A recent article in The Star entitled, “Virtual reality project takes student through time at black orphanage in Nova Scotia,” begins to open up the connection between students and history in a whole new way. Imagine donning a pair of VR goggles and visiting the inside of the black orphanage while listening to the first person memories of adults who were there as children. This experience will be piloted in four Grade 11 classes in Nova Scotia this fall with the help of Oculus Rift headsets. A few safeguards will be put in place like advance warnings that the content is graphic and may be disturbing to some students. The authentic voice given to the reconstruction of this time and place will be a valuable tool in the deep learning of these students.
In a similar vein, students can use Google Maps to visit Vimy Ridge using 2D technology or VR. And Google Expeditions makes many more global locations a click away for many classrooms.
The Herchinger Report weighed in on the subject of virtual reality with a column entitled, “Can Virtual Reality Teach Empathy?” And the conclusion of the column was “yes” virtual reality can help students develop empathy and self efficacy when they “experience” various VR scenarios. The New York Times 360 virtual reality series focuses on the refugee experience in various hot spots throughout the world. Students become more empathetic to these refugees through a VR lens. Imagine the learning that is possible as students virtually visit many scenarios that, until now, have seemed a half a planet away.
As learning to solve problems through Design Thinking become more workable in the K-12 environment, VR meets the needs of many students to allow them to experience real empathy for many situations.
Doucette Ed Tech 