Recently, a major decision was made by the government of New Zealand: "Virtual Reality is going to be pushed into all schools in the year 2020". This decision will definitely improve students learning in the classroom. Keep reading to find out more.

Teaching as letting learn

As our ways of learning change and technology becomes an integral part of the learning process, teachers must be open to rethinking their approach to teaching. While emergent technologies like VR offer a unique venue to enact learning and practice skills, they also require teacher training, support, and opportunities for experimentation. Benefits stemming from the integration of technology into classrooms have a direct relationship with pedagogy-supported use of that technology.

VR is not just for students, it must also engage teachers

Even though there is an ongoing misconception that immersive learning in VR can make teachers irrelevant in the classroom, reality paints a different picture. Immersive learning through VR allows the instructor to act as a facilitator, empowering teachers to devote more time towards understanding different learning styles and making necessary additions to the curriculum.

Enhancing a teacher’s ability in the classroom

Though teachers determine the pathways for dissemination of knowledge, there are limitations to what a teacher can do. VR helps in enhancing the teacher’s ability, and in no way acts as a replacement or substitute. For instance, by training teachers on how to use VR, we can empower them with the skills to successfully implement VR technology in the classrooms specifically designed to cater to the needs of their students.

Bringing the world into the classroom

For students who may not get a chance to physically explore sites of historical and cultural importance around the world, possibly due to financial, geographical, or temporal constraints, virtual tours offer an engaging and economical recourse to such situations. In their essay, ‘The Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Teaching Reform’, Liu Xiaoying and Su Xianbo observe that VR technology has injected new vigor and vitality into the field of education, playing an active role in promoting reforms of teaching concepts, methods, contents, etc. As a new instructional medium, VR can optimize the teaching process by bringing the world into the classroom. With distance, time and expense being major factors in curtailing mobility, virtual tours can be considered a cost-effective alternative for students to travel around the world, giving them a sense of the diversity of cultures that the world at large has to offer.

New Zealand Discover more with RobotLAB VR Kits! 

Check our VR kits and travel with your students from the comfort of your classroom!