From virtual field trips to new ways to learn, how VR can change the classroom of the future
The kids stare in awe as their teacher shows them the Colosseum in Rome, pointing out details of interest as two gladiators battle below. They see both how it looked two millennia ago but also how it looks today and the efforts that have been made to restore it. But the children are not really there; their teacher is showing them this impressive structure thanks to the wonders of VR. Using just a smartphone and a cheap headset, each child can be transported to a distant location. One could argue there is no replacement for the real thing, but for children far away or those from underprivileged backgrounds, VR offers a new way to explore exciting destinations. This is just one way that VR is already being used in classrooms today, allowing for more immersive lessons and giving kids a hands-on experience. As the costs of VR have lowered more schools have been able to invest in the technology. Other uses include drawing mathematical functions in the virtual world or showing physics principles at work. In the near future we may see virtual classrooms springing up, bringing education to people that would otherwise not be able to access it. From all over the world children could tune in to a lesson, and with the power of VR, they could learn anywhere.