Of technology, cardboard paper and Virtual Reality

Ever since I started this incredible journey into EdTech, one thing that has always intrigued me was Virtual Reality.

Actually, it started much earlier than that, because Virtual Reality is not new. When I was a kid, watching sci-fi movies such as "The Lawnmower Man" and "Back to the Future": whenever they showed VR, I was mesmerized! 

Never in a million years could I imagine then, that I would be one day getting familiar with this tool!

But then, as I started to grow, so did technology. And it evolved faster than we could have ever fathomed! So, by the time I became an adult, and an avid gamer, Virtual Reality became part of our Reality. So imagine how eager I was to learn that some teachers were actually using VR in the classroom, as a teaching tool!

But, cool as it sounded to me to use VR, one question kept bugging me: HOW?

First of all, VR is expensive! How can I afford, or convince the board of directors, to invest in such an expensive piece of technology?

Secondly: it is difficult to handle! How can I, a mere English Language Teacher, deal with this piece of technology?

Finally: Why? Would I be able to use VR in the classroom with a clear learning objective in mind? Would I be able to innovate my teaching with VR?

The answer came in the form of a name: Raquel Ribeiro!

She is a Google Innovator, and an incredible person, too. And lucky as I am, she was in Scotland to present at the IATEFL Conference about, well, can you guess???

VR!!

In a video, she showed us how she started implementing VR in her classrooms. And also, that Google had the answers to all my questions: 

First of all, it is not expensive at all! 

All you need is a pair of Google Cardboard Glasses: an inexpensive, eco-friendly, and customizable version of VR glasses. You can assemble it yourself, or like I did, with your students; they can buy their own glasses, and with this you can even raise awareness as to responsible consummerism!

So, my next question about usage, was also answered by Google! You can download the Cardboard, a free app available to download into your phone, and use it with your Google Cardboard Glasses. But it is not just this app, there are so many apps available for free that you can download, the possibilities are endless! And most importantly, they are easy to use, so that teachers won't need to enroll in tech courses to understand how they work!

Then, to my final question: Why use VR in the classroom?

Well, why not?

VR can completely redefine the learning outcomes expected from your group, once it creates a more realistic environment, decreasing the feeling of plasticity and fakeness that a classroom can have on the student.

Then, I decided to take up the challenge, and to add an edge on my challenge, I didn't go for my usual tech avid students, the teenagers. I wanted to see how adult learners would react to this type of learning tool. 

To create a context around the topic of my lesson, I had them divided into groups: one group would experience a calm and relaxed environment: a breathtakingly beautiful Caribbean beach on a summer day, with the sound of a light breeze blowing, the waves slowly breaking. The other group had a different experience: hectic Midtown Manhattan on a working day afternoon. Cars passing by, honking their horns, people talking, constant sirens on the background.

What I wanted was for them to experience these two completely different environment, because we would talk about sleeping, and lack thereof. The vocabulary of the lesson was phrasal verbs related to the topic, as was the grammar. So they completely understood the targeted language I was teaching, once they could apply to a situation they had lived, even if it was only through VR. 

So, my challenge was taken, my lesson was a complete success, and I could use VR to teach. Now, I can't wait for my next challenge: create a 360º video with my students, and share it in classrooms worldwide!