Learning by Total Immersion

If teachers can accept video and film as legitimate resources for learning why are they so resistant to what could be the most trans-formative technology yet? Becky Sage slays some doubts about Virtual Reality.

Virtual Reality, it seems to be everywhere, but what does it mean for education? How can educators make sure that it is a good investment to enhance learning? Or is it just an over-hyped, gimmick that becomes an expensive piece of plastic that sits in the back of the classroom getting dusty?

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      string(5922) "Virtual reality is a relatively recent phenomenon – and its use in classrooms more recent still. But as the accessibility to headset technology continues to open up, and the versatility of content continues to improve, virtual reality (VR) as an educative tool has become a real talking point. Earlier this year, research was released that found almost all teachers (94 per cent) in the UK thought that VR would benefit classroom teaching – and with the technology becoming increasingly affordable, it’s not difficult to imagine VR becoming commonplace in the classroom within just the next few years. But what about the benefits to teachers themselves? VR holds great potential as a training tool, not just for subject matter, but for the actual act of teaching itself. At Immersive VR, we’ve been working with Ericsson to create a training tool for teachers that opens up possibilities for the future of teachers, as well as students.  Educating the educators Ericsson partner with Earth Institute, a part of Columbia University, to form Connect to Learn – a global initiative that supports education for those all over the world who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to learn. Part of their work includes supporting teachers in areas of the world where training facilities are limited and teachers may have had little formal training. That’s where our involvement came in. We created a virtual reality training tool that would help teachers in the developing world become more confident and effective educators. The tool places teachers in front of a virtual class of students, allowing them to practise the art of teaching, while such things as their body language and lesson delivery are measured, as well as their ability to attend to an easily-distracted class. In terms of skill-giving, it offers teachers with limited access to formal training a safe space to practice – but it also opens up opportunities and questions as to how VR can be used more widely to benefit the teaching community closer to home too. Before we explore those options, let’s understand exactly what VR is and how it aids learning. The impact of VR on learning Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated 3D environment. Users wear a specially-designed headset that immerses the viewer within that environment – giving them the ability to move around and interact with a world as much as possible as if they’re really there. In this way, VR can enable people to experience ‘the impossible’ – opening up all sorts of opportunities in the training and education sector, from creating engaging and interactive learning experiences to supplying practical training simulations for students and teachers alike. The sense of physical presence enables the viewer to connect more completely with the story being told, or the experience they’re going through – which is proven to have a beneficial effect on learning. Indeed recent studies indicate that those learning in VR perform far better in tests than those learning in traditional environments. For example, a recent study conducted in China showed that students taught in a VR environment performed significantly better than those taught using traditional methods – on average 27.4 per cent better immediately after learning and 32.4 per cent better when tested two weeks later. What’s more, students who were underperforming in the traditional learning environment actually excelled in the VR environment – scoring 15.8 per cent better on average than the top students in the traditional environment. This can largely be attributed to the fact VR provides a form of experiential learning, which has a greater impact on knowledge retention than traditional learning. In fact, an employment study found knowledge retention for those who go through traditional learning is only 5 per cent compared to 90 per cent for experiential learning. But what VR offers that other experiential learning can’t is the ability to re-run a scenario over and over again without having to worry about the consequences. This means it becomes the perfect training tool. Boosting confidence, honing skills The very essence of VR is its ability to transport the user to a completely different environment in both a believable and an engaging way, so it’s ideal for any sort of training where being able to perform a ‘dry-run’ and experiment with different scenarios and outcomes is useful. Teacher training is no different – especially during the early stages of learning the job, or where little training is available. In our work with Ericsson and Connect to Learn, the ‘virtual classroom’ serves as a space for teachers to practice again and again before facing a real class. We ask the teacher to perform one of several set lessons from their curriculum and measure how they interact with the class. 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Leadership

Upping the Ante on Teacher Training: The Virtual Classroom That’s Just for Teachers

13 Nov 2018

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      string(5789) "LiFi is lighting the way to wireless learningWireless technology has become an essential part of educational infrastructure, but the current WiFi bandwidth is coming under increasing strain with the exponential growth of wireless-enabled devices that are connected to the internet and the expansion of digital learning tools such as HD video, e-books or interactive educational games. This is set to continue as e-learning evolves to incorporate emerging technologies, like virtual reality and augmented reality, in the classroom, which require significant bandwidth. 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Virtual reality can enable a student to travel to different continents or time periods and experience different cultures or eras from their desks, while artificial intelligence can be used to help predict a student’s individual learning needs. All of this relies on an increasing number of wireless-enabled devices—from laptops or tablets for students to interactive whiteboards, VR headsets and TVs—with an internet connection offering high bandwidth and low latency.There is also the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) for devices that form part of the wider school environment, such as heating systems controlled by temperature sensors, occupancy sensing for recording attendances and video surveillance monitoring that utilises AI/machine learning to enhance security. All of these devices are connected via the internet.‘We are pleased to support a Scottish-born company whose complementary, emerging technology has the potential to transform delivery of wireless broadband communications. The pilot trial in Kyle Academy represents a potentially very valuable contribution to our knowledge and understanding of evolving 5G technologies’Paul Wheelhouse, MSP Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands.LiFi: the solution from the ceilingIt is against this background that schools need to start exploring options to provide greater bandwidth—while ensuring low latency and security—to be able to cater for, and benefit from, the growing number of devices and digital tools as well as cope with sudden spikes in usage when an entire class streams a video. The solution to this can be found in the classroom ceiling—adapting existing lighting systems for LiFi to provide the next generation of high-speed wireless internet connectivity.I coined the term ‘LiFi’ in a TedGlobal Talk in 2011, and demonstrated the transmission of a video by an ordinary LED light installed in a desk lamp. 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Digital Learning

Riding the Light Improving Bandwidth with LiFi

8 Aug 2019

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      string(3903) "learning for many reasons.Firstly, video learning and high quality video content encompasses a wide variety of teaching and learning styles. To ensure each student does their best, they need to receive information in a way that makes sense to them. Video teaching allows this to happen. A teacher can speak directly to the students that learn best through audio and stream videos for those who learn best visually.Video is also important to normalise learning and maintain a human and personal connection between students and teachers. It is common for students and teachers alike to feel isolated when learning from home.Video helps to combat this natural consequence of school closures. Furthermore, students with pastoral needs at home are more likely to raise their concerns with teachers with whom they feel a human connection, which can be facilitated through one-to-one video calls where face to face is not an option.Alleviating anxietyThroughout the pandemic, nationally, we have noticed that anxiety has spread like wildfire amongst pupils, teachers and parents. We are not alone. New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed high levels of depression amongst students and teachers alike since the beginning of the pandemic.A staggering 21% of the general population recorded experiencing symptoms of depression since November 2020. This figure rose to 43% of girls and young women and 26% of boys and young men. Additionally, from September to November 2020, there was an incredible 350% rise in mental health support requests from staff at education institutions.Schools have a responsibility to alleviate the mental health challenges that students and teachers face. Having a robust plan in place for future lockdowns can help to achieve this. Of course, eLearning will be at the centre of such a plan.In addition, schools should have an open-door policy in place to deal with wellbeing concerns. This should also be offered to parents. If a parent battles with mental health, then such anxiety is likely to impact their children who study at your school.EdTech can help you to achieve this. Schools can create discreet communication channels for those who need support. They can host mental health webinars and workshops online and can share meditation and relaxing programmes and games with students and parents alike, designed to reduce anxiety.Opening up the worldThe future of Education is an exciting place. I believe that virtual reality learning will be a central part of our curriculum in the future to enhance learning. We use Avantis ClassVR to meet our virtual reality needs and curiosity.Using VR to look for dragons as part of a Fairy Tales writing unitVirtual reality learning lets students experience a variety of realities in the comfort of their school or home. Students can be sitting in the classroom whilst virtually exploring the cultural and religious realities of Mecca, the ecological significance of the Amazon rainforest or wandering around Westminster Palace where our laws are made.Virtual reality will help to widen access to experiences that help students to understand concepts that are central to their learning. It allows students to have multi-sensory experiences in a safe environment that will help them to better understand concepts and the world at large.Ultimately, the effective use of technology can help educational institutions not just to survive challenges, such as the pandemic, but to thrive. To succeed in education, teachers must foster the potential of their students and cater to their individual learning needs, strengths and preferences. Technology will help us to achieve this if we embrace its potential."
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Digital Learning

Enhanced Learning - Not Electronic Learning - Helps Schools Thrive

21 May 2021

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      string(3367) "thatcontributes to this engagement is that studentsreceive instant feedback from online tests ratherthan submitting work for marking.The anonymity that the VLE offers also helps toengage ‘reluctant learners’ who are more comfortableparticipating when not observed by their peers. Ithelps to dilute any peer group pressures aroundparticipating or the embarrassment of giving a wronganswer. It also helps engage the boys in more activelearning because it is perceived as a more ‘high-tech’way of studying that allows them to work at theirown pace.One Year 11 student, Faye Eastick, says this abouther experiences with the new technology: “I oftenuse it at school – for example, when I am learningvocabulary, I use the activities. You can use lots ofinteractive mix and match activities when you arelearning languages, for instance. You can selectEnglish words and match them with German words,you can even hear the pronunciation for them. I useit for modular tests in science, so I can test myself ona particular topic. I use it for IT, where I can find outinformation on databases or computer hardware. It’sbrilliant for homework because you can access it fromhome, as long as you have your password and log-on name. You can access it from anywhere you are,as long as you have a computer connected to theInternet – that’s one of the great things about it.”Future ideasNetwork Manager John Stark has been instrumentalin the implementation of the VLE, and says, and isalready looking towards extending its scope: “In termsof future developments, I think probably the mostinteresting thing from our point of view is how weenhance the content. We would like to provide videoand audio to enhance the course delivery. So, forexample, a science teacher may be able to videoexperiments and embed those images back into aparticular question about that experiment.“As part of our aim of extending the classroombeyond the conventional day, we are currentlylooking at piloting airwave connectivity out intothe community. To begin with, we plan to take asmall cohort of teachers and students and providethem with wireless access back into the schoolnetwork. The benefit is that it does away with theissues of cost. What we don’t want is to providemechanisms where students are asked to use thesetechnologies, but are prohibited from doing so bythe cost of internet access.”The school also plan to share their learning andexperiences with their feeder schools and areinvestigating how they might be able to extendthe use of the VLE to these schools.The VLE has had an enormous impact on LynnGrove High School as a whole and it has been oneof a number of strategies used to effectimprovement in teaching and learning at KS3 andKS4. However, there are many variables, as JohnFox, explains: “When assessing the impact of theVLE, we have endeavoured to adopt a holistic,‘illuminative’ form of evaluation that not justexamines statistical data but also takes intoaccount other performance indicators such as stafftake-up, pupil engagement and learning hoursexpansion. So far, the results are mostencouraging.”The exciting move towards making high-qualityteaching, learning and assessment opportunitiesaccessible anytime, anywhere has begun – and ismoving ahead at pace.■ Andrew Range."
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Digital Learning

Virtual Learning becomes a reality

1 Nov 2006

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