The definition of technology that stood out for me was Jonassen (2000) definition. Specifically, these parts:
” [S]tudents learn from thinking in meaningful ways. Thinking is engaged by activities, which can be fostered by computers or teachers. He believes that technology can support meaning making by students and that this happens when students learn with rather than from technology.”
“Mindtools include digital tools that support knowledge construction, exploration, learning by doing, learning by conversing, and learning by reflecting.”
I believe that students need to collaborate and explore to construct meaning. Experiences should be connected to real world issues and be meaningful to the students. I also see technology being used a tool to assist students with their learning and it should enhance their overall learning experience. Science can be explored through using virtual reality (VR) environments to learn about various units. For example, if the Science unit was on Body Systems, students would be able to virtually explore the systems and have real-life experiences by using a VR system. This enhances the students overall learning experience rather than looking at the body systems in a textbook. It provides them with a visual learning experience where they can explore, inquire and ask questions, which is great for all learners as sometimes opportunities of going into a lab is not available at elementary level. It’s also important to provide students opportunities to explore their own inquiries and collaborate with their peers. Passion-based learning would be part of this as it allows students to be critical thinkers, engage with one another and ask questions.
Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Toward a design theory of problem solving. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(4), 63-85. doi:10.1007/BF02300500
I agree with you, Amanda. When digital technology is used to augment the learning experience and make it interactive and collaborative I think it’s effective. Interacting with a VR textbook seems like a much more powerful tool than reading it on a static page if the tool allows the learner to uncover how science concepts work. My concern over VR is in replacing real experiences. It is impossible for me to take all of my students to the far reaches of India, Peru, the Ukraine, or Tunisia (grade 3 curriculum) but I think it is essential that students go outside and experience learning where they are, too. Situated learning is essential to learning, too, I think. It’s a fine balance between learning where we are and bringing the entire world to our students’. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Hi Tracy,
I agree that real life experiences cannot be replaced by VR experiences but as you said it’s a fine balance. It’s hard these days with budget cuts and funding to take our students on field trips. The cost of buses has risen and getting parent drivers is extremely difficult as most of our parents are working. So even though VR isn’t the real thing, it is still a valuable experience that is more affordable. I think VR is great especially for our ELL learners who may not have opportunities to go actually explore in real life as they are strong visual learners. We don’t actually have VR at our school yet but I do know of many schools who do have it and have found great success with it.
Dear Amanda,
Imagining VR as TELE allows students to inspect elements with a different perspective that may be physically difficult or not possible. Beyond VR, I am looking into AR possibilities. Currently, for documentation purposes, I use a program called Plickers to help document students’ responses. I am still in the lookout for some AR type TELEs. How has your search been for the educational VRs or AR that fits the TPACK model?
Alice
Hi Alice,
I don’t really know much about Plickers. How exactly does it work? I have used NearPod where I can collect real-time responses and its an interactive tool for teaching. I’m still looking into VR and how it fits the TPACK model. Thanks.
Hi Amanda
I like the fact that you discussed virtually exploring the systems.
I wonder if virtually is the best way. I remember in high school geography class learning about volcanoes – we watched movies, saw pictures etc…it was not until I visited Black Tusk – Cinder Flats that I began to understand. And again in HS biology, we were taught about the different body systems — it was not until a few years later in post-secondary biology — when we dissected a Rhesus monkey that I truly understood how everything was connected.
A good next step might be to share some VR activities that you have found useful.
To keep the conversation going — make sure to respond to at least two other learners as well respond to all learners that respond to your own post. When responding to other learners, expand the discussion.
Christopher
Hey Amanda, VR is definitely a hot topic these days in both gaming and education so I was interested to see you post about it.
First, have you found many specific resources related to VR in education that seem promising to you? Although I’ve used AR in an educational context I’ve never has access to VR and I’m very curious if there already really solid platforms/applications out there for it. The ones I’ve seen so far always seemed to me as if they’re a lackluster prototype… kind of like when the Wii first came out and its “games” were a collection of one-off experiments that would show off what motion control could do, without having enough meat to qualify as being a game in and of itself. VR strikes me the same way — amazing idea, tons of potential, yet it remains to be fully realized. I’d love to be convinced otherwise cause I think the idea has a TON of potential!
Second, I wonder about how cost-saving VR really would be for a school. I’m totally on-board with it being a really nice option for students to be able to “explore” places and engage in activities they’d never otherwise have had the chance to, but what would the equipment cost? What would the equipment even be? Would it be something like Google Daydream — which is pretty cool but requires specific tech — or something cheaper, which often ends up looking pretty horrible, straining the eyes as well as requiring significant processing power to run more than a simple program or a 360 image? And, if you go further and get something higher-powered, lets say Oculus or HTC Vive, would the school be willing to shell out for the accompanying computer that would need to run it?
(partially playing the devil’s advocate here – I really think VR is an amazing tool that could be leveraged in the education world to achieve wonderful things)
Oh, and please don’t feel the need to reply to ALL my questions!! 😀
Thanks for the post,
Scott
Hello Amanda,
One statement you made stuck out for me in your post: “I believe that students need to collaborate and explore to construct meaning.” I agree that this is key and virtual reality is a way of achieving it. We certainly want to give students as much exposure to natural environments as possible but this can often be cost or logistically prohibitive. VR opens the door to many hands on types of learning that allow for deeper learning and more meaningful acquisition of knowledge.
I don’t know of many current VR products that have been tailored for the classroom just yet. I have heels about ClassVR but no reviews on it. I’m curious if it is something you have looked into or are you waiting like many of us for the technology to get better and cheaper?