world. One of these products is the Google Cardboard. Selling for about £4-10 each on Amazon, Google Cardboard is a great introduction to the world of Virtual Reality (VR).

Although these products are not necessarily marketed towards children or even schools, there are a range of educational opportunities available for students who want to delve into the world of VR.

With the Google Cardboard app from Google, you are able to travel the world at the click of a button. The app starts you off in Paris and gives you the opportunity to walk the streets and take in the surroundings of the Eiffel Tower.

Once you’ve had enough of Paris, you are able to move on to explore other places across the world including; the Colosseum in Rome, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Jerusalem and Tokyo as well as many others.

This could be a great educational tool which can be used as part of a creative writing exercise where children need to write as if they are a dolphin traveling through the Great Barrier Reef, or a Roman gladiator fighting in the Colosseum.

Vrse

Vrse is another great app which has interesting educational links. The app allows you to choose where you want to go and plays you a short movie about that country. There are also music video clips on the app which have been created to introduce us to the world of VR.

Using this app, I took a walk through Cuban culture learning about the different dances that they use to express themselves. I was also able to fly above the streets of New York looking at an art installation by a renowned French artist who captured New York’s immigrant history in photos.

Although these devices are not often being used in education, I would highly recommend this tool as a way for children to immerse themselves into new cultures and places. With these glasses and the apps available, you’re not limited to just the places you know. You can travel anywhere including outer space and back in time. The educational opportunities are endless.