VR in the Classroom
Technology is changing at a rapid rate, many of us can remember the early days of computing where a reasonable PC was both big and expensive. With the resurgence of VR we are at a new wave of innovation when it comes to interacting with technology. With this new wave comes leaps and bounds in a products ability, before we realise it, what is cutting edge will be outdated. Ignite VR offers you the opportunity to use the very best that virtual reality has to offer with none of the risk of actually buying equipment let alone expensive upkeep or training.
It is clear that VR is taking its place as one of the tools of the modern educator, not to replace, but to support. But where do you start? Certainly not by investing in your own school equipment, with the speed of technology growth, before you know it you will be replacing everything you just invested in. Ignite VR can come to you with the very best immersive technology, not just a phone in a cardboard or plastic box either, but the market leading HTC Vive and a fully immersive student experience. Why just look at photos or video of Mars when your students can walk on the surface and interact with what they see? When the constraints of reality don’t allow you to build, or fly or travel to where you need to be, or see what students need, Ignite VR can help with our range of VR experiences. All activities have been aligned to the Australian national curriculum and are selected with specific year levels and age groups in mind by our own educational team. Experiences are curated by our qualified educational team of creators, facilitators and instructional designers to support the learning of your students.
Ignite VR will construct their flexible VR pods at your school, students work in small teams and take turns engaging with the VR content, working with their classmates to solve problems or investigate their surroundings. Through the use of barrier exercises, students also build communication and team work skills that simpler VR activities can never achieve. Classes are built around your daily schedule, with an average session being 40 – 45 minutes per class. Each class engages in content specifically selected for age levels and direction from the curriculum, and ranges from year 1 through to year 7. Depending on the size of your school, Ignite VR can stay from as little as 1 day to an entire week, with prices based on length of stay.
Your entire class...
Ignite VR STEM VR Touring
Ignite VR has created an educational experience for your entire class, there is no point having a so called ‘class-set’ that allows for only 8 or so of your students to experience VR at a time. Our program uses a barrier activity to allow a class of up to 30 students to experience VR at the same time, students work in groups to solve problems and communicate through their experience. We have found that by encouraging students to work in teams, they not only have to communicate to solve the VR problems that we present them with, but also instruct each other in ways of working. This also aligns with additional sections of the national curriculum, increasing educational outcomes for both you and your students.
Ignite VR doesn’t require you to learn a new platform or develop a lesson plan on how to integrate this new tool of VR into your currently already full schedule. All our simulations have been mapped to the Australian national curriculum, you will receive a copy of this for your class before your session, along with the activity sheet that your students will complete during their VR session. This way you will know that your students learn something while they are having fun; we call it learning by stealth. The experience does not end after Ignite VR wraps up, students share experiences and can continue to share stories about what they have seen. Story writing and development of narrative can be a powerful way for students to learn, engage and develop a greater understanding of concepts.
An important aspect of what Ignite VR offers is simplicity: you bring in your class, they run through their activities and our team supports them the entire time. There is even time for you to experience the same VR activity as your students, so you can share their stories along with them.
We curate a range of experiences, each targeted at a particular year level, with educational activities designed to suit students and learning outcomes. This all means that you get to bring VR to your students, they learn using the most immersive tool imaginable and you get to step back a little, if only for a short while anyway.
Quantified learning
The use of technology and immersive experiences has been shown to enhance learning as students make deep connections with the topic at hand. Students are truly engaged and enjoy a deeper learning experience when they physically, mentally and emotionally interact with their study.
In several studies it was discovered that the high level of immersion that virtual reality supported teaching offered, facilitated greater learning through positive emotions, such as enjoyment, in comparison to standard media (Picard et al. 2004 cited in Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018).
Outcomes of another study also indicated that students using VR in science lessons significantly outperformed others in terms of academic achievement (Bower & Jong, 2020). Furthermore, students achieved significantly higher scores in perceived learning outcomes, presence and motivation (Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018).
Bower, M., & Jong, M. S. Y. (2020). Immersive virtual reality in education. British journal of educational technology, 51 (6), 1981-1990. [https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13038] Makransky, G., & Lilleholt, L. (2018). A structural equation modeling investigation of the emotional value of immersive virtual reality in education. Educational technology research and development, 66 (5), 1141-1164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-018-9581-2
Ready to take your students on a trip to outer space?
We have programs for all year levels, from year 2 and into high school, each with a different area of focus. If you have a specific need, just let us know and we will find a VR solution that suits you and your students.