Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality used to be the realm of 1980s sci-fi film, but it has now become an affordable reality for the classroom. With the application of some simple apps and Google Cardboard, you can enhance the educational experience for students, and allow them to become immersed in the very things they are learning about. There is still a way to go with accessibility, especially in schools where phones are banned, but with some creative planning, you can provide this opportunity for your kids.

Below are some ideas for how to incorporate VR into your lessons.

First Steps

Get yourself a phone (preferably Android, although some apps are also available on iOS) and some Google Cardboard. You can make your own or purchase it from a number of locations online.
Download the apps you need (see below) and make sure you have a wifi or data connection. Bring a charger. You will chew through battery quickly.
Set the expectations and safety standards for your class. Rules might include: Don't remove the phone from the cardboard; No arguing over the cardboard or phone; Only one person at a time, everyone else remains seated; Do not walk around while looking in the viewer.
Remove your phone from any cases it is held in and place it in the cardboard.

Public Speaking

The VirtualSpeech app allows students to experience public speaking in front of a crowd. Visit the website for detailed info about the options available. NOTE: The full version provides feedback on your speaking and more, but this is a paid subscription.

Download the app from the App Store or Google Play
Allow the relevant permissions. Click through the questions, choosing 'Continue', then 'Start', then 'Regular Mobile Headset'.

The first room you enter shows a big screen with some instructions. Read through these, then turn around. Behind you is a range of video and room options. If you have an NFC button, click it to progress, or simply look at the option for 3 seconds and the program will select it for you. Try it out now and watch a video with some public speaking tips.

Enter the conference room. You will see the audience in front of you. If you turn to your left, there is a 'start analyse' button. Hover over it and text appears in front of you. Present it like you would a speech. When you are finished, hover over 'stop analyse'. Your analysis will appear in front of you with feedback on how your presentation went. You are graded on eye contact, pace of speech, and 'filler words'.
You can upload your own presentation. Save it as a pdf and send it to your email on your phone. Tap the attachment and select 'open with VirtualSpeech' to view your slides on the screen in front of you. You can now practise your real presentation to the crowd!

Immersive Video

This video app from the New York Times allows you to immerse yourself in locations and stories. If using in class, investigate first to find a video that matches your content. Otherwise, allow students to simply explore. There is some fascinating material including a perspective on hearing music for the first time from a woman with a cochlear implant, vision of space, an eclipse, a dive under sea ice to swim with seals, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and more.

Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Click through the start screen and select a video. Some videos only allow a 360 mode, which does not require cardboard. If given the option, select cardboard. You should use headphones as the videos have voiceovers and music.
Play and learn. NOTE: The buffering time can be extreme, so it may be wise to download the video you want to see.

Google Street View

Google Street View is connected with Google Maps and Google Earth. It allows you to view panoramic vision of almost any part of the world! The app, in conjunction with Cardboard, allows a more immersive experience. View locations under water, in other countries, major tourist attractions, and even inside some museums, in stunning 3D. Even better, create your own 360 videos to use privately or to share with the world! This is fantastic for visiting locations for geography and history, or to see places discussed in literature, or to create virtual tours of your school or classroom.

Download the Street View app from the App Store or Google Play on your device.
Go to the 'Explore' tab and find a location, or choose from the images that appear at the bottom of the screen. NOTE: Some images are created by Google and others are created by private users. Expect some issues with the seamlessness of user-created images; some are great, others indicate that users are still learning, so please be patient.
Open the image you are interested in. In the top right corner of the screen, a little Cardboard icon appears. Click this and the screen will split into two and you can insert the phone into the Cardboard to view the images in 3D.
To create your own 360 photos, click on the orange camera icon in the bottom right corner of the 'Explore' tab. Tap 'Camera' again.
Point the camera at the dot, then follow the instructions to fill the gaps and generate a 360 photo. When the circle icon becomes green, tap it to finish.
The little Street View man will construct your photo and then you can view it. Select the dots in the top right hand corner to see options such as 'detect faces and blur' (this is good if you're publishing to the web and you have student faces included).
If you want to publish it, add a GPS location (ensure no identifying information is included for students) and then upload it by clicking the upload icon.

Augmented Reality

The best app I have found for Android (also works on iOS) is Aurasma - now called HP Reveal.

Click on the image to the right to see a demo. You will need to:

Download the HP Reveal App from the App Store or Google Play
Click the 'Follow' button that appears beside the Demo (to follow the channel)
Scan the image in the app

It's not completely intuitive, so I would recommend trying it out before you help the students, but basically the + button in the app creates new auras, and the scan button lets you view them. Make them public if you want others to view them.

This is great for:

Scavenger Hunts (hide clues in various locations and have them only visible by aura)
Parent information nights (upload video auras of each student on their work so the parents can view their child talking about the work)
Art exhibitions (record artist explanations)

If you make the auras public, anyone can access them. To get around this, you can create a generic account, keep all the auras private, and use the same account to log in to multiple devices, eg class iPads.

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