A Virtual World Awaits

As an avid science fiction fan growing up, I remember dreaming of the days when technology would look as cool as the creations on Star Trek. Nothing quite says cool technology gadget quite like virtual reality headsets. The Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality system is the leading product on the market for wireless headsets that offer vivid experiences and graphics. The system targets itself more towards the entertainment sector with games and fitness right now. The uses for classroom instruction certainly hold endless possibilities. There is growing use of VR for office to create virtual workplace to bring people together. After the navigating online learning, it would be useful to help connect students to teachers virtually.  In a classroom setting there are growing opportunities to teach not just tech skills, but use virtual reality for curriculum lessons with interactive science experiments or testing hypothesis in a simulated environment without the cost of supplies. The immersive nature of the headsets allows you to explore unknown parts of the world or engage others with interactive challenges. On the Oculus website there is created content for the headset focused on the International Space Station that teaches you about the daily life of astronauts and their active missions. The headset can also be used for watching movies redesigned specifically for virtual reality or YouTube videos. The cost and accessibility will be the biggest barriers to incorporating them currently, but librarians definitely need to research the emerging trends that might make them more mainstream.  

One of the most promising uses I found for virtual reality headset was in teaching soft skills to students. Eli Zimmerman of EdTech magazine shared several ways that virtual reality can be used as an assistive teaching device for students struggling with short attention spans to help students focus (2019). There is growing need for adaptive learning environments designed create meaningful connections for students with diverse needs. The exciting part of the Ed Tech magazine piece is showcasing how technology can be used as a tool to for often underserved special education departments. Zimmerman highlighted an example of VR headsets being used to help students on the autism spectrum practice social interactions to develop interpersonal skills needed in the workplace. Utilizing technology to give students a meaningful learning experience and cultivate personal inquiry could be a powerful tool for school librarians and teachers.

Another interesting tidbit from the Oculus website was a challenge for high school students to receive video production equipment to make films with the latest high-tech equipment. The VR for Good promotion also shared some unique ways to use the technology for social and community benefit. Libraries could utilize the technology to highlight important issues facing digital learning, critical information analysis and build 21^st learning competencies.

Zimmerman, E. (2019). AR/VR in K–12: Schools Use Immersive Technology for Assistive Learning. EdTech Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/arvr-k-12-schools-use-immersive-technology-assistive-learning-perfcon

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/arvr-k-12-schools-use-immersive-technology-assistive-learning-perfcon

Oculus Quest 2: Our Most Advanced New All-in-One VR Headset | Oculus

Photo Credit from Oculus.Com