From Virtual Reality Consumers to Producers

Purpose & objective

Virtual Reality (VR) is the most important emerging-technology in education today. It is imperative that as educators we do not let VR become another passive form of “edu-tainment.” The technology for students to become active producers of content rather than passive consumers is already available and free on desktops and Chromebooks alike. Using VR my students have created their own portfolios and VR museums of historical time periods such as ancient Kush, Mohenjo Daro, Mesoamerica, Egypt, and Rome among others. Students have also created VR experiences for math, science, and an after school enrichment club. Through the creation of VR students are not only learning the subject matter but also practicing higher levels of thinking as they navigate between three different website and software packages to publish their creations.

Purpose Objectives:
-Participants will create a sample lesson workflow for creating virtual reality.
-Participants will be able to implement a VR lesson with students at all-levels.
-Participants will create 3D models with 3DTin.com (an online 3D modeling program).
-Participants will create 3D scans with Skanect and Trnio (3D scanning software).
-Participants will publish to SketchFab.com (an online 3D model portfolio).
-Participants will document their learning using Screencastify (screencasting software available free).

Evidence of success will be whether or not every participant was able to create an artifact for our own VR museum at #ISTE18. Evidence of success will be teacher-made tutorials and lesson outlines.

Outline

(1 hour) Begin to review the scaffolded writing unit and lessons designed around the creation of VR including:
1. Lessons plans, design, and delivery.
2. Class populations and differentiated pedagogy for equitable teaching.
3. Incorporating guided reading with NewsELA for background information on VR.
4. Writing an informational essay on the unit as a capstone project. 5. Tutorials created by students using Screencastify.
6. Reviewing the cross-curricular examples of student work in history, ELA, math, science, and STEAM

(1 Hour) A full immersion into TinkerCad.com for creating 3D models and uploading to SketchFab. Every member in the audience will begin to create 3D models. I will teach using explicit direct instruction but there are tutorials I created available for advanced learners to move at their own pace. This segment will include:
1. Best practices for teaching 3DTin.com
2. Failure and success stories teaching 3DTin.com
3. Scaffolding and differentiating instruction for students at different levels.
4. Exporting 3D models.

(1 Hour) Designing a student centered technology rollout of the VR experience with SketchFab.com. Teachers will work in stations that culminate in a gallery walk of 3D models, 3D scans, SketchFab.com portfolios, and Google Cardboard viewers. This segment will include the following:
1. Importing and designing a scene.
2. Digital privacy and classroom accounts with SketchFab.com.
3. Where can I share the museum?
4. Creating an open house presentation with a VR museum.
5. Do’s and Don’ts when ordering Google Cardboard online.
6. Participants will post their 3D models to our online VR museum at #ISTE18

Supporting research

Morales, T. , Bang, E. , & Andre, T. (2013). A one-year case study: Understanding the rich potential of project-based learning in a virtual reality class for high school students. Journal of Science Education and Technology,22(5), 791-806.

Han, S., Capraro, R., Capraro, M. (2012) How science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) affects high, middle and low achievers differently: the impact of student factors on achievement. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 13(5), 1089-1113.

Psotka, J. (2014). Educational Games and Virtual Reality as Disruptive Technologies. Journal of Educational Technology & Society. 16(2) 69-80