The face of schooling in South Africa is changing, and digital teaching methods are fast emerging as more favourable than traditional classroom tactics. VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) are great ways to immerse school children in a world of learning. It’s interactive, engaging and experiential, but how exactly will it affect South African schools? Let’s take a closer look.
WHAT IS VR AND WHO ARE CLASSVR
Virtual reality or extended reality has been around for a while but was synonymous with gaming and movies. Now it is transcending into the education sector, where VR and AR are being used to give students a real-life feel of the subject matter they are learning. ClassVR is an award-winning product created by Avantis Systems, a leading EdTech company that is making waves in the EdTech space. ClassVR is a stand-alone VR headset that allows children to experience the world (collectively) in a way they never have before. All lessons are curriculum-aligned, making these a perfect fit for the South African school syllabus.
Imagine learning about geography and then seeing massive, beautiful terrains before your very eyes without even leaving the classroom or imagine taking a trip to Mars to witness the Mars rover’s daily tasks. Students gain practical knowledge of places they would never be able to travel to which is absolutely mind-blowing. This is something every child should have access to and experience.
BENEFITS IN THE CLASSROOM
The benefits of VR in the classroom are numerous for both students and teachers.
The introduction of virtual reality in South African schools can help to address classroom challenges such as big class sizes, discipline, and keeping students motivated by adding a dynamic edge to standard curriculums.
ClassVR adds this extra layer of learning through the ease of downloadable lessons that are all in-line with the South African curriculum; lessons which have been curated by industry professionals. This allows students to access expert knowledge from the comfort of their own classrooms and it gives teachers a chance to blend their teaching styles on a global scale through the lively integration of technology and reality.
The Facts
Many teachers and schools are reluctant to adopt the use of technology in their classrooms. The education system in South Africa is slow to change, especially when it comes to Education Technology (EdTech). However, there has been great progress in the past few years with the development of virtual reality (VR), and its viability as a teaching tool is becoming more apparent.
VR Education is in its early stages, but has already demonstrated great potential for teaching and learning.
Education is the most important function of any nation. Something on which I believe we can all agree.. With that in mind, many institutions are developing ways to use virtual reality technology in teaching.
The biggest problem facing school leavers in South Africa is finding employment, but VR integrated lessons can prepare students for a digitally-driven working world, meaning they will be more employable once matriculating with these VR, AR and XR skills.
It’s time to step into tomorrow and bring innovative solutions to the classroom using EdTech like ClassVR. Through this approach we will begin to see students develop a love for learning.
If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. If you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.
Quelle:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-virtual-reality-can-change-schooling-south-africa-paul-k-roberts/
