Jesse Lubinsky, Christine Lion-Bailey & Micah Shippee 🇺🇸

Future of Learning + Future of Work

With the adoption of emergent technologies like virtual and augmented reality, we find ourselves in a technology-driven approach to learner-centric education. Successfully employing these tools will support young adults entering the workforce as they prepare for an entirely different mindset and workflow that informs their future. Take a 20 minute tour of what successfully using these types of learning experiences looks like as we demonstrate how they are being leveraged in the K12 environment and translate to the workforce.

Spurningar og svör eftir fyrirlesturinn

Q1 Is there a way to access an idea bank for AR/VR projects in order to find a way to use VR or AR in the classroom? For example, Anne Frank's house or other things you mentioned in the lecture.

Our book Reality Bytes has dozens of AR/VR projects you can use in your classroom right away. Also, in our Remote Learning Series we discuss AR/VR for the classroom as well: https://readylearner.one/teachers-want-to-learn-ar-vr-now-is-the-time/

Finally, Virtual Field Trips are a great way to engage your students in exploratory learning. Check out Christine’s blog post with several resources to implement in the classroom: https://readylearner.one/exploring-the-world-from-a-distance-virtual-fieldtrips/ 

Q2 For a teacher with no prior experience in using AR and VR in the classroom, what is the best way to get started?

Reality Bytes offers everything from entry level to advanced hands-on examples that can be implemented in the classroom immediately.  While folks are generally intimidated by the idea of Augmented Reality, it is as simple as opening an app on a tablet or mobile device and the learning immediately begins.  An app as simple as BBC Civilisations AR in a history class or Catchy Words AR in a language class can literally transition learning from stationary to kinesthetic.  

With Virtual Reality, certainly having hardware is helpful and can allow for a truly immersive experience (perhaps a field trip to 1238 in Sauðárkrókur with your students!).  

Even if VR hardware is not available, there are a number of options available that provide incredible web-based VR experiences. For instance, you could do something as simple as using Google Street View. Or for a more immersive experience, you could create VR environments using Mozilla Hubs. Regardless of your desired instructional outcome, there are amazing tools available to help you leverage the power of VR in your classroom.

Q3 What does each student and their teacher need, equipment wise, to be able to use AR or VR in the classroom in an affordable way?

AR requires a device with a camera like a phone or a tablet. The camera provides you with a lens to observe 3dimensional objects in your real-world.

VR comes in multiple forms you can participate in webVR using a laptop or phone or you can engage in immersive VR with a head-mounted display (HMD) like an HTC Vive or Oculus Quest. One of our current favorite VR applications is Mozilla Hubs. You can build a world or engage in one very quickly (and anonymously) by visiting https://hubs.mozilla.com/ students can use Hubs without entering any private information. Hubs can be used on a Chromebook, Laptop, Phone, Tablet, or even an HMD!

For more information about Emergent Technology in K12, take a look at this blog post by Bobby Carlton, Ready Learner One’s Executive Director of Emergent Technology: https://readylearner.one/emergent-technology-beyond-the-pandemic-preparing-for-the-future/