Creating VR for the classroom

In my previous post I talked about Virtual Reality and how it has gained interest in education. Once again, I would like to emphasize what a powerful tool VR can be in engaging students. VR is the new “cool” technology that helps students retain the information in a way that no textbook will ever be able to. Students have the ability to experience learning as if it were happening right in front of their eyes. They have the ability to take expensive virtual trips they would not be able to take otherwise or even travel in the past and be present in events that have marked human history, progress and development. Virtual reality educational games are being used in a variety of learning situations. They provide a highly visual way of teaching children about how things work and how to express themselves.

There are many tools in the market to design VR games, some are free and some come at a very low cost. The Unreal Engine is an example of a very well known, cost-free package that allows for creation of games form 2D hand drawn looking platformers up to cinematic movie like experiences. Unity 3D is another cost-free platform that has grown to compete with Unreal Engine.

Lumberyard is another cost-free platform recently unveiled by Amazon, whose community is now beginning to grow rapidly.

As virtual reality is gaining popularity in education, the idea of students creating their own experiences is becoming more and more realistic. There are great advantages in involving students in the design process. Some of the positives include teaching and improving creativity, problem-solving skills, perseverance, and technology skills.

Two tools that can help students create their own virtual reality experiences are InstaVR and VizorVR. Neither one of them requires downloading any special software as they are both web-based. By using InstaVR, students can add sequences of 360 pictures or videos together with text, images or music. It is relatively easy to export and can work with any of the major VR headsets.

VizorVR is a more robust editing and creating tool than InstaVR. It requires more time and energy form students in order to learn how to use it. It provides the ability to co-edit experiences like when using Google Docs, for example. It also allows for digital world creation and has more options for interactivity and effects than InstaVR.

These are only two of the many tools for creating Virtual Reality, a great way to empower students to create digital experiences on the cutting edge. Imagine the confidence, the accomplishment and the ownership of learning that the students will feel through the creation of their own virtual reality experiences!