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A Virtual Reality Application for Primary School Mathematics Class
Conference Paper · July 2018
DOI: 10.1109/ISET.2018.00038
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A Virtual Reality Application For Primary School
Mathematics Class
Ruixue Liu1, Chu Liu2, Youqun Ren3
1,2 Department
3
of Education Information Technology
Institute of Curriculum and Instruction
East China Normal University
Shanghai, China
isnow0211@163.com, stellalc@126.com, yqren@admin.ecnu.edu.cn
Abstract—As one of the latest innovations in recent years,
virtual reality (VR) opens new horizons for basic education areas.
It provides learners opportunities to immerse themselves in
visualized learning scenes and to interact with learning materials
that distance, time, or safety factors make unavailable. In order
to further promote the integration of novel information
technology and primary mathematics education. A practical VR
course was proposed with a focus on the magic Mobius strip for
primary students. A detailed teaching procedure was also
provided to describe how to appropriately use VR technology to
support the learning experience. This study could provide
teachers and educational researchers with teaching instruction
ways of integrating VR technology into primary mathematics
class.
Keywords—virtual reality,
education, primary class
mathematics
education,
VR
I. INTRODUCTION
Virtual reality (VR) is understood as the use of 3D graphics
systems in combination with various interface devices to
provide the effect of immersion in an interactive virtual
environment [1]. According to Burdea and Coiffet [2], VR has
three most important properties: immersion, interaction, and
imagination. VR is realized through multiple input and output
devices, which enable bidirectional information flow between
the user and the virtual world [3]. In general, VRs are used as
learning environments in which learners can interact with
others while carrying out a set of tasks [4]. The VR
environment also provides authentic contexts in which users
form and share virtual assets and develop their scope of
learning [5].
VR has brought about numerous learning opportunities and
will promisingly continue to offer many opportunities in the
future [6]. However, the practical potential of VR technology to
support students’ learning experience in primary mathematics
courses presents a challenge for teachers and educational
researchers. To meet the challenge of experience-oriented VR
courses, we designed a practical application for primary
students with a focus on experimental learning by using VR
technology. It provides teachers and educational researchers
with tools to integrate VR technology into primary school
mathematics courses.
II. RELATED WORK
The use of VR in diverse fields in recent years has become
more commonplace. A large body of studies has used VR in
various areas, including construction management [7], military
training [8], journalism [9], Geography [10], and weld training
as a way to engage and stimulate students, decrease time to
achieve skill mastery, cut down material usage, and improve
final performance outcomes. Recently, A number of studies
find its potential for mathematics and geometry education.
Hannes et al discussed the application of construct 3D (a threedimensional geometric construction tool based on the
collaborative augmented reality system) in mathematics and
geometry learning at high school as well as university level.
Results show that the use of Construct 3D is easy to learn and
encourages experimentation with geometric constructions [11].
They also presented a system that uses collaborative augmented
reality as a medium for teaching and uses 3D dynamic
geometry to facilitate mathematics and geometry education in
high school [12]. Yeh designed a prototype VR learning
environment (VRLE) named VR Math for learning 3D
geometry. The VR interface provides visual and continuous
representations of 3D geometry [13]. In order to make concepts
visually well demonstrated and robust, better visualization,
Werner-Stark created models to assist analysis and understand
the concepts and problems of mathematics and the concepts
and processes of physics [14]. Besides, there are also some
researchers focus on integrating VR tithe concept of learning
object into the mathematics education to improve students’
performance [15].
Judging from the current situation above mentioned, most
researchers explored VR application in education and teaching.
The research objects mainly focus on vocational education,
adult continuing education and higher education. Indeed, VR
technology is one of the important tools which provides a good
reference to our research. This paper presents a practical VR
application for primary school mathematics class. A typical
case on how to integrate VR technology into primary class in
an immersive learning setting is contributed. We expect to
enrich VR teaching application in primary field by exploring
the existing application cases of VR teaching. Effectively
promote the in-depth integration of information technology
application and basic education, and explore new VR teaching
models in future.
III. METHODOLOGY
A. Participants
The participants were selected randomly from a primary
school in China. Including 32 students aged 10-12 years.
Traditional Mobius course is novel for teachers and unfamiliar
for students. Besides, students at this stage have a strong
curiosity about things around them. They both have strong
hands-on and practical application skills. Math is a rigorous
course and difficult for sixth-grade students in learning abstract
materials. Some students even lose interest, confidence, and
courage in learning process. Consider these questions, we try to
provide students’ more real and practical learning experience
and enjoyment in mathematics class with the help of VR
technology.
application in primary school classes since 2016), who
developed K-12 courses which based on different disciplines. It
was conducted in summer of 2017 at a primary school in China.
The students who participated in VR course were first told
about the basic knowledge of VR technology. Then teacher
provided students with instructions on VR skills before class.
Figure 2 outlines the detailed teaching process of VR course.
Including watches videos and introduces the topic, practice and
experience, practical application and summary. Each stage has
a different objective.
B. Instrumentation
In order to achieve the teaching goal, the course utilizes
VR glasses to visualize teaching materials. A class based on
immersive VR technology was established (see Fig. 1). Which
includes whiteboard, iPad control system, audio, and VR
glasses embedded IES (Immersive Education System,
Integration of education courseware, and cloud storage for
education resources). Establishing a wireless LAN for teaching
materials connection. In class, teacher supervised learning
materials displayed in VR glasses. Such as guide students into
the specified scenario, set a blank screen and monitors the
range of learning attention. The VR class also can adjust the
number of VR glasses through the class size and the number of
participants.
Fig. 2. Procedure
The concrete teaching contents and the process of VR
course are as follows (seen Fig. 2) :
1) Watches videos and introduces the topic. The VR
course began with the warm-up activities to make sure
stimulate learning interest. Then introduced the VR course.
The magic Mobius strip was carried out by videos. Students
were asked to watch videos about the Mobius strip model
exhibited in the China Science and Technology Museum
through VR glasses. Then share and communicate with peers
on the following questions:
a) Who invented the Mobius strip?
b) Why does the car not fall off while moving on the
Mobius strip?
Fig. 1. A Class based on VR technology
C. Procedure
The mathematics VR course called the magic Mobius strip.
The magic Mobius strip was chosen from research team (The
VR Laboratory of Beijing University of Science and
Technology, which has engaged in researching VR class
c) What’s the advantages of using Mobius strip in real
life?
2) Practice and experience. Students mastered the basic
knowledge and made the Mobius strip by themselves with the
help of an instructor. In order to in-depth experiences the
Mobius strip features, students use VR glasses to experience
the feeling of crawling on Mobius strip as an ant. They
observe the motion curves of the ant which walking on a 360degree regular circle in VR glasses.
The first VR scene is a piece of paper ring. Its front and
back colors are red and green respectively. Connects the two
ends of paper and it becomes an ordinary paper ring and an ant
crawls on the middle position. There will be a row of small
footprints after climbing ( see Fig. 3 ).
Empowering a friendly learning environment for students and
raising their learning interest and motivation. As for teaching,
VR courses breaks through the limitations of time and space,
extends the scope of teaching materials. However, some
difficulties still exist in VR teaching. For example, the
insufficiency teaching resources, not enough expert’s effective
guidance in course development, less active interaction among
students.
Fig. 3. The first VR scene
Fig. 5. The third VR scene
V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Fig. 4. The second VR scene
Figure 4 presents the second VR scene. The front and back
colors of paper ring are red and green respectively. Rotates the
paper ring 180 degrees and close to the ends of paper ring.
Then it becomes a Mobius ring. An ant crawls on the middle
position. There will be a row of small footprints after climbing.
3) Practice application. Figure 5 presents the third VR
scene. Students use VR glasses to watch the virtual Science and
Technology Museum model. There are trees and lights roadside
in model. They departure from home by car and drive to the gas
station for refueling. Then continue to move forward and have
a car washing. After car washing, continue to go home.
IV. RESULTS
We carried out an interview with teachers and inquired about
the teaching effect about intergration of VR technology into the
primary school classes. The results showed that mathematics
VR course enhanced the student’s learning experience.
This paper created a mathematics VR course and presented
the teaching procedure in the context of VR technology in
primary education. The results showed that VR technology has
certain advantages in mathematics education. VR provides
functions that cannot be compared to traditional teaching
methods. It breaks the limitation of time and space, which helps
to extend the range of teaching and improve the teaching
quality. Besides, VR can be applied in many areas for
supporting teaching. The macrocosm (e.g. the cosmic sky, the
mountains, and rivers); microworld (e.g. as molecules, atomic
structures). Some historical events that have occurred in the
past (e.g. the destruction of the Summer Palace) et al. One of its
unique benefits is the ability to enhance students’
understanding of abstract concepts. For example, wander in
space to observe the planetary motion, back to the prehistoric
times to visit cultural sites, dive into the deep sea to experience
sea tripping. You can also explore the structure of the
molecular atom, do dangerous chemical experiments in the
virtual laboratory. These types of activities supported by VR
technology facilitate students’ learning thinking, and ability of
grasping and generating new knowledge process.
This preliminary study qualitatively explored students’
perception and showed that the application offers great
potential. However, further analysis is needed to understand the
application’s influence on other important variables, including
students’ motivation, achievement, and transfer of knowledge
to another discipline. Besides, the research will continue to
conduct a follow-up interview and supplement some qualitative
data to describe the students’ and teachers’ impressions of their
experience when using VR glasses.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The research is granted by the 13th Five-Year education
research planning of the Chinese society education: Research
on school’s experience course construction and pedagogical
reform supported by immersive VR teaching technology
(Project No. 1601100651B-127) and subproject of special issue
of National education information technology research for 2016:
Student-centered pedagogical case study supported by
information technology ( Project No. 161833696 ) .
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