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We are transitioning from a world of passive technology to a world full of active learning experiences.

There is a wealth of opportunity for students to become creators of content, as opposed to simply consumers of content by using just a desktop, a laptop, or a powerful handheld device. The AR/VR industry continues to grow in its use and adoption in the way we work, socialize, learn, and entertain ourselves. Many AR/VR experiences pre-pandemic rested largely on the work of developers releasing apps, or one-off experiences that provide a limited glimpse into the learning potential.

Advances in these technologies are accelerating at a rapid pace, and remote learning has only hastened that process; open source developments in web technologies are now enabling any user to create their own virtual worlds and share those experiences with others. We have the opportunity to introduce these development platforms to students.

We’ve asked Anthony White, an educator in the remote island Kodiak, Alaska to share more about how he has built virtual worlds and experiences with his students.

How did you become involved with/interested in AR/VR technology?

As an educational technologist, I have helped teachers integrate technology into their practice, and have tested a wide assortment of effective tools for my own teaching purposes. But while I recognize that video technology can serve as a powerful medium for teaching and learning, I always felt like something was missing; I would teach on one side of the screen, while students passively received the signal on the other side. Even though I used computers in the classroom, many of the experiences were supplemental to a more traditional method of instruction. Despite working as an educational technologist, I had never before worked with 3D media and design.

Then the pandemic hit. While we learned to navigate this new reality, I embarked on a search for something that would truly capture my students’ interest, keep them engaged, and help enable a collaborative learning environment. In March of 2020 I discovered Hubs by Mozilla, a VR chat room designed for every device and browser. Hubs is an open source project that explores how communication in mixed reality can come to life.

Painting in VR with OpenBrush

I knew this was the tool that would allow me and my students to take learning to the next level in the Digital Age, from scrolling for information to actually interacting with information. Dr. Keith Chan, anthropology instructor at San Diego community colleges, created an immersive learning environment that perfectly demonstrates this shift from searching to interacting with information.

How have you implemented Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in your classroom?

We are in new territory in education, especially for secondary schools. My students have created a wide variety of immersive experiences, such as augmented reality experiences using the Reality Composer app for OS/iOS. My students have also created immersive VR experiences with A-Frame, a web framework for building virtual reality experiences. With this language and a brief primer on the structure of HTML, students can easily make WebVR with HTML and Entity-Components.

Students using FrameVR as a digital escape room

I also teach a course that focuses on workforce & internship readiness, helping prepare students for life after high school. For one project I helped students utilize Mozilla Hubs to act as avatars in a scenario where they could practice conflict resolution strategies in a safe and virtual environment. The results were astounding as some students chose to use Oculus Virtual Reality headsets to embody their persona. To see more of the amazing work our students are completing, check out this collection of students projects.

What has been the most challenging part of integrating AR/VR in your classroom?

The most challenging part in all of this is the fact that I am learning right along with the students. Though I would consider myself fairly adept at utilizing technology for teaching and learning, my knowledge in the syntax and structure of many of the languages that are the foundation of these experiences is lacking. I think it’s important that students know I do not have all the answers, but Github, YouTube videos, and documentation websites do. We learn, create novel representations of learning, and shape the future of education together.

Student testing out their AR creation

What’s next for your school and AR/VR implementation?

Next year I am very excited to offer a year-long course for Kodiak High School students titled “Interactive Media” in a new classroom called the “Innovative Media Lab.” Students will have access to a wide variety of new technologies and programs that will allow them to create virtual experiences spanning a variety of purposes. We will be helping to prepare students for a future that is deeply immersed in technology and interactivity.

In the fall we will also be hosting an international hackathon that provides a space for teachers and students to create immersive learning experiences that will be linked on a website called the Eduverse. The Eduverse is an amelioration of the metaverse, a collective virtual shared space, but specific to education. Any and all learners will be able to freely access these learning experiences as well as learn how to make their own and contribute to a growing collection of innovative educational technology.

Printing custom 3D game assets

What advice do you have for other educators who might be interested in AR/VR technology for their classrooms?

We are at the brink of something extremely exciting and new in Education Technology (EdTech), and to be honest there isn’t a whole lot out there (yet) in regards to student-generated augmented and virtual reality experiences. However, the tools exist and are in a constant state of development, many of which are open source and free to use. Take the time to learn with the students, allow for mistakes, celebrate the achievements and share them with the world.

A-Frame is a great entry point for many educators and students interested in building immersive environments. WebVR platforms such as FrameVR and Hubs by Mozilla are fantastic entry points for any learner and allow you to quickly create unique (and free) experiences. If you teach computer science classes, introduce your students to frameworks such as three.js or babylon.js. For instructors of game development, Unity and the Unreal Engine house a wealth of tutorials on how to create VR experiences.

Sites such as BrioVR and tools such as Reality Composer for Apple OS/iOS open up a world of creative possibilities to create augmented reality experiences (keep a keen eye out on Apple as something big is coming down the road that will most likely shape the way we view and utilize AR/VR). At this critical juncture in how we use technology, it is crucial we are providing students with the tools they need to be successful in the post-digital era. Let’s build the Eduverse together!

Using Hubs to manage conflict resolution

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anthony White is an educator of over 9 years currently teaching in Kodiak, Alaska. He is an artist at heart and always leans towards the creative expression of learning. Anthony is passionate about theatre, graphic design, traditional media, music, game design, and 3D modeling, especially when all facets of art intersect with computers and technology.

What are the best apps for teachers? We asked TED-Ed Innovative Educators and the TED-Ed community. Below, 25 awesome apps recommended for teachers, by teachers.

For teaching students how to present, create and code

TED-Ed
More than 250,000 teachers use TED education tools to spark student curiosity and explore presentation literacy skills. “TED-Ed is an outstanding resource in my classroom,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer Hesseltine. “I use the online platform to add engaging content to topics that we are studying. I have also given students the opportunities to help in the process of creating TED-Ed Lessons by choosing videos and creating questions to include.”

Haikudeck
Students can create beautiful presentations with this app. “It’s great for pairing short poems and images,” says TED-Ed community member Jessica Dawn Kaiser.

Duolingo
If the benefits of a bilingual brain motivate your students, try this app. “Duolingo revolutionized the way people learn languages,” says TED-Ed community member Dhruv G. Menon.

Draw and Tell
This app can increase creative confidence in kids of all ages. Just draw something, tell a story about it and share your creation. For TED-Ed community member Ginnie Harvin Pitler, this app is a classroom favorite. “I’m an elementary teacher and believe in creation apps over consumption apps,” she says.

Animoto
Students can easily create and share their own beautiful videos with Animoto. “I’m a huge fan of this simple yet powerful digital storytelling tool for iPad and the web,” writes TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer L. Scheffer in an this ed tech roundup. “The app allows students to select a theme, music, images or videos, add captions and/or two lines of text, and within minutes a slick video is created. The finished product can be shared via social media, uploaded to YouTube, or embedded in a student’s e-portfolio. For a great introduction to Animoto, with a built-in lesson in digital citizenship, have students create an ‘About Me’ or ‘Year in Review’ Animoto.”

iMovie
This popular app is another teacher-recommended choice for student video creation. “My students enjoy using iMovie for group projects,” says TED-Ed community member Chris Gilley Callaway. Check out the Apple apps for educators, too.

Instructables
From science experiments to merit badges, this app offers instructions for more than 100,000 DIY projects. Looking for a classroom maker project? You’ll find it here. Did your students create something awesome? Encourage them to upload their instructions and share their ideas.

Hopscotch
Students can learn computer science fundamentals — via game design — using this app. For more ways to teach core coding concepts, check out Scratch.

Tinkercad
After students get inspired by the open-source wonderland at Thingaverse, turn them loose to start designing their own 3D objects with this app.

For everyday classroom needs

Evernote
Teachers love this notetaking app — for good reason. “Evernote has allowed me to get rid of handouts. I just don’t make them anymore,” writes TED-Ed Innovative Educator Nicholas Provenzano in this blog post. “All of my projects are shared with my students through our shared notebooks, and all assignments are posted on the Assignment shared notebook that is available for parents on my website. Traditionally, these handouts would be viewed by students then trashed. Now they can view them on Evernote and trees can be saved.” To learn more from Nick about how to use Evernote in the classroom, read The Epic Evernote Experiment.

Explain Everything
Basically, it’s an interactive whiteboard. “It’s one of the most versatile apps you can have in your toolbox,” says TED-Ed community member Caroline Taylor-Levey.

Educreations
This app makes it easy to create new videos for learning. For example, “it’s a great tool for explaining math strategies with voice, pen and screen recorder,” says TED-Ed community member Melissa Julian. ”It also lets students make learning resources for other children to use.”

Oxford Dictionaries
Every classroom needs a good dictionary or two. For TED-Ed community member Nuria Carballal, Oxford Dictionary works well. Meanwhile, TED-Ed community member Chie Sipin Bjarenas recommends Dictionary.com. “It’s a quick way to answer ‘what does [insert unfamiliar word] mean?’” she says.

For collaborating on school projects

Slack
Whether you’re collaborating with other teachers or assigning group project work to students, this app can make communication easier for teams in a variety of settings. “I’ve experimented quite a lot lately with Slack,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Dylan Ferniany. “It has the benefits of a Facebook group, plus wonderful integration with Google Docs and Google Hangouts.”

Google Apps for Education
If you see the acronym GAFE on any education blog, it probably refers to this suite of Google apps. Among teachers, Hangouts gets a thumbs up for video-based conversations. Here’s one example of how that can work well in the classroom, from TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jimmy Juliano: “In an AP Environment class at my high school, students used Google Hangouts on Air to have climate change conversations with friends and family members. Harnessing the power of two-way video has really opened up new pathways to learning opportunities.”

Schoology
This cloud-based platform is “similar to Facebook, only it includes the needed security features for school use,” says TED-Ed community member Jessica Dawn Kaiser. “I use Schoology for a class page, so my students and I can post assignments, videos, completed work and links.”

Mindmeister
This app makes it easy to map out the relationships between ideas. For complex group projects, it can also provide a way to quickly visualize and create a project outline, together.

Wikispaces
Sometimes what you really want is a wiki. For those moments, teachers recommend this app.

For communicating with students (and their families)

Remind
This digital communication tool is in a league of its own, according to TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer L. Scheffer. “The privacy (no personal phone numbers are required) and message scheduling features are top-notch. For a high school teacher, Remind is an essential digital tool, since most teens have cell phones with texting capabilities.” Read Jenn’s full review here.

Edublogs
A WordPress blogging platform designed with teachers in mind. “I love my Edublog app for a.m. documentation and communication,” says TED-Ed community member Louise Sciulli MacKinnon. “It’s user friendly and makes uploading and sharing images simple.”

ClassDojo
This option provides multiple ways to engage students and their families. “I love it as a classroom management tool and motivator,” says TED-Ed community member Heidi Cooley, who built a reward system for her students based on points earned in class.

For giving (and receiving) student feedback

Edmodo
For providing clear feedback, many teachers like this learning management system. “The app makes it possible to give students constructive feedback in a 1:1 manner,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer Hesseltine. It’s also easy for students to respond.

Socrative
This learning assessment tool simplifies grading and reports. One recommendation: try out the quiz feature to enhance student understanding of classroom content, says TED-Ed community member Noor Alhoda.

Moodle
This open-source learning management platform “has a questionnaire option that I really like,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Mitzi Stover. “I have students complete this anonymously to give me feedback on my online class.”

Google Forms
Many teachers recommend this app for gathering feedback from students. “It’s a great way to receive feedback from the whole class at the end of a semester,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Sharon Hadar.

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