By dan edwards on July 30, 2018
Hello everyone!
While this is a topic that is already underway in education, I do believe that virtual field trips is one that offers huge potential. Accessing most physical locations for field studies is difficult for most educators and students to take part in. Field trips offer an immersive way for students to engage in hands-on learning activities. It is evident that Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer huge potential to increasing the ability for students to participate in field trips that most are unable to do.
This is a topic that particularly speaks to me. As an educator from Chilliwack, B.C., I find it difficult to experience and participate in many of the great learning experiences in and around Vancouver. Challenges such as costs, time and accessibility are just a few of the reasons why. However, the bigger issue is with learning about topics beyond your local area (i.e., Volcanoes, The Colosseum in Rome). Virtual field trips offer huge learning potential for all learners, regardless of where they live, and the possibilities are unlimited.
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Thanks! Dan
Its just a matter of time before VR/AR is the new norm of field trips for students in schools across Canada and the world. Especially in the world today where viruses are putting limits on going out in public, students will need this new reality to be able to take them places they can no longer go. Not only would VR/AR trips take students places they cannot currently go due to the world crisis, this technology could take them anywhere in time. They could see dinosaurs, museums, animals in the wild, visit historical events and feel like they are actually there, but in the safety of the classroom or home.
As Dan pointed out, field trips cost lots of money, half the day is wasted just getting to these places. This technology would allow teachers to use it in one afternoon or a simple lesson rather than taking up your entire day.
I think it is a great idea. I am a big VR fan (for gaming). Going on a field trip is always an activity that kids look forward to because is they can get out of the classroom and have an outside learning experience. VR is expensive. I can imagine that VR equipment can be available for schools but it might be 4-5 or even 10 devices per class. Students would have to take turns. If it is a large number of students, it might be challenging since some students are really anxious to go through the VR experience. I think that the only negative side of VR/AR is that so far we cannot recreate the feel, smell, or touch experience for students. Wouldn’t that be great?