Schools Have Started Using VR As Exercise In PE Classes

Are the days of bean bags and overcrowded tennis courts gone for good? Exercise is going into virtual reality – with schools starting to use VR in PE classes.

The use of technology in the classroom has changed dramatically in the last 18 months. Video conferencing software, apps like Miro and homework sharing software have all become part of most kids education. We’ve seen games like Assassin’s Creed open up the ancient world for kids to explore. Mojang have developed a specific educational version of Minecraft for use in the classroom. There’s a great write up about the launch of Microsoft: Education Edition at BETT, a yearly educational tech conference, in the Guardian.

vr in the classroom

It makes sense that teachers are experimenting with other tech – like VR headsets and virtual reality. At the BETT conference you can expect to see demos of VR tech in the classroom. From exploring the cosmos to swimming along the Great Barrier Reef, VR headsets offer a glimpse of places many of us will never reach. For a little while, educators wondered if VR was a bit of a fad – but in this article in TES, a teacher argues that it stands the test of time. There’s even a TED talk about using VR in the classroom:

YouTube video

But now we’re seeing VR being used for something else – PE!

It’s a fun, innovative and socially-distanced way for kids to do PE. While the class here are using Oculus Rift headsets, there are more affordable options out there. Google Cardboard is a fun project to turn your phone into a VR headset – so kids can craft and decorate their own headsets from recycled cardboard. There’s a bunch of apps that you can download onto your phone to start your VR experience. But they are more centred on exploration rather than using VR for exercise.

All this tech brings us one step closer to us learning in pods like the Vulcan Learning Centre in Star Trek, so I’m down.

Credit: Paramount

What do you think of these VR PE lessons? Would you have liked more virtual reality in your classroom experiences? Let us know via our social media channels.

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Featured Image Credit: Oculus / @HarrisHillPE