Educator discovers the world of Immersive Learning 

Introduction

Sandy Plain sure thought she had seen many changes in education in her fifteen years as a Teacher, but none of the innovations would change her perspective quite like Immersive Learning. Read on to hear about Sandy's experience - Educator discovers the world of Immersive Learning

2008 - Negative perceptions about Online Learning

In 2008, when I mentioned that I had completed part of my degree online, the reaction was full of skepticism or disapproval. Someone once said that learning online wasn’t “proper learning.” Even more, I got rejected from teaching jobs simply because my degree had an online component.

At the time, I could not understand the negative perception towards online learning, as I had personally experienced the benefits of online learning. For instance, compared to traditional classroom settings, I studied more diligently and became a more autonomous learner. I had to complete the tasks assigned and submit my work on an online platform which I could do at my own pace.

I also enjoyed the mandatory participation that allowed shy introverted students to share their experiences and thoughts through online discussions. Additionally, online education removed geographical barriers allowing me to collaborate with students from all over the United States including those stationed overseas or living as expats.

Introduction to Immersive Education

My positive experiences with online learning led me to become a proponent of online learning.  A fellow educator, Angela Magill, recently introduced me to"immersive virtual education” and described it as a more advanced and engaging form of online learning.

Learning online was impressive, but when I experienced immersive virtual education it truly had a WOW factor. It was remarkable how “real” the virtual scenes felt. I toured the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, a one-bedroom apartment, and a Monet museum. As I was exploring  I could imagine the kinds of activities a student could complete such as taking quizzes, identifying objects, completing fill-in-the-blanks, and listening to audio all in one room.

After experiencing immersive and virtual scenes, I compared them to my online learning experience and understood what my fellow educator meant.

Immersive education was a more advanced and engaging form of learning. How would students benefit from an immersive virtual classroom?

• Students would be engaged as they navigate and explore the scenes

• Students would be able to complete tasks and activities at their own pace giving them autonomy

• Students would be more confident in the subject as they problem-solve in immersive education

In conclusion

The way I learned online is a thing of the past. Online learning has come a long way from being frowned upon to immersive virtual scenes.  I would not be surprised if in a few years, most teachers will be using virtual classrooms to conduct class and lesson plan.

A special thanks to Virtway for allowing me to explore and navigate their immersive scenes. I look forward to working with them and creating a virtual classroom and immersive learning environments with their technology.

By Sandy Plain

You can check out Virtway here https://virtway.com