Press Release
Virtual reality captivates the imagination and has the potential to bring new perspectives to classrooms. However, the cost and the logistics for educators to bring VR to classrooms has been for educators who are equipped with the tools and resources to use VR successfully.
Envisioning Virtual Reality: A toolkit for implementing VR in education is written to provide educators with clear pathways and strategies for incorporating virtual reality into their teaching. Envisioning Virtual Reality answers key questions such as “How do teachers use VR in the classroom? (chapter 1), “How can VR be used in low resource settings” (chapter 2) as well as how to set up a VR lab from selecting equipment to curating applications to supporting educators in doing the activities their classes (chapters 3-4). The book ends with a chapter written by students who are in a VR class, sharing their own experiences with VR first hand (chapter 5). Envisioning Virtual Reality combines the high level answers to questions about how to use VR with the practical questions about what equipment to buy, how to set up classrooms, and how to do the activities smoothly. This is a valuable resource for educators, administrators, and individuals interested in VR.
“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
“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
“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
Author info:
Meredith Thompson
Meredith Thompson draws upon her background in science education and outreach as a research scientist and lecturer for MIT’s Scheller Teacher Education Program. Her research interests are in collaborative learning, STEM educational games, and using virtual and simulated environments for learning STEM topics. Her projects have focused on collaborative learning, innovative learning designs leveraging technology, and teacher education. She has worked on curriculum development for Engineering is Elementary curriculum at the Museum of Science, the multi-user virtual environments EcoMUVE and the augmented reality EcoMOBILE project at Project Zero at Harvard University, and is currently the researcher for the Collaborative Learning Environments in Virtual Reality (CLEVR) Project at MIT.
Meredith is a Winchester resident, and has two children, Carter and Zak. In her spare time, Meredith writes and sings music with her twin sister Chris (www.cmthompson.com), writes poetry, and enjoys hiking in the Fells.
David Kaser
David is a 20-year teaching veteran, having spent his entire career with the Barberton City School District, a 2019 Ohio finalist for the PAEMST award and a finalist for the 2019 State of Ohio Teacher of the Year. He graduated from the University of Akron for both undergraduate and master’s degrees. David began his career teaching middle school mathematics and science. Over the years, his work with technology integration opened the door to teach computer applications. During this time, he began serving as a building technology coordinator, a position still held. He had the privilege to design, create, and implement both the middle school and high school’s STEM programs in Barberton. His honors include being selected as the ITIP State of Ohio Outstanding Technology-Using Teacher Award in 2018, recognized by ISTE as a Make It Happen educator, granted the Martha Holden Jennings’ Arthur S. Holden Teacher Award for Excellence in Science Education in 2012, and selected to the Summit County All-Star Teaching Team in 2014. Recently his work implementing virtual reality in education has opened doors to collaborate with fellow educators and is featured on the Google for Education Transformation Center webpage.
Kara Grijalva
I am an international development practitioner specializing in evidence-driven education programs in low-resource and conflict-affected communities, including managing ICT programs across Africa and Asia. I have an M.Ed in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and M.A in Development Management from SIT Graduate Institute.
The book is available at
About ETC Press
ETC Press is a publishing imprint with a twist. We publish books, but we’re also interested in the participatory future of content creation across multiple media. We are an academic, open source, multimedia, publishing imprint affiliated with the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and in partnership with Lulu.com.
ETC Press publications will focus on issues revolving around entertainment technologies as they are applied across a variety of fields. Authors publishing with ETC Press retain ownership of their intellectual property. ETC Press publishes a version of the text with author permission and ETC Press publications will be released under Creative Commons licenses. Every text is available for free download, and we price our titles as inexpensively as possible because we want people to have access to them. We’re most interested in the sharing and spreading of ideas.
