Don’t you think that your students easily lose excitement in the classroom?
Don’t you realize that all you need is one thing to make it alive?
Bring virtual reality to your classroom, and everything won’t be the same anymore.
In this post, we will give you some ideas to use virtual reality in education, so you can enjoy the process of learning. We will include the ideas for several subjects, such as English as a Second Language classes, Science classes, History classes, Geography classes, Computer classes, and more. To execute this idea, all you need is an Android phone or an iPhone, and BeThere Book: Learning Edition.
PS: It might be fun for all ages!
1. Virtual Reality in English as a Second Language Class (any language works)
When a student joins an English/any language as a Second Language class, he or she expects to be able to speak fluently. However, when it comes to English classes, sometimes it’s all about grammar and the same old material applied, which makes it boring. You can bring BeThere Book to your classes, and there are two games you can play in the class to enhance students’ English speaking and excitement. For basic or intermediate.
1. Where was I?
“Where was I” is a game about describing where you are in a virtual world—for students. All they have to do is describe the place and wait for the right answer from other students.
But let’s not make it so easy. Here’s the rule:
– Split the students into two teams or more.
– Pick one student from any team to stand up in front of the class. This student will use the BeThere Book and explain where he or she is in one minute only. The duration varies.
– The teacher shall prepare the VR content.
– For example, the virtual world that will be entered by this student is a beach, then he or she has to describe the beach, so other participants can answer “beach”.
– However, to make it more challenging, there should be “three forbidden words”. For instance, the three forbidden words for “beach” are sand, sea/ocean, swimming. This will make the students think another way to describe: through people’s behavior, the weather, the crowd, the dominant color, et cetera. If he or she mentions the forbidden words, his or her team will be disqualified in the first round.
– The team and the opponent could ask questions, like,
“What is in front of you?”
Since the student cannot mention the ocean or the sea, he or she shall find another way to explain it, and this is the challenging part. “I cannot tell you what it is, but it’s clear and blue, and the sun always sets there—in front of me.”
“What’s underneath your feet?”
“It’s soft, uncountable, the color looks like a desert, ”
– Each team has only one opportunity to answer.
– [Optional] As this is a conversation class, the team who answered it has to give reasons why they choose a certain answer.
– The first team who answers it right will be the winner for the first round.
– Do it again with other students and other location, like the haunted forest, desert, Paris, Makkah, and more. Don’t forget about forbidden words.
– At the end of the class or tomorrow’s session, the teacher can explain and review the mistakes the students did while describing and teach about how to make a clearer description.
If you have adapted this idea to your class, please let us know!
2. Did I lie?
This game has the same type with “where was I” since it’s also about describing things or location. However, this one is more challenging because the students can describe whatever they want, even though it’s a lie. And, that’s what their team or opponent shall guess, “Did he or she lie?”
Here’s the rule:
– Split the students into two teams or more.
– Pick one student from any team to stand up in front of the class. This student will use the BeThere Book and describe anything he or she likes. It could be an honest description or a total lie. Don’t forget to set the duration.
– The teacher shall prepare the list of VR contents to be described by the students.
– For example, the virtual world that will be entered by this student is a beach. He or she doesn’t have to describe the beach. Instead, the student can describe any location he or she wants and pretended like he was there. But be careful, students, because if you pretend, stay focus and make it natural, and if you’re being honest about the description, don’t make it too natural.
– After one minute or two explaining, the team and the opponent can answer, “Did your friend lie?”
– [Optional] As this is a conversation class, the team who answered it right has to give reasons why they choose a certain answer.
– The first team who answers it right will be the winner for the first round.
– Do it again with other students and other locations, like the haunted forest, desert, Paris, Makkah, and more.
– At the end of the class or tomorrow’s session, the teacher can explain and review the mistakes the students did while describing and teach about how to make a clearer description.
PS: You can play this game with your friends alone, too! We’d love to watch the video if you record this game, send us your video link below.
3. Write a Poem or a Short Story
But before telling them to write a poem or a short story, let them enjoy a beautiful scenery in virtual reality. Maybe they can find some inspiration there. This list may help, and this one, t.oo
2. Virtual Reality in a Science Class
One of our team—well, it’s me—didn’t like Biology when he was in high school. All he remembers it was just about memorizing the terms, the definition, and the function—though he knew science had to be more than that.
Also, we believe learning process should be able to make the students impressed, so it can be unforgettable, and it has to be more than just memorizing terms and their definitions. That’s what virtual reality can do for education.
The tips below works for every chapter, but we will take a specific example: Human’s Body. Here’s what the teacher can do with virtual reality in education for Science classes:
– The teacher shall prepare the content. In this example, we use a content from our list of recommended 360 videos for learning:
It’s a 360-degree video that explains about what’s going on in our body.
– Before explaining about the human’s body, tell the students to watch the video using BeThere Book.
– However, turn off the voice of the video.
– It’s your task, as a teacher, to explain it with your own words about what’s going on in the human’s body based on the 360o video.
– After that, the teacher can ask anything related to the 360o video: Do you realize that our heart beats faster when we wake up? What is the most interesting part of the video? What do you think about our human’s body? Make it personal, so they can relate to it.
– After discussing the video, it’s your time to explain it deeper. If you have another specific example, you can use virtual reality, too. (PS: We will provide you the contents for your Science class, so stay tuned!)
– Before the class ends, tell them to watch the video again with the voice turned on to get a different point of view.
3. Virtual Reality in a Geography Class
Don’t you hate the fact that you couldn’t visit the country you studied in a Geography class? We mean, to get perfect understanding, why don’t we just visit a certain country that the teacher explained?
It’s possible now. Yes. You heard it right. It’s possible in virtual reality.
As a teacher, you can prepare contents related to the lesson for today’s class. After explaining a certain country, don’t give the example through the pictures, bring them to the certain country, virtually, through VR applications or 360o videos about traveling. Turn off the sound. Explain it with your own words about what they see, about the culture of the country.
PS: If I were a student of this class, I would’ve been in love with a Geography class!
Oh, one more thing. We actually created BeThere Book: Traveling Edition, which provides you VR contents related to traveling, which is suitable with your Geography class.
4. Virtual Reality in a History Class
This is what on student’s mind about History classes: Memorize the important dates, the places, names of prominent people.
That’s why they hate it.
Using virtual reality for a History class could be something very simple because it’s all about finding a right content for the lesson. It might be quite hard to get an exclusive history 360o video, but you can make it easy. Let say, you will talk about the historical moment in Boston, United States. Just take any content related to traveling in Boston. Bring your students there using BeThere Book—don’t forget to turn off the sound. While the students are enjoying the virtual reality in Boston, tell them the history that happened there in a storytelling way.
“Look. Move your head to the left. Do you see that building? It was once….”
“Around the road you’re standing now, it was a moment when…”
Since then, a History class won’t be the same anymore. In a good way, for sure.
Soon, we will provide the contents for your History class. Subscribe us!
5. Virtual Reality in a Computer Class
We all used to love Computer classes until we have Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube.
The students exactly know why they have to study networking, database, HTML, PHP, C++, et cetera, but this coding thingy could be stressful sometimes. So, why don’t you bring your students to a big tech company, like Google?
It’s not as complicated as you think.
Watch the video below through the updated YouTube apps:
Put your phone in the BeThere Book.
Wear the BeThere Book.
Welcome to the Google Data Centre!
After this virtual field trip, we hope it can boost the student’s excitement in learning and understanding computer and technology.
We may be able to visit Oracle’s office, Microsoft’s office, and more… soon… virtually.
6. Virtual Reality for Elementary Students
It’s sad that we learn about animals, but we were never taught to care for animals.
It’s sad that we learned about population, but we never knew that elephants are now threatened with extinction.
Just like we all know that students are the next generation, and we need people who not only know all the theories but also care for our Earth.
Here’s one of the examples for this material:
7. BeThere Book: Learning Edition
We really understand that you, as a teacher, might not have much time to search the virtual reality contents. Meanwhile, you, as a student, might be too lazy to search the contents for learning. Well, we will help you in that. That’s what we’ve been working for the past eight months.
This is it…
BeThere Book: Learning Editon is a perfect VR education viewer. It has no assembly required—just open it. This VR education viewer provides you a special QR code that will bring you to the list of the latest and the recommended VR contents for learning. We always keep this list to be updated and diverse. If you need one or two or more, you can get it here.
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Anyway, we would love to hear how you will use virtual reality in education. Please let us know in the comment below. We will share all the interesting ideas for all the teachers around the world, and the credit goes to you.
Help other teachers by sharing this post! 🙂