Teachers Want to Make Virtual Reality a Reality

Boy in blue shirt looks through virtual reality goggles
(Image credit: Tan Kian Khoon)

While only two percent of teachers have used VR in the classroom, over 60 percent are interested in making it part of the learning experience, according to research released at ISTE 2016 by Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and GfK.

The survey of more than 1,000 K–12 teachers in the U.S. also found that:

86% say that, even with existing technology, it’s a challenge to keep students engaged.

93% say their students would be excited to use VR.

83% say VR might help improve learning outcomes, including better understanding of concepts (77%), greater collaboration (71%), and motivation (84%).

● Respondents indicated that science (82%), social studies (81%), and history (81%) are the subjects that would most benefit from VR.

The majority of teachers say they could use VR in variety of ways:

● To help students better understand concepts (e.g., watching a video trailer for a book or viewing a chemical reaction) (68%).

● To simulate experiences, such as flying with the Wright Brothers or trading on the floor of a stock exchange (72%).

● To travel to landmarks like Stonehenge or Machu Picchu (69%).

● To visit college campuses to encourage students to pursue higher education (42% of high-school teachers).

The survey also found that millennial teachers are more likely to say they’re “innovators” in the use of classroom technology (79%, compared to 67% of Gen Xers and 57% of Baby Boomers).

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