VR in the Classroom: 7 Fascinating Benefits for Schools
Imagine walking along the rim of an active volcano or seeing ancient Roman ruins come to life before your eyes. Nowadays, you don’t necessarily have to imagine. Virtual Reality (VR) can bring vivid experiences like these to the classrooms and inspire the young minds. This technology has evolved to the point where it is actually realizing its potential. And in terms of education, the implications could prove especially profound. Here are 7 reasons why using VR in the classroom is important.
1. Focused Immersion Through Virtual Learning
This is somewhat of a logistical factor but does bear mentioning. The very nature of VR being framed inside a headset means that the learner is less prone to distractions in their physical surroundings. Learners are literally engulfed with learning and this, in turn, is a key factor in the retention of information.
The technology offers personalized learning that has been linked to greater academic progress and to deeper learning on a neurological level. The more a student takes their learning personally, the more and more deeply they take it in. Once a subject inspires a student, their brain actually changes and they are more receptive.
2. Multi-Sensory Experiences
Whilst tablets added touchscreen functionality to the multimedia experience of digital content, they don’t come with the kinesthetic experience afforded by virtual reality. Presence as the true magic of VR allows you to live a story rather than being a passive observer. It has the potential to make students think, feel, and even change their behaviour.
As a result, students can actually be inside of the experience and see in 3D what they would have previously only seen in a photo or illustration. This experiential knowledge deepens understanding in a way that two-dimensional books and ever computer screens cannot.
3. Increased Classroom Engagement
These days, millennials may perceive conventional classroom studying a bit boring. Research has shown that we remember 10% of what we read and up to 90% of what we do or simulate. It is scientifically proven that virtual reality keeps the user fully engaged and immersed in their new environment. Undoubtedly, the use of VR in the classroom serves an active rather than a passive way of learning.
As educators know all too well, different students boast different learning styles. Some are content-burying themselves in the pages of a book. Conversely, others need physical activity, and others need to be engaged in game-like interactions. Virtual and augmented reality is poised to serve all of these students. Creating a productive engagement with students can be a real challenge for teachers. Through virtual reality, this aspect can easily be managed.
4. Breaking Boundaries in Education
The most common use of VR is providing the ability of virtual visits to distant or physically inaccessible places. VR has the potential to democratize education by bringing travel and educational opportunities to those who otherwise couldn’t access them. While taking multiple field trips throughout the school year can be cost-prohibitive, a virtual field trip is practically free. In the same way, VR allows both students and teachers to travel the world much more than before, from the comforts of their classroom.
5. VR Is Customizable
There are hundreds of different options available in the market that cater to a broad spectrum of educational needs as well as budgets. With various types of content such as 3D, VR, and panoramic videos, schools can decide how they want to carry their own VR learning experience. Moreover, they can modify the program over time.
6. Create Cyber-Safe Classrooms
Using VR technology in the classroom eliminates the risks commonly associated with the use of internet. With VR software, students can only access the content that has been created for them. There is no risk of them browsing websites or viewing materials that are not suitable for children.
7. Assist Students with Disabilities
Whether it be a physical or emotional disability, the aid of VR can help students to flourish. There are no physical boundaries with VR. Programs can be tailored made to assist those whose progress was once slow using traditional teaching methods. Certainly, it opens up a number of doors of opportunity that was once deemed closed.
Supplementing Not Replacing
These are just a number of ways in which VR can help fill gaps in the learning process. As with any educational technology, it must be strategically integrated into the educational curriculum. It acts as a tool and enhancement, not as a replacement. Getting VR in the classroom is about stepping out of the mundane stuff and experiencing something.
There are great platforms in the market that can improve teaching and learning quality, and one of the few is SilVRgrow. Under Silversea Media Group, we lead in the art and science of creating unique learning experiences through a combination of story-telling and technical innovation. SilVRgrow’s flagship offering, FutureClass, is a STEM-based comprehensive education system. It combines a full solution set; cloud-based teaching management platform, VR headsets, extensive VR courseware, along with 3D and 360º panorama resources.
We are committed to promoting VR technology as a new, more effective delivery model in the classroom. It is inevitable that teachers play a really influential role in classrooms. Ultimately, we want to help them to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to integrating technology into schools.
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