Virtual Reality in Primary Schools

Speaking skills – and in turn writing skills – show a marked improvement in students who have had the opportunity to explore a virtual environment. The immersive, sensory nature of VR improves the quality of students’ language; the immediacy of the experience is particularly beneficial for those students who struggle to think of what to write.

Creating a context for learning is crucial for deepening understanding. Learning about the phases of the moon from a textbook works just fine for some students – but the added contextual information they can access when they are placed on the surface of the moon, looking back at Earth, is invaluable.

Engaging and immersive personal experience simply cannot be matched in terms of information retention. The ability to re-imagine the VR experience in which you learned a new concept is incredibly powerful and is of particular benefit to students who struggle to remain focussed in a traditional classroom environment.

VR and AR open up exciting learning opportunities for students with specific educational needs. Many children with autism find the sensory immersion of a 360 video, a comforting and safe way to learn new concepts – all while knowing they can easily remove themselves from the situation if necessary. Schools are excited to use simple portal to quickly send their own content to student headsets. Imagine the power of recording a quick immersive video of your field trip destination ahead of time, giving students with autism or sensory integration challenges the chance to get accustomed to an unfamiliar environment?