Virtual reality is an emerging technology that offers a plethora of potential opportunities to visit places you may have never seen before, step into roles you didn’t think you could be part of, and experience things you previously thought to be impossible. While right now, VR is primarily known for gaming, there are plenty of educational utilities available for students to learn more about the world around them without having to worry about the financial obligation of traveling.
It’s harder than ever to create field trips that all students can enjoy. Between the time constraints, cost, and permission slips, it can feel like an impossible task. However, with virtual reality, students can travel all over the world without ever leaving the classroom. There are plenty of museums and historical sites that have created VR apps or virtual tours for classes to use.
Reading about crises that people are facing around the world can be a great way to build empathy in students, but with VR, you can let students step into the shoes of kids and adults all over the world. This can be a great way to provide context and get children to truly empathize with the struggles of others.
Using virtual reality to show off different careers is a great way for students to see what different professional fields do all day. For students struggling to choose between different career paths, this particular activity, where they can immerse themselves into a role, can be a great way for students to better picture what a career path is like.
You don’t have to settle for just museums and tourist destinations on your VR field trips. In fact, you can satisfy even the most curious students by nurturing that natural love for adventure with VR programs that show off what it would be like to be in a submarine or rocket ship and tour parts of the universe that they may not otherwise see.
Instead of just reading about history or watching a documentary, imagine being there as it unfolds. There are a variety of different VR programs that allow students to fully immerse themselves in the events of the past so they’ll truly get a better understanding of what it was like.
There’s so much going on in the human body that sometimes, it can feel foreign. However, with VR anatomy applications, students can truly understand the different parts of the body by exploring them up close. Students can even dissect body parts in some apps to see how they function.
Students aren’t solely required to explore the worlds that other people have created to further their own knowledge. In fact, they can create their own three-dimensional experience that they can share with their classmates and even the world to truly show off their creativity.
VR has become a great tool in industries like technology, medicine, and entertainment. It’s great for training new hires, creating engaging video games, and even testing out new tools and techniques. Students can develop an understanding of how important VR is in business and master it for the future.
Virtual reality is a relatively new technology, and it’s still in its infant stages of being used as an educational conduit. That means there’s untold potential that many students and teachers have yet to discover. Maybe you can discover new tips and tricks with your class!
Children are naturally curious, and while you can do a lot to nurture that curiosity through books, movies, and conversation, there’s truly nothing like being able to experience things for yourself. VR creates an immersive environment where students can satisfy all of their questions and concerns in a safe space.