A GUIDE TO VR & AR
IN EDUCATION
“ T H E O N LY S O U R C E O F K N O W L E D G E I S E X P E R I E N C E ”
~ ALBERT EINSTEIN ~
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INTRODUCTION
In today’s digital world, finding new ways to
engage students is ever more difficult. When
home technologies such as mobile phones, tablets
and games consoles are highly advanced, widely
available and hugely popular with young children,
finding educational engagement with technology
in the classroom can be even harder, especially if
the technology deployed there is less engaging
than that of technology children use at home.
Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality technology
has been available for several years, but it is
only recently, towards the end of 2016, that this
technology has developed to a level that will now
start to rapidly penetrate the consumer space.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Introduction
INCREASING ENGAGEMENT IN
THE CLASSROOM
One of the biggest issues teachers face is that of
student engagement. Could schools look to this
new technology to re-ignite past times where
classrooms were places students could discover
and experience new technologies for the first
time? Think back to the 80s, when early PCs
were being deployed in schools. Students could,
for the first time, access innovative, cutting edge
technology in a classroom, long before it became
available and affordable in the consumer space.
Children could engage in innovative ways, and
with just a screen and keyboard they could create
simple graphics and learn the fundamentals of
early computing and coding, on devices and
technology they didn’t have at home.
This was a time of great excitement and
engagement for many students. Computer
clubs were formed to allow them to access the
technology during lunchtimes and after school,
facilitating extracurricular activities and driving
the desire to learn with this fascinating new
technology. Switch back to today. Does this still
apply? Do we have the same level of engagement
from classroom technology? Or does the student’s
smartphone provide more engagement and
interest than anything else in the classroom?
Can anything change that, or is cutting edge
technology and engagement no longer possible
in schools?
Einstein wisely stated, ‘The only source of
knowledge is experience’. So how do we
deliver new experiences to students within the
limitations of the classroom? What technology
can provide a range of immersive and engaging
experiences they couldn’t normally have at
school?
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ONE OF THE
BIGGEST
ISSUES
TEACHERS
FACE IS THAT
OF STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT
AR & VR Whitepaper: Introduction
HISTORIC TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
CURVE IN SCHOOLS
Staying ahead of the curve in schools seems almost impossible these
days, with consumer adoption of technology driving down prices and
commoditising the latest innovations, making them readily available for the
home user. Most new emerging technologies are quickly adapted for the
home consumer. In fact, these days it is rare to see technology deployed
in schools that students haven’t already seen, or already own, themselves.
It’s no wonder that classroom technology often now falls short of student’s
expectations; they’ve ‘been there, done that’. So all that budget you’ve just
spent on more tablets, laptops, or an interactive whiteboard won’t drive
the engagement or excitement we need to stimulate their imagination
and drive their creativity. Our students have become accustomed to this
technology, and somewhat dismissive of it. Is it time to usher in a new
wave of technological excitement?
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY –
THE 4TH WAVE
Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality have been referred to as the ‘4th
wave’ of technological innovation and change in the world of computing.
The first three, namely PCs, the Internet, and mobile, have seen
monumental shifts in the way that we interact, engage and communicate,
with fundamental and life changing effects for us all. Think back to the end
of the 20th century. We were not checking our friend’s status every few
minutes, sending instant pictures and videos to our family, or checking our
bank balances on our phones. These are now every day (every minute?)
activities, and a natural and somewhat expected pattern of behaviour in
modern society. What impact then will this 4th wave have on society in 10
or 20 years, and how will that affect the development of our children now?
Where does learning with this new technology fit?
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VIRTUAL REALITY
WHAT CAN IT OFFER EDUCATION?
Virtual Reality, by its pure definition, can deliver
experiences and interactions for students that
are either not practical or not possible in the
‘real world’, provides an unparalleled way to
immerse and captivate students of all ages.
Virtual Reality helps students feel immersed in
an experience, gripping their imagination and
stimulating thought in ways not possible with
traditional books, pictures or videos, and facilitates
a far higher level of knowledge retention.
Enhancing and extending the learning
experience is at the heart of what Virtual
Reality can offer students, and is possibly one
of the most powerful of all technologies that
could help change how we learn forever.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Virtual Reality – What can it Offer Education?
IMMERSIVE, ENGAGING EXPERIENCES
With Virtual Reality students can visit places not
practical, or even possible in real life, all from the
safety of the classroom. Imagine exploring the
inside of a blood vessel, the structure of an atom,
the depths of the ocean, or the surface of the
moon. With Virtual Reality, places can be explored
as if you were actually there, and students can
experience and interact with creatures they will
likely never see in their lifetimes.
With Virtual Reality, we can put children in
simulated dangerous and compromising
situations, in places they should never have to
experience in the real world, and from this they
can learn empathy, safety and emotion, and gain
an understanding that is simply unobtainable
from traditional media. Imagine the immersion,
understanding and emotional experience a student
could gain from standing in the trenches during
World War 1?
WE RETAIN
AROUND 10%
OF WHAT WE
READ, YET 90%
OF WHAT WE
EXPERIENCE
OURSELVES
INCREASED KNOWLEDGE RETENTION
Virtual Reality provides one of the most
important aspects of learning that no other
technology can match, that of experience. In
his Cone of Experience, Edgar Dale theorised
that we retain around 10% of what we read, yet
90% of what we experience ourselves. Virtual
Reality facilitates knowledge retention at the
highest possible level, through immersive
and engaging personal experience. Bringing
personal experience into the classroom, and
engaging children in new activities not normally
possible, holds the potential to truly transform
knowledge retention.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Virtual Reality – What can it Offer Education?
Virtual Reality has the potential to be a ground-breaking
technology for the education of our children, but there are
many barriers to classroom use. So how can we bring this
incredible new technology to the classroom, and what things
must we consider?
“ V R O F F E R S A U N I Q U E , M U LT I - S E N S O R Y A N D F U L LY
IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN
T H R O U G H O U T A L L K E Y S TA G E S . BY P R O V I D I N G
CHILDREN WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF VR, THEY ARE
A B L E TO A CC E S S E N H A N C E D A N D S E N S O R Y- B A S E D
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THIS CAN BE USED AS A
T R U LY O R I G I N A L H O O K F O R B O T H G R E AT E R D E P T H
WRITING, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHO
H AV E A D D I T I O N A L N E E D S . T H E P OT E N T I A L S U B J EC T
AND TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS LEARNING RESOURCE
A R E C O N S I D E R A B L E .”
~ M R A N D R E W S H E LT O N ~
Y E A R 6 / P PA T E A C H E R – H I L LV I E W S C H O O L
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DOES VR HAVE
A PLACE IN THE
CLASSROOM?
Virtual and Augmented Reality clearly offer
unique and unparalleled ways to engage and
stimulate students. However, before there is any
consideration of what technology to use, or how
to use it, there needs to be a clear and fundamental
understanding of exactly what the needs are.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
K E Y C O N S I D E R AT I O N S
Before adopting a brand new technology like
Virtual Reality into the classroom, a number
of key questions need to be considered:
• Why do we need Virtual Reality?
• What purpose and function will it fulfil?
• How will the technology be
used and managed?
• How will these devices fit into our existing
ICT resources and at what cost?
• How will we train our teachers to use VR?
Considering these questions and more,
and fully understanding how Virtual Reality
could be used in an educational institution,
is essential. Some of the most important
considerations are detailed below.
VIRTUAL
REALITY OFFERS
THE CHANCE
FOR MANY
STUDENTS TO
EXPERIENCE THIS
TECHNOLOGY
FOR THE FIRST
TIME AT SCHOOL
HOW WILL THIS TECHNOLOGY HELP
ENHANCE LEARNING?
LEARNING SHOULD NEVER BE LED
B Y T E C H N O L O G Y. T E A C H E R S T E A C H ,
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTS.
This is an important statement, and one that is often forgotten.
Focus should be placed on how the technology can be used
to aid learning. There are clear educational benefits to be
drawn from the use of Virtual Reality, as previously discussed,
including better engagement, increased stimulation, decreased
‘time to learn’ and enhanced knowledge retention.
Additionally, at the time of writing, Virtual Reality offers the
chance for many students to experience this technology for the
first time at school, bringing back the focus of the classroom as
a place of excitement and learning experiences.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
It also offers a change to the traditional use of ICT such as
fixed computers or laptops, allowing for additional usage
scenarios and inclusion in learning activities not previously
associated with ICT.
HOW WILL IT BE USED FOR TEACHING?
Virtual Reality provides a unique opportunity
to create a truly exciting and engaging
learning experience. They can be used in a
cross curricular way, supporting engagement
across all subject areas, from improving
creative writing to understanding science
and maths topics through enhanced
visualisation and immersion. However it is
important to fully understand how Virtual
Reality can be used to support curriculum
teaching and classroom use in your school.
MOST VIRTUAL
REALITY
HEADSETS AND
SYSTEMS HAVE
BEEN DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY FOR
THE GAMING
HOW WILL IT SUPPORT
INDUSTRY
CURRICULUM BASED LEARNING?
At the time of writing, most Virtual Reality headsets and
systems have been designed specifically for the gaming
industry. So how does this technology facilitate curriculum
based learning? Do these systems provide educational
content and if so how does that support our traditional
teaching methods? Where would we find educational,
curriculum aligned content that can be integrated to our
lessons and does it meet my teaching needs? Can we create
and add our own content to support our own teaching
methods and practises?
If there is going to be an investment in Virtual Reality
technology, there should be careful consideration to what
applications and content can be used with them.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
Are there solutions that provide bespoke educational content,
or can these devices be used in a more creative way, to
enhance our existing teaching methodology and resources?
HOW WILL IT BE USED
FOR TEACHING?
Careful consideration needs to be given
to how these devices will be used, and
managed, in the classroom. Virtual Reality
does present one major challenge within the
classroom: the total immersion the device
provides limits the teachers ability to interact
with the students. Imagine a classroom
with thirty children, all immersed in Virtual
Reality with their eyes and ears covered. How
will the teacher communicate and control
the class? How can you capture individual
students’ attention?
Another important consideration is that of
shared resource usage. Do these devices
lend themselves to sharing between
classrooms and students? Can a school
maximise its investment in this technology
by ensuring the devices are used by as many
students as possible? What implications are
there for sharing and using devices across
the whole school?
With a new physical way to use technology
(a headset), what further implications
are there for use in the classroom?
Understanding the use cases will help define
how to manage and control the devices and
deliver the resources effectively in the school.
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SUPPORTING
ENGAGEMENT
ACROSS ALL
SUBJECT AREAS,
FROM IMPROVING
CREATIVE
WRITING TO
UNDERSTANDING
SCIENCE AND
MATHS TOPICS
THROUGH
ENHANCED
VISUALISATION AND
IMMERSION
AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
H O W W I L L T H E Y I N T E G R AT E W I T H O U R
CURRENT ICT RESOURCES?
Virtual Reality headsets may have a different
operating system to solutions currently
in place in schools. This leads to many
important questions such as:
• Will they connect with our current
network infrastructure?
• Will they work with our other
Information Technology devices?
• How will we control usage?
• Are there any specific additional
requirements we will need to implement?
Fully understanding how this new
technology will fit with existing infrastructure
and resources is a key consideration. A
school will have made significant investment
over the years on ICT provisions and
eLearning resources, so ensuring a device’s
compatibility with these is critical.
Understanding any device limitations, such
as connectivity, content, accessibility or
security is vital. Deploying Virtual Reality,
just as computers and laptops, requires a
system to manage, maintain and control
them. Without such a solution, Virtual Reality
could create an even bigger burden on
ICT management in schools than existing
resources.
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DEPLOYING
VIRTUAL
REALITY, JUST
AS COMPUTERS
AND LAPTOPS,
REQUIRES A
SYSTEM TO
MANAGE,
MAINTAIN &
CONTROL THEM
AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
WILL WE SEE IMPROVED OUTCOMES?
Ultimately, any investment in teaching resources
should yield improved outcomes for students.
So, what outcomes can be improved through an
investment in Virtual Reality?
It’s clear to see that investments made in
resources for specific equipment, such as
science materials, can impact outcomes by
subjects or topics, so should VR be used to
increase outcomes in focused areas or subject?
Should we look to increase student attainment
in STEM using innovative VR applications for
that? Or can the use of VR in a more generic
way yield improved outcomes for students
across all topics? Where should this investment
best be focused?
We have yet to see definitive research papers or
studies detailing the benefits and results of long
term use of VR in education, but ask anyone
who has seen a child put on a VR headset and
watched their reaction, and the engagement
benefits are unmistakeable. So, can we simply
use Virtual Reality to stimulate imaginations and
engagement? Can that alone yield outcome
improvements for every child? If Virtual Reality
can improve knowledge retention and increase
engagement, by supporting our existing
teaching methods, is that not a goal itself?
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Does VR have a Place in the Classroom?
W H AT I S T H E T O TA L C O S T O F O W N E R S H I P ?
The question of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is often ignored. Virtual
Reality systems can be expensive items themselves, but what about the
cost of managing and maintaining them? What happens when these
devices break or are damaged? As Virtual Reality is a new technology,
how quickly will hardware and software improve and change?
What support will there be in a year’s time for the technology available
now? With some devices, only proprietary content can be used, so what
is the overall cost of adding new activities and resources? Are there
ongoing costs to manage and maintain the systems, and if so will that be
affordable in years to come?
There are many considerations that will impact the overall cost of the
solution and these questions should be thought through thoroughly
before any investment is made.
W H AT C O N C E R N S A R E T H E R E W I T H U S I N G
VIRTUAL REALITY?
Virtual Reality opens up a wide range of concerns and fears, from health
and safety, to emotional well-being.
There are many important factors to consider, such as the long term
effect on children’s vision, the transfer and spread of diseases from the
shared use of headsets or the emotional development of children using
immersive and sensory manipulation.
Careful consideration should be given to these issues, and strategies to
address them, before any equipment is purchased and used.
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IMPLEMENTING
VR IN THE
CLASSROOM
Considering all the positive factors Virtual and Augmented
Reality can bring to education, and understanding the
needs and desires to integrate VR within our school, we
must now understand how we would implement this
ground-breaking technology within our classrooms
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
K I C K S TA R T I N G A V R I M P L E M E N TAT I O N
P R O J E C T I N YO U R E S TA B L I S H M E N T
How would we go about a project like this? Some key considerations
you should have in mind are:
• HOW DO WE FIND THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT ?
• HOW WILL WE INSTALL AND MANAGE IT ?
• HOW DO WE INTEGRATE IT INTO OUR
LESSONS AND CURRICULUM?
• WHAT TRAINING IS REQUIRED FOR OUR
TEACHERS TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY ?
• WHAT ONGOING SUPPORT AND
TRAINING IS AVAIL ABLE?
• HOW CAN WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS
AND OUTCOMES FROM USING IT ?
Ensuring that there is a clear plan to research, procure, install, use and
measure the results of your project will ensure its success.
Many innovative technology projects have failed due to poor planning,
implementation or lack of training and support. Virtual Reality is no
different, and careful planning, understanding and implementation are
required to ensure students ultimately benefit from the investment in
the technology.
CAREFUL PLANNING, UNDERSTANDING
AND IMPLEMENTATION ARE REQUIRED
TO ENSURE STUDENTS ULTIMATELY
BENEFIT FROM THE INVESTMENT IN THE
TECHNOLOGY
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
DO YOUR RESEARCH
As with any technology purchase, understanding what options are available
in the market, what each system can do, their advantages, limitations
and their costs, are the key aspects to helping guide you towards the
most effective solution to implement. Below is a summary of the main,
commercially available VR systems at the time of writing:
OCULUS RIFT
The Oculus Rift was one of the very first commercially available VR
headsets. Now owned by Facebook, Oculus is an integrated headset
that requires a tethered connection to an external PC. Oculus is
primarily a gaming device and as such has limited educational content.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
High Performance Device
PC Required to Operate
Headset Positional Tracking
Primarily a Gaming Device
Immersive Experience
Expensive
No Curriculum Content
No Classroom Controls
HTC VIVE
Backed by mobile phone maker HTC, Vive is an integrated VR
headset driven by a Windows PC or Mac. Vive predominantly targets
the gaming market, but has recently started targeting education with
the Vive Group Edition bundle of headsets and PCs.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
Top Quality Experience
High Price
Active Developer Community
Limited Educational Content
Wide Range of Hardware Peripherals
Requires High-end PC
Complex Setup & Management
External Sensors Needed
No Classroom Management
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
S O N Y P L AY S TAT I O N V R
A dedicated headset for Sony’s PlayStation video games
console. The PSVR headset provides a simple way for
home users to experience high quality VR gaming.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
Lower cost Relative to PC-Based
Headsets
No Educational Content
Simple Setup & Configuration
Tethered by Wire to a Required PlayStation
Console
High Quality Games Available
Requires Monitor or TV for Setup
Closed Ecosystem & Content
No Classroom Management
SAMSUNG GEAR VR
In collaboration with Oculus, Samsung GearVR combines a
Samsung mobile phone with an active headset to deliver a
high-quality VR experience. Access to Google Expeditions and
some educational apps make it suitable for the classroom.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
High Availability
Requires Mobile Device
Tether-free Operation
High Cost
Overheating Devices Cause Lesson Disruption
No Classroom Management
GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS
The Google Cardboard initiative uses mobile phones in special visors
to provide an entry-level VR experience. Google are encouraging the
use of Cardboard devices in schools through their Expeditions app,
which provides panoramic pictures to support educational themes.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
Low Equipment Cost
Requires Mobile Device
Tether-free Operation
Physical Setup Takes Time
Centralised Content Delivery for
Expeditions
Overheating Devices Cause Lesson Disruption
No Device Management
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
AVANTIS CL ASSVR
ClassVR is the first fully dedicated end to end classroom VR &
AR system. It comprises a standalone headset, a storage and
charging unit, pre-installed 360 degree images and videos, a
classroom management and control portal and the ability for
schools to upload their own content.
ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS
Low Cost Standalone System
Classroom Device & Content Management
No Positional Tracking
Curriculum Aligned Resources
Ability to Create Own Content
Supports VR & AR
DEPLOYING AND MANAGING
VR IN THE CLASSROOM
Typically, Virtual Reality systems have been
designed for individual use, rather than in a shared
or group environment. Obviously, the sheer nature
of covering your eyes with a headset has massive
implications for a classroom of children. So how
would we set about deploying and managing 30
headsets to children in a classroom?
Understanding what classroom controls a system
has, and how they are used in practice, is probably
one of the most fundamental questions you
should ask. If there is no centralised system for
controlling and monitoring the devices, how will
you successfully deliver a lesson?
Previously with deployments of computers,
laptops or tablets, a ‘Management System’ of
some description was typically implemented, to
help control the devices and provision content
or apps on them. There were also teacher based
controls, to pause the devices, view or monitor
student’s screens, and to capture and send data
or classwork back and forth. These management
systems also facilitated security, such as lock
down controls, asset tracking and
device protection.
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UNDERSTANDING
WHAT
CLASSROOM
CONTROLS A
SYSTEM HAS,
AND HOW THEY
ARE USED IN
PRACTICE, IS
PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST
FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTIONS YOU
SHOULD ASK.
AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
Does this still apply to VR headsets? How do we control what content is
displayed, or what content students can access from them, and how they
would do that?
A significant part of your research should be to understand what controls
the teacher will have in the classroom, and how they would use them to
effectively deliver and manage a lesson using VR or AR technology.
CONNECTING TO YOUR
SCHOOL RESOURCES
As VR is a relatively new technology, with
different devices providing multiple ways to
deliver content (via connected PCs, proprietary
game platforms, mobile phones or standalone
units), understanding how these will connect to
your existing network, what ICT requirements
they have, how much internet connectivity they
need or how much bandwidth they use, are also
important factors.
Take for example the Oculus Rift and HTC
Vive. Both headsets require a dedicated PC. Is
it practical (or affordable?) to also have 30 PCs
to run these headsets? Is that feasible in today’s
classroom setting? Or does this require a rollback to the days of a dedicated computer suite?
On the other hand, the likes of Samsung Gear
VR and Google Expeditions require a mobile
phone. It would be much easier to store and
share 30 mobile phones and plastic headsets.
However, what place do mobile phones have in
the classroom, and how will they be managed
and controlled? Is it practical for students to
be putting expensive devices like this into the
headsets? How likely are they to get damaged?
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WHAT PLACE
DO MOBILE
PHONES
HAVE IN THE
CLASSROOM,
& HOW WILL
THEY BE
MANAGED AND
CONTROLLED?
AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
A new category of emerging devices, known
as ‘standalone’, are now available. These
are a hybrid solution, with fully integrated
electronics, CPUs, Wi-Fi display screens
and batteries, allowing the device to work
as a complete system itself. There is no
requirement to add a mobile phone, and no
need for a connected PC. Systems like ClassVR
provide a standalone headset, at an affordable
price, and are an ideal solution to classroom
portability and use by students.
With very different technology requirements,
the selection of a VR system should be
carefully considered. Decide how they are
going to be used, in what setting and location,
by students of what age, and for how long.
Again, having clarity on the use will enable you
to select the best system for your needs.
DELIVERING ENGAGING
LESSONS ACROSS THE
CURRICULUM
Devices and management systems are only a
part of the equation. What will likely lead most
of the decision is how they will be used to learn,
and how they will fit into curriculum lessons. The
initial thoughts here often go to ‘What content do
you have available, and how does that fit with my
curriculum?’. While that would typically be a great
question to ask, with Virtual Reality it may not be
the best one…
We have already seen that the fundamental
educational benefit for the use of VR comes in
the form of immersion and engagement, from
which students derive a better understanding and
greater knowledge retention.
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SYSTEMS LIKE
CLASSVR PROVIDE
A STANDALONE
HEADSET, AT AN
AFFORDABLE
PRICE, AND ARE AN
IDEAL SOLUTION
TO CLASSROOM
PORTABILITY AND
USE BY STUDENTS.
AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
So a good question to ask for VR might be ‘How can I use VR in my
lessons to increase engagement and improve student outcomes?’
Virtual Reality allows us to provide unique experiences for students,
such as environments, locations or objects in ways that they may
never experience in life. So should the focus of the use of VR be more
around applying these engaging experiences to help drive increases in
fundamental skills such as literacy? Take the following excerpt from a
real world case study on 10-11 year old students…
“From the very first lesson, we found that it really helped
the children with using descriptive and emotive language
– they found it much easier to use a diverse range of
adventurous vocabulary when setting a scene in their
stories, once they can understand what a particular place
actually feels like to them.
The short descriptive text exercise initially uses word banks
and a shark photograph as a stimulus. Whilst the child
selects vocabulary in keeping with their expected age,
t h ey a re n o t w r i t i n g e m o t i ve ly. T h ey ca n n o t re l a t e to t h e
situation as they’ve never experienced it first-hand.
Immediately after using the Virtual Reality headsets, we see
an impact in the child’s writing. They now ‘swim nervously’
instead of ‘happily’ and the entire encounter with the shark
is far more ‘up close and personal’ due to their freshly
g a i n e d e x p e r i e n c e .”
EXCERPT FROM ‘USING VIRTUAL REALITY AS A
S T I M U L U S T O S T O R Y W R I T I N G I N P R I M A R Y S C H O O L’
Barry Island Primary School, Vale of Glamorgan (Wales, UK)
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
Although the Virtual Reality shark experience 360 degree video is not
directly a ‘curriculum’ resource, it is clear that the experience the students
have in Virtual Reality helps dramatically improve their creative writing and
literacy skills. It is also an immediate improvement, with teachers seeing an
instant impact on outcomes.
Now consider what a trip to Mars could yield for science or maths, or a
trip to an ancient Egyptian tomb for history or geography, and we start
to see how these experiences can be mapped to educational ideas and
lesson plans, to support and extend learning aligned to any curriculum. For
example, take the following excerpt from the United Kingdom’s Geography
National Curriculum for Year 7 (age 11-12), focussing on biomes:
S T U D E N T S S H O U L D B E TA U G H T:
To extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness
of the world’s countries using maps of the world to focus on Africa, Russia,
Asia (including China and India), and the Middle East, focusing on their
environmental regions, including polar and hot deserts, key physical and
human characteristics, countries and major cities
U S I N G V R A N D A R A N G E O F LO C AT I O N A L 3 6 0
IMAGES SUCH AS THE GOBI, SAHARA, SCOTTSDALE,
U TA H O R M O R O C C O, L E S S O N I D E A S C O U L D
INCLUDE:
Discuss what students think of when they hear the word ‘desert’. Share
ideas on what they are expecting to see during their trip to the ‘desert’.
While they experience these locations in VR, draw their attention to the
differences and the plants. Ask questions such as – how do plants usually
photosynthesise? How are some of these plants adapted to suit this
climate? What are the key features of a desert?
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
Building educational resources from 360 images and videos can provide
an entire cross curricular resource bank to drive engagement across all
subject areas. Aligning these experiences to areas of the curriculum and
presenting lesson ideas on how they can be used to teach a subject is a
great way to start with Virtual Reality in the classroom, and will provide
impactful and instant improvements in students’ engagement.
FLEXIBILITY WITH SELF
C R E AT E D C O N T E N T
Inevitably with curriculum content it is always
a challenge to create resources that cover an
entire syllabus. We often hear the question
‘have you got anything for cell division?’ or
‘how can I teach photosynthesis with it?’.
Teachers typically have their favourite websites
or existing resources that cover specific areas
of the curriculum, which they are familiar and
comfortable with, so how could VR be used
to enhance and contribute to these resources,
rather than replace them?
Allowing teachers to be creative with VR
resources holds the potential for a far better
use of the technology, rather than prescriptive,
inflexible content. Creating VR content is now
possible, and quite easy, thus focusing on
students creativity and self-created content can
drive engagement and the thirst for knowledge
even further.
Take for example a simple 360 degree camera.
With this teachers and students can easily
create images and videos for VR. Imagine a
class field trip to a landmark, or museum. Now
have those students capture 360 images of
themselves stood at that landmark, or with a
object of significance, then share their field
trip and experience with their peers when they
return to school by delivering it in Virtual Reality.
25
INTERACTION,
INCLUSION,
MOTIVATION AND
ENGAGEMENT
CAN BE DRIVEN
WITHOUT THE
NEED FOR
ANY SPECIFIC
CURRICULUM
CONTENT
AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
Now we can start to see how interaction, inclusion, motivation
and engagement can be driven without the need for any specific
curriculum content.
Taking this concept further, the creation of virtual worlds and resources
can be achieved through innovative VR creation applications and websites.
Student can use simple tools to build and create virtual worlds, then explore
them through Virtual Reality headsets. Not only do students learn coding,
they learn many science and maths topics, can better understand spatial
awareness, learn construction and material properties, environmental
considerations, and socio-economic awareness.
Looking beyond pre-configured curriculum resources, and understanding
how to use this technology creatively, can unlock far more potential with
students than traditional content. A good example of this is Minecraft,
used to drive engagement and creativity with students, and the continued
gamification of educational content to provide a more engaging and
creative approach to learning.
PROVISIONING TRAINING AND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
As with all educational technology, the correct provision of educational
support resources, including training, development, technical and teacher
support is a critical component to ensuring positive adoption, and the
path to a successful implementation. Underestimating the requirements
for training and support, however easy to use the technology is, will
undoubtedly be the worst mistake you can make, even more so than the
wrong choice in systems.
Implementing any new technology in the classroom means teachers and
students need help and support to familiarise themselves with it, and to
understand how best to utilise it during lessons. Initial training sessions are
useful; however, often they fail to provide sufficient supporting material
to allow continued self-help. Some initial sessions cover too much detail,
trying to cram in as much as possible in a limited period, due to budget
constraints or busy diaries.
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AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
Focusing on a few of the key features of a product, and how to get
‘quick wins’ by using just some of these is often a good way to start.
Augmenting initial training with regular ‘top-up’ sessions will help to
ensure teachers become more comfortable with the technology over
time. Investment in continued CPD, and the provision of sufficient
supporting resources, such as training videos and documents, will help
boost the confidence levels of teachers and allow them to consider
more advanced use of technology.
FOCUSING ON A FEW OF THE KEY
FEATURES OF A PRODUCT, AND HOW
TO GET ‘QUICK WINS’ BY USING JUST
SOME OF THESE IS OFTEN A GOOD
WAY TO START.
Work with your technology providers, and map out a training and
implementation plan to help focus on delivering a simple yet effective
launch of the project, with the aim of winning support from teachers
and a positive impact in the classroom. Look at how well they support
the technology; do they provide assistance by email and phone? How
can they help you if you have questions or need guidance? How good
are their supporting materials? All of these questions should be asked
when selecting the technology to implement.
As teacher confidence grows, support them with ongoing training and
look at more advanced features of the system or ways to further utilise
the technology. Are there certified courses teachers can attend online?
Can they earn credits through CPD? What additional training and
support can be provided over time?
27
AR & VR Whitepaper: Implementing VR in the Classroom
If sufficient thought is given to a thorough and well planned
training program, then adoption should be smooth and benefits
will be seen. However, make sure you understand training is an
ongoing requirement, not just during the implementation.
KNOWING WHEN YOU’VE SUCCEEDED
Unless you can understand why you are implementing VR, what
outcomes you expect, and how to measure them, then you might
as well not bother. The single most important factor to consider is
what is the primary educational benefit or outcome you expect. If
you don’t know what you want to achieve, how can you know if
you’ve achieved it?
This may sound simple, but many times projects and technology
are implemented without this primary consideration, and thus
we end up with ‘technology for technology’s sake’. Take that iPad
that was issued to the teacher. What was the expected outcome
based on spending that money? Easier access to network based
resources? A simpler way to access email? A general research
tool? Whatever the reason, did you measure the outcome? Did
things improve? Was it worth the spend?
Knowing when you’ve succeeded requires clear goals, and a way
to measure them. Defining and understanding these goals should
allow simple analysis to establish success or failure, and will
provide that all important Return On Investment.
Investing in educational technology means investing in student
development. Measuring this can be difficult, but some clearly
defined goals, even subtle ones such as better engagement in
class or a noticeable change in motivation, can be highly valuable
and ultimately will yield results for improved student outcomes
over time.
28
SUMMARY
“ T H E O N LY S O U R C E O F K N O W L E D G E I S
EXPERIENCE”
~ ALBERT EINSTEIN ~
29
AR & VR Whitepaper: Summary
VIRTUAL REALITY PRESENTS AN
UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITY TO
RAISE ENGAGEMENT AND INCREASE
KNOWLEDGE RETENTION FOR STUDENTS
OF ALL AGES, THROUGH PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE.
Properly implemented, Virtual Reality can be an incredible learning
tool to help guide students through complex topics, empathise
and understand emotion, and give them a view of the amazing
world in which we live, unlocking creativity and imagination that
helps create a foundation for success.
VR truly is a ground-breaking technology, with so many ways to
help augment traditional teaching methodologies and make a
fundamental impact on how students learn and retain knowledge.
However, make no mistake, this technology is in its infancy,
and it will grow and change rapidly. Understanding how Virtual
Reality and Augmented Reality can fit into a traditional classroom
environment should be of fundamental concern. A well conceived
and properly executed plan, with the right technology, could
deliver incredible results. A poorly thought through strategy and
project implementation will almost certainly fail.
30
AR & VR Whitepaper: Summary
KEEP IN MIND THESE IMPORTANT ASPECTS
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT VR/AR
IN YOUR SCHOOL
SET YOUR GOALS, DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS CRITERIA AND KNOW
HOW TO MEASURE THEM
RESEARCH YOUR OPTIONS, LOOK AT THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
TODAY AND SEEK ADVICE FROM YOUR TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIERS
PLAN YOUR IMPLEMENTATION AND UNDERSTAND
THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND
YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE
CONSIDER HOW YOUR TEACHERS WILL MANAGE AND USE THE
TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM
UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WILL USE VR TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR
CURRICULUM TEACHING
RUN PILOT TRIALS TO TEST OUT THE TECHNOLOGY AND SEE
WHAT FEEDBACK YOUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PROVIDE
ENSURE YOU HAVE PROVISIONED SUFFICIENT TRAINING AND
ONGOING SUPPORT
REVIEW YOUR PROJECT WITH A VIEW TO UNDERSTANDING IF
YOUR GOALS WERE MET
31
CASE STUDY | ST WILFRIDS ACADEMY
Using ClassVR to Drive Progress at St Wilfrid’s
Serving the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen and parts of Pennine
Lancashire, St Wilfrid’s Church of England Academy places a strong
emphasis on engagement for all students. The staff are committed to
embracing modern technology to maximise learning, making them an
ideal Pioneer school for ClassVR.
Nathan Ashman
Nathan Ashman, St Wilfrid’s Lead Teacher for New Technologies, is always on the
lookout for how modern technology can enhance and enrich students’ learning
experience.
Ever since the emergence of Virtual Reality and accessibility of it through
smartphones, I’ve been eager to use it in a classroom situation. What ClassVR allows
us to do is take students into another environment anywhere in the world. What’s
great about it is that they can experience that environment in full 360, looking all
around them so that they can imagine themselves actually being there. This has a
huge impact on their retention of information and their learning experience because
they are having a real experience while they’ve got the headsets on.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Immersive learning is really moving forward in schools. The students aren’t just isolated
in their own immersive world, they’re putting the headsets on then taking them off and
talking to each other about their experiences naturally because they are keen to share
this with people around them.
ClassVR provides a whole Virtual Reality solution which is both accessible and easy
to use. It is also flexible in that, as a teacher, you can lead your students through a
particular topic or you can allow students to navigate themselves, dipping in and out
of experiences as they choose. It’s good to give the students a little bit of autonomy in
what they do but at the same time as a teacher it’s nice to know that you still have that
control.
T E A C H E R M A N A G E M E N T P O R TA L A N D A D D I N G
PERSONALISED CONTENT
The portal is very easy to use; you can just drag and drop activities you want to use and
there is an amazing amount of content on there to choose from. We want to make
our curriculum specific to our students so being able to put our own content on there
really makes it more purposeful and relevant.
We’ve been fortunate enough to get a 360 camera so taking images wherever we are
is relatively straight forward. Once we have those images, we just upload them to the
portal where they are ready to use. If, for example, we were to go to place of worship
and take some images there we can then take that back to the classroom for students
to see in all year groups rather than just those that went on the trip.
32
Gwen Rees, Assistant Principal at St Wilfrid’s, was sceptical at
first about using ClassVR with her students but now sees it as
an invaluable resource in the classroom.
DRIVING PROGRESS
When Nathan came to me to ask about using ClassVR headsets with my students,
my initial reaction was unease and worry. The idea of having these boys in a space with
technology was quite daunting, I’m a bit of a technophobe myself and I was concerned
about behavioural issues that could arise. It turned out that I didn’t need to worry. The
boys were so engaged and excited about using this technology that there were no
issues with behaviour.
From the second you open the box and show students the headsets, it creates an
amazing buzz around the classroom; they’re excited to get involved. I’ve used ClassVR
with my Year 8 boys, a lower-attaining Literacy group, when introducing them to war
poetry. I knew that this was going to be a very daunting task; the vocabulary in the text
was going to be extremely challenging for them.
When I placed those boys within the trenches in that Virtual Reality space, they were
able to answer a lot of their questions themselves, they were making connections and
they could really understand what it would be like to be in those trenches. Then, when I
introduced the poetry, the students had a level of empathy and understanding that they
wouldn’t have had without that experience. Their writing about those poems clearly
demonstrated the progress that they’d made.
DESIGNED FOR THE CLASSROOM
ClassVR is different because the package is complete, there’s no need for mobile
phones which means that the students can pick it out the box and use it straight away
If you’re at all unsure about using this technology in the classroom my advice would be
have a go yourself. Put on the headset and see how this would captivate your students.
33
CASE STUDY | BARRY ISL AND PRIMARY
USING VIRTUAL REALITY AS A STIMULUS
TO STORY WRITING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
My name is Dominic Broad and I’m a Year 6 teacher at Barry Island
Primary School in South Wales. Our school has a strong history of
using innovative teaching tools and methods to ensure we provide
our children with the very best opportunities and experiences.
Dominic Broad
Over the past few months we’ve been experimenting with some new
and creative methods to engage our children within the classroom.
Through using our recently acquired ClassVR headsets, we’ve found
a vast improvement not only in children’s engagement with learning,
but in their motivation to both plan and write a story.
USING EMOTIVE LANGUAGE AND ADVENTUROUS VOCABULARY
Children are quite often expected to compose adventurous tales or stories using a range
of exciting vocabulary and descriptive words – but how can they realistically be expected
to describe a scene if they’ve not experienced it? In the majority of cases, we rely on their
imagination or photographs that the children may have seen from a film or book.
We decided to experiment with exposing the children to these various experiences, by using
our Virtual Reality headsets as a stimulus to the writing. From the very first lesson, we found
that it really helped the children with using descriptive and emotive language – they found it
much easier to use a diverse range of adventurous vocabulary when setting a scene in their
stories, once they can understand what a particular place actually feels like to them.
The short descriptive text exercise shown here
initially uses word banks and a shark photograph
as a stimulus. Although the work seen in the first
photograph shows that the child selects vocabulary
in keeping with their expected age, they are not
writing emotively. They cannot relate to the situation
as they’ve never experienced it first-hand.
34
Immediately after using the Virtual Reality headsets, we see an impact in the child’s
writing. They now ‘swim nervously’ instead of ‘happily’ and the entire encounter with the
shark is far more ‘up close and personal’ due to their freshly gained experience.
Having been initially a little sceptical about the impact this may have on the students
work, we soon realised that teaching the children to relate their writing to a scene, and
providing stimulating experiences for this, is just as important as teaching the skills of
storytelling and writing.
IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT AND ENJOYMENT
In summary, we’ve seen a big impact in the diversity and quality
of written work when our students are using ClassVR to inspire
their writing. We endeavour to provide learning experiences for
our children, and are convinced that ClassVR is a fast and easy
way to provide rich experiences to students of all ages.
The key to unlocking any child’s success during school can be
measured in their engagement and enjoyment – the children of
Barry Island Primary School certainly enjoyed this lesson!
35
CASE STUDY | CROWL ANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Using ClassVR to Boost Engagment
Crowlands is a larger-than-average sized primary school which serves
the London Borough of Havering. It became a ClassVR Pioneer school
back in March and since then has invested in three more class sets to
boost engagement across the school.
Anthony Issac
FIRST VIRTUAL TRIP
Before the first box of headsets was introduced, both staff and students were excited but
unsure of what to expect. With just eight headsets for the class, there was plenty of sharing
to be done. However, the children took this in their stride. It didn’t feel like just eight children
were engaged in the session. They instantly started talking to each other about what they
had seen to involve everyone at their table. Through language they were sharing their
experiences, creating a fantastic buzz in the classroom.
IMPROVING QUALITY OF WRITING
After their introduction to the technology, Anthony Isaac, Crowlands’ Computing
Coordinator, was eager for more:
We gave the children an experience of swimming with sharks or diving underwater
around Amedee Island as a stimulus for quick writing activities to see the impact it would
have. The greater submersion in the experience allowed them to describe the settings
in much greater detail as most would not have been to those environments before and
therefore would not have that experience to draw from.
Students worked in pairs and were told to write down notes as they looked around their
virtual setting. I encouraged them to jot down anything they could see, collecting adjectives
they could use to describe the scene but also to be creative when using this to help imagine
what their other senses would be able to detect. What might they be able to hear, smell, taste
or touch if they were there? Finally, they were given just 20 minutes to describe a scene,
imagining they were scuba diving.
The kids responded incredibly well to the technology, navigating the headsets with ease and,
most importantly for this activity, were really excited to write after their experience.
Even though they could just see the VR world, the submersion in the setting kick-started their
creativity as they thought of other details using other senses. The total plunge into this new
environment also gave them the ability to see small details and create better description and
imagery. Their response was extremely enthusiastic, writing with an increased concentration
because of how engaged they were in the stimulus.
36
As we manoeuvred through the blue oceans,
I took a moment to take time to take in the
amazing views!
“One. Two. Three,” I was in! As I waved
goodbye to our tour leader, Rico, I plunged
in. I was speechless (mainly due to the fact
that I had a breathing mask on my face).
As the beautiful coral lay peacefully on top of
the sandy floor, colourful fish circled me like
hurricane. Waves were created; they swept
me off of the blanket and I felt like I was
flying. Zebras were floating, or so I thought,
with black and white stripes stretched
across the skin of the locals. I was extremely
tempted to clutch onto one of the playful
dolphins’ fins and swim away into heaven;
they kept on bouncing off of the Caribbean
Island’s stunning topaz water like a pogo stick.
My eyes searched the tropical ocean and
they got caught on a large fish, which was
as stripy as a zebra. Mini clown-fish were
swimming as fast as Ferraris as they were
chased by their predators. Whals were
humming small melodies as I stroked a
dolphin. Much to my surprise, it softly swam
with me holding on to it and I had a chance
to see the brilliant view.
Suddenly, all happiness was blocked as
a shark – with a toothy sneer- rapidly
appeared from a dull cave on the seas
bottom. Magically, no fish were in sight; the
dolphins had gone; not even the seaweed
weed could be seen…the reef shark had
scared EVERYONE.
Yet again, my eyes were mesmerised by the
tropical neon coral, swishing along with the
current. I got out my Go-Pro and began to
film my beautiful surroundings. A large multicoloured fish approached me so a touched
its rainbow scales. It was truly magical and I
felt privileged to be there.
EMBEDDING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Since then, staff have been really excited about using ClassVR across the curriculum. I
have seen VR and AR lessons across a number of year groups and subjects:
Year 6 have used augmented reality to get a closer look at dinosaurs for their
science topic;
Year 3 have used VR to travel back in time for their history topics, getting a different
experience of the Stone Age and Ancient Egypt;
Year 5 have used the headsets in science to gain a better understanding of our solar system,
looking at how the moon rotates around the sun as well as a going on a trip to the
Milky Way.
Not only does the technology immerse children in the topic, getting them to wonder, ask
questions and become excited to learn more about it, from what we’ve seen at Crowlands,
it manages to ignite a spark in those children who ordinarily wouldn’t get excited about that
particular topic or subject.
The school has already seen a huge positive impact of ClassVR and staff are using it creatively
in a variety of subjects to boost engagement, getting the children to drive the learning
forward. It is exciting to think where this will take them next and I’m sure the children can’t
wait to find out where their next virtual school trip will take place.
37
CASE STUDY | PENYBONT PRIMARY SCHOOL
THE IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY ON
CREATIVE WRITING AT PENYBONT
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Anna Alford
My name is Anna Alford and I am a teacher at Penybont Primary. Over the last 12 years
I have taught in all year groups, but I am currently in Year 5/6. At Penybont, we’re proud to
be a ClassVR Pioneer School and in the short time we’ve had the Virtual Reality headsets,
they’ve had a big impact on learning.
The headsets came with some pre-loaded experiences and teaching ideas that were a
great jumping-off point for us to start planning our own ideas, linked to the curriculum
we’re already teaching in school.
IN THE TRENCHES (WW1)
During our topic on WWI, year 5/6 pupils used the VR headsets to experience life in the
trenches. Pupils had previously researched WWI and trench life using books and the internet but
the prospect of using Virtual Reality really excited them. Right from the start pupils were engaged,
focused and eager to ‘experience’ the trench.
The children were given one headset between
two. The idea behind this was encourage the
partner without the headset to ask questions
about the experience, such as ‘What can you
see?’, ‘What can you hear?’, ‘What colours are
there?’. This child would be curious because they
could not see what their partner was experiencing
and would need to build an image in their mind
purely from their partner’s description. With
added prompting, the child with the headset on
was also encouraged to think more deeply about
the experience by being asked ‘How would you
feel?’ ‘What would you be thinking about?’ Whilst
one partner experienced the trench, their talk
partner scribed ideas and vocabulary, and then
roles were swapped. This enabled the children
to create a bank of rich vocabulary, focusing on
sights and sounds of the trench and considering
soldiers’ thoughts and feelings.
As class teacher, I was able to guide the children
to different sights and ask them to focus on
different sounds. It was far easier
38
for children to describe these real sights and sounds and having their partner there to record
their responses, children were encouraged to use figurative language to help create an image
in their partner’s mind. As various points, we stopped and discussed ideas and thoughts. The
vocabulary the children generated was absolutely incredible- including superb examples of
similes and metaphors- and they could really get a feel of what the trench life was like. Using the
VR headsets meant they were able to better empathise with soldiers and this was reflected in the
standard of their final letters home from the trench. The children all loved the task and agreed
that actually experiencing the trench really helped them to visualise and imagine life in those
conditions.
MOON LANDING
Suddenly, a rapid wave of cold, icy air rushed over me, as my space shuttle
landed onto the powdery surface of the moon, creating a floating cloud of grey
dust. Excitedly, I leapt out, amazed at the weightlessness feeling. The jagged
ground crumbled beneath my feet. My dark shadow slithered silently behind my
light, crunching footsteps. Not even the slightest form of life could be found on
this bare and deserted landscape. As I curiously gazed around me, the moon was
as blank as a plain sheet of paper. Bumpy, towering cliffs cast creepy shadowspitch black like dark lumps of coal.
For this piece of work we used a CGI Virtual Reality image of a rover on the surface of the
moon. Now that the children are more familiar with using the headsets, they slipped instantly
into their roles as talk partners (these are mixed-ability partnerships, so each student’s
strengths and weaknesses were complemented). One partner wore the headset and described
everything they could see on the moon’s surface, while the other partner acted as a scribe.
This approach is particularly helpful for those students who find writing difficult – they could
practise their verbal skills and really get creative with vocabulary, while their partner listened
and noted down key words and ideas. Difficulty in recording ideas can really put some children
off writing, creating a huge barrier to learning. The combination of an exciting stimulus, which
they instinctively want to talk about great detail, and a partner to write down ideas is extremely
powerful and managed to engage even our most reluctant writers.
Later on, these notes were invaluable when it came time for the writing session. Students wrote
poetry from the perspective of an astronaut on the moon. Their Virtual Reality experience had
given them all sorts of details about textures and colours which emerged in their writing; it
allowed them to consider what objects or senses reminded them of. The ability to use their
beautiful words and ideas, in combination with visualising that striking experience they’d had
earlier, had a noticeable impact on the quality of writing.
39
RETAIN AROUND
“WE
10% OF WHAT WE
READ, YET 90% OF
WHAT WE EXPERIENCE
OURSELVES
”
To learn more about how VR & AR can increase
engagement and improve outcomes for your
students, get in touch with us today to arrange a
free consultation with our education specialists.
info@classvr.com
© Avantis sytems Ltd
0845 862 0390