What if….. VR in school education could be made accessible to every student independently from families income?

-

There is no doubt Virtual Reality got another big boost during lock down and in the current uncertain pandemic situation.

Schools and universities had to adapt quickly to remote learning activities. While remote teaching is mainly based upon video conferencing, streaming video and school community software – both commercial or governmental – the virtual reality aspects are still quietly unknown and unused. 

Beside, professional educational VR content and the necessary equipment is costly and therewith not  accessible to everyone.

Of course VR Gear in combination with a modern smartphone is the easiest way to get in touch with this new technology either by 360 videos or simple learning applications.

(Photo by stem.T4L on Unsplash)

Together with my test candidates – being 10 and 13 – we experienced a lot the past months from using Google Expedition for tours as well as VR learning apps suitable for smartphone devices up to content designed for the Oculus Quest. As low as the entry point is - given the affordable price of the smartphone VR gear – as fast the magic was dropping using those.

The first fascination was relatively soon replaced by a certain tiredness of static scenes and text with low interaction (guided tours weren’t rarely available in native language). Preferences very much went back to collective learning – even remote – using videos and usual learning platforms with interactive content.

And I certainly can relate. Nothing can replace a committed guide (teacher) and having your friends around if even virtually.


Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

But in all tests done, I certainly believe and trust that VR technology in education will truly florish when: 

We find a way to give a hand to our teachers getting comfortable with the technology and all associated chances and challenges.

We find a way to finance professional content in conjunction with educational topics of the different grades.

We manage to include everyone in the class independently from financial income (as low as the price for a simple VR smartphone gear is – it still needs the smartphone & internet connection!)

We accelerate the development to true immersive systems using stand-alone VR gear still given the above bullet points.

I have a vision of a combined non-profit and purpose driven commercial setup under the participation of true experts in education, virtual reality content production, cloud computing & VR streaming and hardware development.

Let us connect industry, schools, artists and teachers to the benefit of the following generation.

Add-On: My test-candidates like to add their very favorite educational VR experience recommendations:

Smartphone VR:

Weltraum VR by Carlsen (Google Playstore Link)


Oculus Quest:

National Geographic Explore VR (Oculus Store Link)

Popular posts from this blog

Finding the Right Balance: Hiring or Outsourcing for Your High-Potential Startup Team

-
Image
  Photo by Christophe Hautier on Unsplash This article is co-authored with  Sera Evcimen  of  The Builder Circle by Pratik . Considering whether to hire or outsource is an exciting time for any startup founder. It signifies that you have the necessary funds and a well-defined development and growth plan, and now you require additional manpower to execute your vision. This article aims to explore the advantages and disadvantages of both hiring and outsourcing, providing you with trigger questions to help you make an informed decision. Before delving into the details, it is crucial to ensure that your product development plan has matured in terms of time and product requirements. Additionally, having a clear understanding of the skills available in your current team versus the skills required for your envisioned product development is essential. If you haven't yet addressed these areas, it would be beneficial to invest time into roadmap and skill planning. For insights...
Read more

Composing a team - its all about skills

-
Image
Photo by Memento Media on Unsplash The previous articles gave an introduction to common roles seen in hardware development teams ( managing roles   and   engineering roles ). Those role descriptions and lists of common responsibilities give a good starting point to think about the tasks it takes to develop a hardware product and the skills required to master the tasks. As a start-up, you won’t hire for each role, you hire for skills and attitude - and flexibility. All team members will certainly switch their hats and jump between different roles, depending on the stage of product development and team size. This counts as much for start-up as for established small and mid-size companies. A tool, I recommend to use from the very beginning, is the Skill Matrix. The skill matrix maps and visualized required and desired skills. Of course, it can also get introduced at any time of the team building process and for every size of team. It serves as a tool for many purposes such as hir...
Read more

Embracing Diversity in Engineering Teams: Unleashing the Power

-
Image
Short foreword: Thank you Clare Sayas Ronning for all your input on this piece. It took longer than expected until I felt ready to publish. Your insights are gold and this article would not be half as good without your feedback in input. “CEB research found that in a more diverse and inclusive workforce, individual discretionary effort improves by 12%, intent to stay improves by 20%, and team collaboration and commitment improve by about 50%.” (Source: Gartner / CEB Study ) *Diversity* – a term often echoed in today's corporate landscape, encompassing a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. When it comes to engineering teams, recognizing the immeasurable value of diversity becomes even more critical. Study after study has conclusively showcased numerous advantages that diverse engineering teams possess, revolutionizing not only the way we work but also the solutions we create.  This article offers valuable insights to hiring managers and leaders, shedding light...
Read more