GEOGRAPHY: Comparing Australia (Student Age 14-15)
“Prior to viewing the Australia VR, students labelled a map of Australia and analyzed climographs of various cities in Australia. We wanted to explore and experience Australia in as much detail and depth as possible.
The idea behind using ClassVR is to bring a multi-sensory, tangible experience to students’ learning.”
Bryan Mortenson
Age 14 -15 High School Teacher
PRACTICAL SESSION
The lesson was organized into stations and students rotated through a ten-minute cycle using the ClassVR headsets. The other stations included map reading, colonial history of Australia, indigenous people. climate zones, and population distribution. The ClassVR station directly supplemented the other learning the students were doing, creating a holistic approach to the lesson.
During the use of the headsets, I asked various questions to encourage the students to analyze the landscapes and locations they were viewing. The students, in turn, asked their own questions about Australia, its geographical and human history, as well as sharing their thoughts on modern day Australia.
IMPACT ON LEARNING
In the days after the ClassVR experience, the students referenced to the images as we applied other geographic concepts to Australia. For example, when students discussed the population distribution of Australia they were able to give specific examples from the ClassVR session to justify their response.
