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school pupil using virtual reality headset

Chesterfield school steps inside WW1 trenches to mark centenary

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A Chesterfield school has taken their learning to a new immersive level by incorporating a virtual reality experience as part of their English studies.

Year 7 at Brookfield Community School is studying Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, a story about a brotherly bond during World War 1.

As part of their learning around this year’s centenary, pupils are using virtual reality (VR) technology to explore the WW1 trenches, giving them a glimpse into the living conditions for millions of British soldiers.

Eckington-based educational VR company, Seymour & Lerhn, has provided the headset for Brookfield School and is sharing the trench tour as a free-to-access resource with all schools across the UK to mark November’s centenary.

English teacher at Brookfield Community School, Nick Davey, said: “Our pupils have really enjoyed using virtual reality technology as part of their studies.

“They’ve said how using the VR headset makes them more sympathetic to those who fought in the world wars and given them a better understanding of what life was like day-to-day.

“My colleagues, as well as pupils, have been really excited to try out this new way of learning. It’s been great to see our pupils get so much from it and I’d encourage other schools to get on board.”

The free learning resource is available to all schools in the UK between 1st-16th November, to help pupils learn more about the conditions soldiers endured during four years on the front line.

Available to access on interactive whiteboards, tablets and virtual reality headsets, classes can explore the trenches individually or in groups.

Pupils can pick between a narrated 360° virtual tour of the trenches, or the same interactive tour with poems from the time.

Gemma Hyland, Outreach Manager at Seymour & Lerhn said: “We’re using engaging technology to show school pupils a completely different world to the one they know today, but is likely one experienced by their great-grandparent’s generation.

“It’s important to mark the end of World War 1 and recognise the sacrifices made. We hope pupils will enjoy stepping into the past and learning about the war in this immersive way.”

Both VR experiences are also available in video format, so classes can explore the trenches together and come with a lesson plan to complete once they’ve navigated the tour.

Find out more about the WW1 resources

VR in the Classroom

VR in the Classroom

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Teachers want VR!

In a comprehensive study by Lenovo, data showed a whopping 94% of teachers in the UK think that virtual reality would benefit the classroom, with 42% expecting it to become commonplace in the next five years.

So what does this mean for the future of the classroom?

Although only 23% of teachers have used VR as a teaching aid, 97% found their students to be more engaged in lessons with the use of VR. These figures seem to suggest that VR is not just a gimmick, but a useful tool to be utilised by teachers, particularly when teaching subjects which have not been directly experienced by pupils. Indeed, 36% of teachers admit that they have struggled to make subjects real and relatable, with 42% saying they simply don’t have time to do so. However, 66% believed that VR can solve these problems, with the biggest benefit identified as the ability to bring things to life.

What do teachers want from VR?

Most teachers wanted to take students to explore new worlds, with climbing to the top of everest (67%), seeing moments in history such as the D-Day Beach landings (66%) and exploring wildlife and the natural world (65%) coming out on top. Teachers voted Sciences (27%) and Geography (23%) as the subjects which would benefit most from VR.

Even with the wide range of suppliers of VR and technology within the classroom, teachers still face hurdles to deliver these experiences, with 71% saying budgets are one of the biggest barriers, followed by lack of technology (50%) and time (44%). Despite these problems, 73% of teachers agree that it will be a key facilitator to move classrooms forward into the future, with 55% of teachers of the firm belief that VR will lead to an upturn in grades.

Rich Henderson, director of global education solutions at Lenovo, said: “The research highlights that tech and specifically VR offers endless possibilities when it comes to teaching. Students are no longer bound by classroom walls and teachers are no longer bound by traditional lesson plans. There’s a whole new range of experiences for students to take inspiration from, with three quarters (75%) believing that VR can support blended learning, and embedding it into existing practices will improve the classroom. It’s time to embrace this technology and give teachers the tools they need to inspire the workforce of tomorrow.”

 

An infographic showing the key statistics of VR use in the classroom

How can teachers get over those hurdles and introduce VR?

Although the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift dominate the high end VR market, there are many other ways in which teachers can deliver high quality content to students, without stretching budgets to the limit. Web-based, multi-platform VR allows pupils to interact with virtual tours on almost any device, meaning significant savings for schools. This flexibility allows teachers to control the lesson, from individual experiences with a Google cardboard, through to a group experience and discussion based around a SmartBoard. Seymour & Lerhn is one such company delivering a wide range of experiences in line with the UK National Curriculum on an affordable subscription basis.

Find out more

It is clear from the research that VR is an invaluable tool, bringing impossible experiences to life and ultimately helping to sculpt the next generation. With 74% of teachers believing that there will be a positive effect on the design and creativity skills of students, it is certainly an exciting time to be in education!