FALLACY: 360 VR Video Field Trips Give Students an Understanding of a New Place and Culture
We have learned from our conversations with students and teachers that without the proper instruction and reflection around these virtual trips, students miss out on the physical and social context of the field trip destination.
In our work with VR, we have frequently seen educators use 360-degree videos for virtual field trips. Educators may use phone-based headsets, such as Google Cardboard, or more advanced headsets that plug into computers. However, students report that watching a 360-degree video doesn’t necessarily immerse them in a different place and culture. In our research, students often questioned why they were asked to put on a VR headset when a projector or desktop screen could have been used instead.
We asked middle and high school students whether they felt as if they gained a better understanding of the people and places they encountered on their virtual field trips, and their responses were mixed. Some students reported that VR gave them an opportunity to develop a “firsthand” perspective, while others reported that VR was not a good substitute for actually visiting a new place and interacting with real people.
FACT: Intentional, Strategic Use of VR Can Deepen Students’ Understanding
All technological tools used in classrooms should “enhance, engage, and extend learning,” author Liz Kolb, lecturer and research associate at the University of Michigan, writes in Learning First, Technology Second: The Educator’s Guide to Designing Authentic Lessons.
If we are simply importing a quiz into a virtual environment for no pedagogical reason beyond increasing “engagement,” we must pause and reflect on whether that will genuinely enhance or extend student learning. A worksheet is still a worksheet, even when it is placed into a virtual environment.
It’s a challenge for teachers to develop and integrate assessments that are sensitive to the learning outcomes they hope VR activities will facilitate. A recent study from foundry10 indicates that teachers struggled to gather specific evidence demonstrating what students learned after engaging in VR experiences. Many falsely perceived high engagement with VR as an indicator that students had greater understanding of the subject or concept. To create real value for student learning with VR, educators will need to be vigilant when assessing whether the technology is deepening understanding of a topic or just making it more fun.
MORE ON EDTECH: How virtual reality can help students meet learning goals.