Benefits of VR in classroom

Just a few years ago, virtual reality seemed to be a sci-fi concept for most people. It is believed that this technology is the future of education and that students will benefit from VR-enabled textbooks and virtual classrooms.

This article explores the impact of virtual reality on students and educators. You will learn about typical advantages of using virtual reality in the classroom.

VR Can Stop Classroom Smartphone Distraction

According to the study, results of which were published in the Journal of Medical Education, students spent a fifth of their time in the classroom using their mobile devices for non relevant activities to their school work.

If these smartphones were used for VR technology students would not be able to waste their time because they would use their devices to engage with VR software.

Eliminates Language Barriers

With virtual reality, language translation can be built into the software and there will be no language barrier that can prevent students from achieving their educational goals. VR visualizations can be experienced in any language.

Outstanding Visualizations

Wearing VR headset, students can experience high-quality educational visualizations that have a positive impact on the whole learning process. VR can help students easily understand complex concepts, theories, and subjects. They are able to retain complex information at a much higher rate.

Research has proven that immersion of students in the virtual world enables them to learn better. Such learning activities don’t feel like work and students enjoy the learning process that increases their motivation.

Social Integration of Students

Students achieve better results in a positive learning environment when they can connect with their peers. Virtual reality can enhance social integration of students with different learning needs and styles.

Students who commonly struggled to become a part of a group were accepted by their peers because they had strong technology skills. These are the findings of Dr. Connor Galvin who evaluated virtual reality learning program that involved 20 schools. This technology can ensure positive outcomes for children experiencing problems at home, with learning difficulties or from ethnical minorities.

VR is used in architectural design and allows students to view their own designs in real time.

Virtual reality is unlikely to replace old-school face-to-face teaching methods, but this technology will continue to be used to enhance learning experiences for students.

Benefits Of Using Virtual Reality In The Classroom – ReadWrite. (2018). Retrieved from https://readwrite.com/2018/03/20/benefits-using-virtual-reality-classroom/

Kahoot!

Do you know what Kahoot! is? Kahoot! is a free platform that allow the creation of evaluation tests. It’s a tool which is used by teacher to learn or reinforce the learning and where students are contestants.

Kahoot! is very easy to use and we are going to show it you:

• First, you have to create an account.

• When you are member of Kahoot, you are ready to start create tests! First of all, you have to put a lot of information before to create the test ( Title, Descrption, Visibility, Language, Cover Image…)

• Then, you start with the questions. You have to writte a question and their answers ( specifying wich ine is correct).

• When you finish all questions, you have to save the test and using the Game PIN you can invite your parnerts to play with this Kahoot!

• Let’s play!

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Finally we have made you a Kahoot about Travels, we hope that enjoy you!

Learning Apps

Learning App is a multimedia programme used as a m-learning tool. We are going to make use of it to create interactive applications that enables children to learn and to have fun at the same time.

Based on the the countries ,cities and means of transport we have covered in the Didactic Unit. We have planned to do three applications with Learning Apps. The first one is called «WORLD MAP» , the second one «FLAGS» and the last one «MEANS OF TRANSPORT».

The steps to follow are quite simple:

1.We have clicked on search and we have looked for similar applications we wanted to create and then, make a description of the apps.

2. Now for «WORLD MAP» we have clicked on «marks on image» and place with a tack in the map the different continents we have covered while for «FLAGS» and «MEANS OF TRANSPORT» we have clicked on «Pairs» and add an image and the name that corresponds.

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3. Every time the children get a correct answer it will appear «WELL DONE».Finally we have clicked on «Finish edition and show preview».

AND THAT’S ALL!!

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Create your own ending

We encourage children to create their own ending to the book. For this matter, they will join in groups of 4. They will plan what they want to happen. Anything is possible!

For this matter, we will provide a series of Apps to let them create their own animate videos or comic-book as well as tutorials they can follow to help them:

• Storyjumper:

Story Jumper is a great website that offers students the chance to write, create and publish their own stories. This site offers simple creating tools that are ensured to engage children’s creativity skills and demonstrate their story book  writing abilities. Students are able to illustrate and write a book, whether it be imaginative, informational or a narrative. Storyjumper is a tool that makes writing fun for students and grabs their attention for successful and efficient learning.

• My Story School eBook Maker

My Story School eBook Maker is a digital storytelling and book-publishing app. Once teachers have set up user accounts (the app usefully supports multiple authors), kids can jump in and create a book. They’ll start with the title page, for which they choose a color, graphics, and a book title. Then they add pages, one by one, to continue the story. Kids have several drawing tools and an array of colors, plus a large library of graphics organized by category. If teachers allow access to the device’s camera, kids can also use photos. Once placed, graphics and photos can be easily sized, rotated, and flipped. To put the final touches on the page, kids can add text and or voice narration. Books can be exported as MP4, PDF, EPUB, or MYSTORY files, published to iBooks, or shared through various social media platforms including YouTube.

• Scribble: Kids Book Maker

Scribble Press – Creative Book Maker for Kids is a kid-friendly book-creation and -publication app that kids can use to write and illustrate stories, publish them online or in print, and view other kids’ books. The more than 500 writing and drawing tools allow kids to convey their stories and its messages via words, fonts, colors, images, and more. Kids can even put their own face on a character using the device camera. Or, for more structure, students can follow one of many story templates, such as «If I ran for President» or «My first day at my new school.» Students’ works can be published publicly or privately, or printed copies can be ordered directly from the app. Students can save their story as a movie that they can watch anytime.

• Vyond:

Vyond combines an intuitive, powerful video editing platform with training, support, and enterprise-level security to ensure that organizations of any size and individuals of any skill level can make media that moves. With features that go beyond moving text and images, you can build character-driven stories or compelling data visualizations that engage audiences and deliver results.

We created a video using this app to explore the possibilities it offers:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FZOVzXxG5UOOH74ZbSg-jUuj05Mv1DvI?usp=sharing

Jigsaw

Using our central idea of the world, we present you an interesting and enjoyable activity, the creation of puzzles. With the help of some websites ( which we will put later) we can create our own puzzle only requiering a picture.

We have created a jigsaw made by us about the world map. It is made using the website JIGSAWPALNET. Also, we will show you a manual about how to create a puzzle using this platform.

Steps to create a jigsaw:

1. Select a image from the device
2. Select the shape and number of pieces.

But this is not the only page to create puzzles, we have other options such as DAILY JIGSAW PUZZLES and PROPROFS.

Collage

Based on our activity from the Didactic Unit where children have to make a poster, we propose to create a link between that activity and new technologies. Therefore we show you the way to create a collage through TICs.

This one is created by us using the website BEFUNKY which is very easy to use. You only have to choose some images, create a template (where you will put all the images) and finally upload the images that you selected previously.

We left here other options to create collages, and we ask you a question, what is better use new technologies to create a collage or create it using the usual method ( photos, glue, scissors…)? Options A, B, C, D.

We think that the new method to create collage is more confortable and offer us more alternatives than the usual method. Also, using webs, the work of made collage is less because you only have to upload photos to the platform and decorate them. On the other hand, the usual method of create collages is more satisfactory and provide you relax and paciencie. Now, it’s your turn, what do you think?

Mixing colors

Based on the activity of the didactic unit about mixing colors , we have use PINETOOLS. This web, enable students to learn in a non-traditional way and not having to stain their hands!

STEPS

1. Choose a color
2. Choose another color
3. In the last frame you will have the color obtained.

By doing so, students can experiment with all the colours they can imagine and figure out where do their favourites colours come from.

CoSpaces

The first technological resource we are offering is a very useful tool to bring students´ attention.

This page allows you to create two free spaces. As an example, we have created one that shows you the world with the name of the continents and then lets you explore each one specifically.

The tool to create the spaces are really intuitive and, although it is very limited because it is a free trial, you can allow yourself to create really imaginative scenarios.

For this matter we have created a scenario on free trial. It includes a globe with the names of all the continents for children to explore around.

Then you could enter every continent as we have created a scenario to represent each. In these you can also move around and explore all individually.

QR code to website

Share your ideas!

We want our students to be enthusiastic participants rather than mere spectators. For this matter, we are providing our students with and interactive blackboard.

At the beginning, we want to share our students’ common knowledge. We need to arrange our students in groups and one of them will be the leader that will share the ideas of the rest of the team. This will be used in the brainstorming method.

If you want you can divide so each group has their own space to share!