Yesterday VRFocus reported on internet search giant Google announcing its Expeditions app for students, would now be openly available for free, at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Denver, Colorado. Now Samsung has weighted in on the subject of VR in education with new survey results released at the event.
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. carried out a nationwide study of more than 1,000 U.S. K-12 teachers, only two percent of teachers have used virtual reality (VR) in the classroom, but 60 percent are interested in making it part of the learning experience
According to the survey, science (82 percent), social studies (81 percent) and history (81 percent) are the top three subjects teachers think can most benefit from VR. 86 percent of teachers surveyed feel it is a challenge to keep students engaged in curriculum, while 93 percent of teachers suggested their students would be excited to use VR, with 83 percent saying that VR might help improve learning outcomes
“As we saw with Chromebooks, tablets, digital curriculum and game-based learning, emerging technologies can have a profound impact on student success and virtual reality has the potential do the same and more,” said Ted Brodheim, vice president of Vertical Business at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung is committed to empowering students and teachers through technology, and we’re excited to work with educators to create new learning opportunities with virtual reality.”
Other stats the survey found were:
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of teachers say they want to use VR to supplement course curriculum to help students better understand course concepts, like watching a book’s video trailer for a literature lesson or viewing a chemical reaction for a science lesson.
7 out of 10 teachers (72 percent) want to simulate experiences relevant to course content, like flying as the Wright Brothers did in 1903 or trading stocks on the floor of a stock exchange.
69 percent say they would use VR to travel to distant world landmarks, like Stonehenge or Machu Picchu.
68 percent want to use VR to explore otherwise inaccessible locations, like outer space or the interior of a volcano.
42 percent of high school teachers (grades 9-12) would like to use VR to tour college campuses to encourage students to pursue higher education.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Samsung, reporting back with any further announcements.
