Behind the Goggles
Since the 1950s, virtual reality (VR) has been on the edge of educational technology without entering the mainstream. The most common use of this emergent technology has been gaming and entertainment and high-end consumer products. My experiences in China though suggest the world is changing. Recently, I have begun incorporating more VR into my classroom to introduce abstract scientific concepts like the atom. I have discovered that VR can be a useful tool, allowing students to visualise complicated ideas in new ways. The potential returns in education are immense, and I believe one of the countries embracing this technology and moving it into the mainstream is China. China’s growing and affluent middle class have already embraced mobile technology and are well on the way to welcoming the VR revolution, creating exciting new opportunities in education. VR has gone from being merely a gimmick for the entertainment industry to providing educators and learners with a way to prov