With the benefits of VR in education extending immensely, K–12 VR solutions are also evolving. When using this VR hardware and software, educators at all grade levels can create highly engaging, interactive, and immersive learning experiences, empowering students to consume educational content in entirely new ways. Whether it's with high-end systems or simplistic, handheld devices, both AR and VR in EDU are impacting learning. Among the many benefits of immersive learning, students can experience greater retention, increase interest levels, and uncover new passions. Plus, with all this valuable VR content now available, this type of learning goes beyond enjoyment. Educators can create high-impact lessons and experiences and classroom VR tools are an excellent vehicle. Plus, as VR research in education continues to expand, we're likely just getting started.
We consistently share two main VR recommendations for teachers. They include the RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 kits and the TD Synnex VR Kits. A perfect alternative for Google Expeditions kits, the RobotLAB VR solutions are super similar. Teachers can lead interactive Expeditions or VR field trips and utilize real-time points of interest to provide students with pertinent information. With hundreds of Expeditions available within this software, there is truly something for every subject. As for the TD Synnex kits, students can use the ExpeditionsPro app to easily access many appealing VR lessons. Plus, it also boasts tons of amazing features and it's compatible with various smartphones, tablets, and PCs for added convenience. Each of these top virtual reality systems also enable any educator to lead in-depth classroom lessons and pique student interest using this medium.
When it comes to virtual reality in education, the landscape will continue to evolve. Whether with online VR resources like Floreo or the flexible yet very immersive RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 platform, virtual reality can check many of the boxes for 21st century engagement. Plus, it can also positively influence engagement, retention, and SEL skills, like empathy, in students.
For Autism Acceptance Month, we are excited to talk about Floreo. The VR lessons in this app can help autistic and neurodiverse students to rehearse before entering new or uncomfortable social situations, prepare for dealing with overstimulating environments, and with navigating unexpected events that occur with lessons from autistic self-advocates and experts in ASD.
In the webinar, we joined RobotLAB’s VP of Business Development, Cedric Vaudel, who guided the audience through a demo of using RobotLAB’s VR systems, content, and hardware. He began with explaining how their team utilized feedback from educators for designing this final product, including some very specific, education-focused upgrades. Watch the replay inside!
AR and VR both unlock unique angles for learning that, along with effective integration, can enhance student learning experiences. They can also bring concepts to life with stunning visual displays and, once these physical and digital worlds intersect, students can gain context that supports instruction and even potentially reaches them on more of an emotional level.
Though technologies like mixed reality, VR, and AR may initially have been for entertainment or gaming, it didn’t take long to realize that they can also impact education—especially by helping today’s teachers more effectively engage and excite students. So, this week, let’s explore the different forms of immersive technology and how they can help enhance STEM learning.
With the Google Expeditions VR app discontinuing back in 2021, students and teachers were searching for any suitable replacements. With it already serving as one of the best options in terms of hardware, the RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 kits also provide amazing educational experiences in K–12 classrooms with software that’s immersive, vivid, and easy to use.
Though modeled after the Google Expeditions system, the Expeditions 2.0 VR kits feature new technical and instructional upgrades as the RobotLAB team designed them based on the feedback from thousands of educators. Plus, among the 700 Expeditions 2.0 field trips, teachers can find relevant content that aligns with their lesson plans, which we’ll explore more inside.
While there are fewer kits than with the Google Expeditions line, the quality of each is important. Currently, we offer three TD Synnex kits on our store, differentiated only by the number of units in each one of them (10, 20, and 30). Perhaps most notably, each of the three kits comes with the same set of components and the
One of the most common terms associated with AR and VR—especially in education—is immersive. Using VR systems, students can truly plunge into any number of immersive worlds but, beyond that, VR content is incredibly impactful for teaching students about some of today’s most intriguing real-world industries while also helping them gain practical experience at times.
Besides creating their own virtual reality content, students can also use the CoSpaces Edu app to explore coding. Within the online platform, they can access a Blockly editor for drag-and-drop programming practice. Named CoBlocks, this visual language is easy for beginners and, as students get better at creating programs, they can move on to script-based languages.
