Our recent article “Will Virtual Reality Drive Deeper Learning?” provides a broad survey of the applications of VR in education, but if you’re looking for a simple way to try something like this out in your classroom, 360-degree videos are readily available on both YouTube and Facebook. You can play with them in most desktop browsers by dragging your mouse to move the image around, or watch on a mobile device for a more immersive experience. For the deluxe version, you can strap a smartphone into viewer goggles—these can be purchased relatively cheaply, or printed on cardboard and folded together for a DIY option. You can find both options at the Google Cardboard website.
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Virtual Guided Tour of Paris: Louvre & Palais Royal (05:36)
Immersive video seems tailor-made for students to virtually visit museums or landmarks that would be prohibitively expensive to physically travel to. Want to share the design and history of the Louvre with your students on no budget? Start here with local tour guide Frédéric Gourdet, then search “Louvre” on YouTube with the “360º” filter on to build your own playlist of museum galleries or famous art pieces. (Best for: French teachers, history teachers, and travel buffs.)
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One World, Many Stories: Jordan (04:05)
Nonprofit Global Nomads Group has a mission of building connections across borders for kids around the world, and they make use of the empathy-building capabilities of VR to allow viewers to walk in the shoes of young people from other places. In this clip, explore the world of a differently abled teenager in Jordan. (Best for: high school ELA and social studies teachers.)
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Source: EDU Topia