Spatial is an immersive 3D meeting space that is very similar to an actual classroom. You can meet with others in several different types of rooms and spaces, similar to lecture halls, seminar rooms, or conference spaces. Users create custom avatars to interact with each other within these spaces.

Spatial has many features that would allow you to conduct classes as you would in a classroom. You can share presentations, show videos, browse websites, screenshare and have discussions. It has collaborative functions like a sticky note feature to brainstorm or create mind-maps of content areas. Spatial integrations allow users to bring in and collaborate on documents in slack, google drive, and sharepoint. Users can also bring in 3D objects to manipulate and share.

Spatial also allows spatial audio to support small group discussions. With spatial audio as you move closer or further away from someone, the volume of their audio will change. So if you enable spatial audio and have students separate into small groups in different areas of the virtual room, the students will only hear those close to them.

Another nice feature of spatial is that it is also accessible through a web browser on a PC or Mac. This makes the room accessible to those who may not have a virtual headset or may not be able to use a headset because of accessibility issues.

Spatial is free to use. To find out more about visit the Spatial Website.

AltspaceVR is a virtual environment that supports mixed reality events and experiences. Users can attend events, conferences, workshops and meetings. These can be open to the public or restricted to specific groups.

AltspaceVR offers similar features to Spatial, but the wideopen platform allows users to experience events that are not tied to a specific class. So they would have opportunities for additional social interaction and experiences outside of the classroom. This supports social interaction and self exploration of content that may not be replicable in a traditional classroom.

AltspaceVR also allows you to create your own virtual worlds. This would allow you to create specific virtual spaces to mimic real world environments. So you may be able to create virtual home visits, virtual offices, or other virtual spaces that you and your students could enter. This would support situated learning.

AltspaceVR is also available for use on a Mac or PC.

AltspaceVR is free to use. To find out more visit the AltspaceVR website.

Engage is a VR platform that was designed specifically for educational purposes. You can sign up for a free account, but its paid features are what make it really stand out compared to the other options listed here.

As with the Spatial and AltspaceVR engage provides a platform for virtual meetings and classes. It offers the ability to share presentations video and other content.

With a paid version of Engage, you get the ability to pre-record VR sessions that students can play back at any time. You can also record portions of a live session and play those back immediately. This is a great function for roleplays and other skills demonstration critiques.

The paid version also gives you the ability to develop custom 3D objects and locations. This would allow you to create interactive scenarios that your students would be able to work through and explore on their own or with you present to provide guidance and feedback.

Engage is also available across a wide variety of devices. To learn more visit the Engage website.