Envisioning Virtual Reality in Education

Envisioning Virtual Reality in education

A VR Toolkit for Educators

Envisioning Virtual Reality is a toolkit for those interested in using VR in education. As the technology becomes more affordable, you may have interest in virtual reality (VR) as an educational tool. Therefore, you may wonder, how might I use VR in my classroom or school? How do I set up a VR lab? How do I integrate VR applications into my curriculum? Is VR feasible in low resource settings? If you are eager to join the growing group of educators who have begun to integrate virtual reality in their classrooms, this book is an excellent place to start. Dr. Meredith Thompson, David Kaser, and Kara Grijalva draw from their diverse backgrounds and experiences to offer insight on establishing and implementing VR programs in a wide range of educational settings.

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Where to order

ETC Press


Check out the podcast we just did, hosted by Craig Frehlich, here.


Merging VR and 3D Printing – Here are directions on how to take your VR creations and 3D print them. We have tested 4 apps and created simple to follow directions.


Quotes from some who have read “Envisioning Virtual Reality”

“This is an amazing book! The authors give practical advice on everything from setting up a VR lab to integrating VR into the curriculum. This is a phenomenal resource and something I sure wish I had when I started integrating VR! ”

– Joey Tanaka, EdTech and Robotics Specialist, Bertschi School


“This useful book provides advice and examples for how to make immersive learning practical and affordable in classrooms. Blending virtual and real-world experiences is a powerful way of preparing students for the future.”

– Chris Dede, Professor, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education


“Envisioning Virtual Reality provides a compelling, comprehensive look at how VR can be implemented effectively in classrooms. For any educator, technologist, or policymaker looking to become familiar with VR in education, Envisioning Virtual Reality is the perfect place to start.”

– Sean Strong, CEO & Founder, Grove Learning


Excerpts from “Envisioning Virtual Reality”

Earth through virtual reality headset

Introduction to VR in Education

These chapters contain specific examples highlighting various classroom models that utilize virtual reality with the goal of making this innovation feasible and sustainable in a wide range of settings.  We take time to discuss easily overlooked setup details that are vital to successful implementation, share ideas about how to curate classroom content, work with teachers, and maintain the technology once it’s purchased.  All of this is done to illustrate how VR might be used from low resource environments to classrooms blessed with a strong financial backing.

Student sets up a VR headset for education

Uncharted Waters

The market for virtual reality applications is growing at a rapid pace, and is expected to double in the next 5 years. As the cost of equipment falls and schools have greater access to technology, there is great interest in virtual reality as an educational tool. A small but growing group of educators have started to integrate virtual reality in their classrooms with promising results. We reached out to teachers and administrators who are currently using virtual reality in their classrooms to hear their perspectives and practical strategies for infusing this resource into their classrooms. Teachers have creative ideas for how to incorporate immersive education in current classrooms: how to select activities, how to set up the classroom, how to get support during the activity, and how to transport devices.

Oculus Rift headset

Student Voice

In Barberton, Ohio, I have a class of high school students focused on the educational application of virtual reality (VR). A key aspect of the class is testing apps for educational usefulness. In the following sections, we will take a closer look at the system we use to evaluate and rate VR applications and how they design lessons to be used in a traditional classroom. Here we have four goals: to describe the criteria, the research process, the benefits to the students, and the transformation of these ideas into lessons. I have found that giving students a voice in the direction we travel provides ownership in the class and fosters a sense of pride.



David Kaser technology implementation

Grove Learning Tested

My high school students installed, tested, and wrote a review of Grove Learning, an app to monitor Oculus Quest users in a multi-user setting.
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Grove Learning Tested
David Kaser

VR Equipment Hygiene

Part II - A solution for a more robust budget A while back we wrote and shared a solution for...
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VR Equipment Hygiene
age David Kaser

Is VR Built for Kids?

Is VR built for kids?
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Is VR Built for Kids?
David Kaser meredith thompson podcast

VR in K12 Podcast

Meredith Thompson and David Kaser discuss their experiences and views of VR in K12 education.
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VR in K12 Podcast
David Kaser meredith thompson

VR for the Holidays

Thinking of giving a virtual reality headset as a gift? Here are some things you should know. Some headsets are...
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VR for the Holidays
David Kaser

“Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes” in Education?

The title of this game seems like school would block it. KTANE is an exercise in effective communication.
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“Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes” in Education?
David Kaser

Flipped Classroom?

If you haven’t seen the idea of a flipped classroom presented before, let me try and briefly explain.  The idea...
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Flipped Classroom?
meredith thompson

Getting Beginners into VR

Working with some first time VR users can take planning. Here are some tips.
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Getting Beginners into VR
David Kaser meredith thompson student leadership

The Top 10 Reasons to Involve Students with your VR Implementation

Here are some great reasons to involve students in VR implementation.
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The Top 10 Reasons to Involve Students with your VR Implementation
David Kaser

Purchasing VR apps within school guidelines

Buying VR apps in education can be a challenge. Here is a method that works.
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Purchasing VR apps within school guidelines
David Kaser meredith thompson

Multiple users, hygiene, and VR facemasks

Hygiene is a VR issue with multiple users. Here's how to solve it.
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Multiple users, hygiene, and VR facemasks
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What is the future of XR and VR in education?

We take a look at using VR in education and what it might look like in different situations.

Low resource school room. Can edtech be used in this setting?

Using VR in low resource settings.

VR class researching educational VR apps. Envisioning Virtual Reality in education

And seeing what it looks like in high resource environments.


VR Toolkit for Education

Throughout this site, and in the book “Envisioning Virtual Reality: A toolkit for educators, you will find ideas and resources for to help use VR in education. Meredith Thompson, David Kaser, and Kara Grijalva bring a diverse background in education. They share their ideas hoping to help others interested in using virtual reality in education. The ideas are practical. Find ideas for beginners setting up VR in their schools for the first time. Read about things that work and don’t work. You will find lesson plans for VR designed by students. There are collections of articles and blog posts aimed at helping the decision making process. (Visit our blog on Medium too!)The world of VR in K12 education is rapidly changing. We hope you enjoy keeping up-to-date and maybe viewing things a little different than before.

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