Taking your students to visit the Pyramids, the Great Barrier Reef or Angkor Wat is an almost impossible task. Until recently, students have had to learn about these great sites through videos, photos and textbooks. But, thanks to the introduction of VR technology, students are now no longer limited by the space of a classroom – and are able to see these incredible sites themselves.
Google Expeditions.
Google Expeditions is a learning experience which uses virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to help students learn in a fun and interactive way. Students are immersed in 360 degree scenes populated by 3D objects. Designed to be used in history, science, art and geography lessons, Google Expeditions provides students with a new way of learning and a new way of visualising information. The result is an increased ability to retain information, and perhaps even a new-found interest in the subject.
Easy to Use.
So why is Google Expeditions such a great learning tool? Well, to the relief of many busy teachers, this app requires minimal setup. It’s simple for even the most technologically challenged; all you need is the free Expeditions app, a mobile device or Chrome OS and, if you like, a Cardboard or VR Headset. There’s over 900 VR Expeditions, and 100 AR Expeditions to explore.
VR offers unique experiences without needing to venture out the classroom. While it’s common knowledge that school trips are a great way to get students engaged – perhaps visiting a historical building or interesting part of nature, these aren’t feasible for many parents. As a result, some children miss out on this important part of learning.
School trips can also tie you to somewhere local to the school. Using VR technology, students can explore historic buildings or geographical locations all over the world. Plus, they’re not stuck in one time period; immerse your students in life with the dinosaurs or the world as it was centuries ago.
Augmented Reality.
The Expeditions app also offers AR experiences. Instead of venturing out into the world as you do with VR, AR lets you bring the world into your classroom. A natural event, such as a swirling tornado, can be superimposed into the classroom via your smartphone. This is perfect for science lessons when learning about something that is difficult to explain, but easier to visualise. AR helps you bring abstract concepts to life and get students engaged within the classroom. All you need is the Expeditions app, a mobile device that supports ARCore or ARKit, and an optional selfie stick.
A Different Type of Learning.
VR and AR are fantastic for use in the classroom because they are interactive and immersive. Instead of sitting behind their desks, students can stand up and walk around – taking in an entirely different world while still within a safe space. While your field trip to the Great Barrier Reef may be out of the question, experiencing its magic through VR is the next best thing. With VR expeditions, teachers are given a script to help guide the students around the new location and ensure they are still learning. With an iPad they can control where everyone is and what they are seeing.
VR and AR in the classroom brings so many new opportunities to students and teachers, taking them places they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to go.
Utilising these new technologies is a fantastic way to make a difference to the quality of education you provide, while giving your students a much-needed classroom break!
Aux IT VR Kit.
After seeing the learning potential of VR within the classroom we have invested in a class wide set of VR devices, to make this resource more accessible to schools.
With purchasing your own set difficult to justify financially, our central kit is hireable in a more budget friendly format – booking as and when required across the year.
Our vision is that schools can plan VR into their curriculum and know that these devices are available to be delivered to their school ready to go out of the box when the day arrives.
We include everything you need to make Google Expeditions work, including android devices for an entire class, headsets, teacher iPads and networking equipment.
Free training and demos are also available.
If this service would interest you, please check out our VR For Schools service page.
