Virtual reality (VR) immerses users in a digital environment that appears real. For example, the Anne Frank House museum has developed an app that can be used with a VR headset. The app allows learners to explore the Secret Annexe as it would have appeared during the years when it hid the occupants from discovery and arrest.

The potential for classroom use of VR include:

• accessing physical sites that would normally be difficult or impossible due to logistical or health and safety issues
• exploring simulations of historic environments
• investigating artefacts
• providing immersive experiences that enhance approaches to active learning
• enhancing collaborative learning opportunities

Barriers

Perceived barriers to the use of this technology into the classroom have included:

• costs
• connectivity
• classroom management of devices
• availability of educational content
• health and safety concerns

Research into educational benefits

VR has been around for some time, but recent developments – improvements in headset technology and reduced costs, enhanced internet access and broadband speeds in schools, the development of relevant content including teacher produced resources, advice around safe and secure use of the technology - have increased its potential for use in the classroom.

A Scottish Context

In 2018 East Renfrewshire Council was the first education authority in the UK to invest in the roll out of VR headsets to all thirty of its primary and secondary schools

West Lothian Inclusion & Support Service use VR headsets in their professional learning offer, to support practitioner understanding of the needs of learners with additional support needs

At Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools in Edinburgh Simon Luxford-Moore, the schools’ Head of eLearning, has led on the integration of virtual reality into everyday lessons. For example, VR was used to support learning during Black History Month and across curricular areas such as Language, History and RMPS (2021)

In March 2021 North Lanarkshire launched the first Immersive Classroom in Scotland

Virtual Reality for early education is a research paper from St Andrew’s University that describes the application of VR in an S1 project exploring St Andrew’s Cathedral in the middle ages.

University of Glasgow

Dr Gabriella Rodolico is Lecturer in Science Education at the School of Education (SoE), University of Glasgow (UoG).

Dr Rodolico and her science colleagues are a Teaching Innovation Award Winner for their work on innovative technologies (such as VR) supported lessons in ITE science courses.

The Virtual reality Blog illustrates the range of work that she is involved in with educators.

Body Systems describes a VR focused project with PGDE primary student teachers supporting teachers and learners at Corpus Christi Primary School.

Dr Rodolico and her colleague Dr Lavinia Hirsu are currently curating the Edify Pod project at the SoE, UoG as part of the larger project Mobius: Edify, started in 2018. This is a dedicated VR room supporting educator workshops.

Prof. Neil McDonell, Dr Rodolico Gabriella, Dr Lavinia Hirsu, Dr Imants Latkovskis, Dr Sarune Savickaite and Dr Lysette Chapronniere ( Scoping Extended Educational Reality (SEER) team) , University of Glasgow, officially launched the white paper on the benefits and challenges that immersive technologies like virtual reality can bring to education in February 2024.

This briefing complements information around Emerging technologies, emerging practices on the National Improvement Hub.

Improvement questions

1. What are the barriers to the use of virtual reality in your classroom setting? How could you overcome these?
2. What learning outcomes would you plan for where VR is being integrated into your classroom teaching; how could you engage with other practitioners for further support?
3. How can you connect with learners and parents/carers to explain and share the benefits of VR?
4. How can you develop your existing classroom resources to support the experience of VR?