DOSE OF REALITY
Pawtucket high school is among first in RI to adopt virtual reality, giving their lessons a whole new dimension
PAWTUCKET – On Friday afternoon, Ken Wagner was standing in the middle of the Shea High School library. In a matter of seconds, he was suddenly at a train station.
No, the state’s education commissioner does not have the ability to teleport. All he needed to do to be instantly transported from the Shea High library to this train station was a pair of virtual reality goggles.
The new virtual reality system, donated by the Newport-based Drupal Connect and Xennial, will be used in Shea High’s science classes starting in the fall, allowing students to use cutting-edge technology in their education.
The virtual train station in which Wagner was immersed on Friday afternoon will be used to teach students about the “doppler effect,” a change in frequency of a wave in relation to the person who is moving relative to the source.
“It’s like the movies … Through virtual reality, you’re able to experience it in a very realistic way,” Wagner said after he removed the goggles. “Instead of learning about it, you’re in it.”
Diego Silva, a digital director with Xennial, explained that they start from scratch with sketches and develop a storyboard for the simulation. The storyboards and concepts are then developed into textured three-dimensional maps and graphics are programmed that allow the user to interact with what they’re seeing.
The system at Shea High, which will be used starting this fall, has 11 STEM-related experiences, but Silva says the goal is to expand to more than 100 and to possibly have all textbook material available in a VR format.
John Flores, the own- er of Drupal Connect, said he grew up in Westchester County, N.Y. as one of a handful of minority students in the entire school district. At the time, he said, he was “probably the least likely to succeed,” but now he owns a nationally-recognized technology company.
“What’s allowed us to achieve this success is technology,” Flores said during Friday’s presentation in the Shea High library. “If there’s one takeaway, it’s that technology is the great equalizer. It helps you achieve your dreams, your goals, it takes the learning experience one step further. You’re not just learning biology or chemistry, you’re actually there.”
Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee said he was no stranger to virtual reality, having experienced a simulation of sailing around the world while at the Volvo Ocean Race in Newport.
“To be here today and bring this type of technology and opportunity to the young people of Rhode Island is very exciting,” McKee said. “As I travel around all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island, I’ll tell them about what happened at Shea High School here today.”