technology Immersive Technologies: Are You Ready to Go Live?

By Nan Wodarz, Ed.D.

Anticipating the aking learning more personal- ized, relevant, and immersive GETTING STARTED impact of virtual has been a primary goal of edu- These resources can get you started cation for more than a decade, with immersive technology. reality of new Mand technology has helped that mission. Digital media offer educators a wealth of Discovery VR app technologies. opportunities to create dynamic lessons that www.discoveryvr.com take instruction to a higher level. Immersive technologies such as virtual Expeditions app reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) https://edu.google.com/expeditions are types of digital media that have been “360° Videos for Education”— around for years, yet they have only recently A YouTube Playlist evolved to the point of being accessible www..com/results?search_ to schools. Now that they have arrived in query=360°+VIDEOS+FOR+ classrooms, the instructional implications EDUCATION could prove profound. app www.google.com/streetview/apps In the Virtual Trenches New York Times VR app Immersive technologies can help transform www.nytimes.com/marketing/nytvr students from passive observers to more active participants in the learning process. Students can “travel” to every corner of the understand complex topics is critical. For earth, into outer space, or to “impossible” example, students can use AR to witness the places, such as the human bloodstream or impact of a modern catastrophe, such as a the world of ancient civilizations. hurricane or wildfire, and then connect with These engaging technologies offer stu- those affected by similar events to further dents the unique opportunity to experience analyze the effects. the topics they are studying. For example, With the help of VR and 360-degree vid- Nearpod (https://nearpod.com) is a platform eos, a panorama of the entire classroom can that enables teachers to use tablets to man- be streamed to a student in a remote loca- age content on students’ mobile devices and tion, making distance learning more seam- offers VR lessons that leverage virtual travel less and effective. along with related activities. According to Futuresource Consulting, In partnership with Google Expeditions, the number of students using VR and AR Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offers curricu- will increase from 2.1 million in 2016 to lum-based field trips, such as 83 million in 2021. Thus, education will a journey through prehistoric caves during no doubt need to adapt to take advantage the age of dinosaurs or a visit to the Ever- of these technologies, leveraging them to glades to experience the lives of an ancient improve student performance. Seminole tribe. VR and AR technologies are especially Surprisingly Aordable powerful for subjects in science, technology, As business officials, our first question is,

NEWMAN STUDIO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM NEWMAN engineering, and math, where the ability to “What will all this cost?”

40 APRIL 2019 | SCHOOL BUSINESS AFFAIRS asbointl.org This article originally appeared in the April 2019 School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates.