Augmented and Virtual Realities App Review

nearpod VR App review

nearpod is an app that is designed for educationally purposes. I discovered this app in 2014 when I was teaching an IPad pilot program to high school chemistry students. I was amazed by the ability to embed quizzes, polls, free response, and free writing questions while I was in control of their screens. I could get immediate feedback from my students. Students were engaged in learning and liked using this app. nearpod has an added feature that I haven’t used, nearpod VR. This app works on any device (iPads, Chromebooks, Macs or PCs) and allows the learners to experience places that they may never get to visit. For example, in chemistry I might have a discussion of Bohr’s spectra lines and electrons. To help the students further understand this concept they could experience a ready-to-teach VR lesson on fireworks or I could create my own VR experience to embed into this lesson. To create a basic lesson is free and can have 30 users. This feature allows teachers to experience the app without a huge commitment. I used the free version of the app and used my lesson to show the district the potential of this app before they purchased a site license. This VR feature of this app does cost the school district money, but it is well worth the fee. Students don’t need any separate devices but can buy a headset to enhance the experience. This is a good VR app that can use multi-sensory experiences to enhance learning. Students can immerse in virtual fieldtrips to experience and construct their knowledge. Here is a link to get more information about this app https://nearpod.com/nearpod-vr

Discovery VR app

Discovery has been telling amazing stories for years. Children growing up the past 20 years, have heard of its name and see it as a respected source of information. Discovery VR is an app that can be used and adapted in education to enhance a student learning experience. Teachers are able to embed Discovery VR learning experiences to their online classrooms to further engage children. For example, in physics the teacher may be teaching about different forms of energy and could use the rollercoaster VR from Discovery to enhance the learning and have the students experience the thrill of a roller coaster without the cost of a field trip. Teachers could add questions that the students have to answer while watching and experiencing the rollercoaster. This could lead to an extension activity where students build models of rollercoasters. The app is free to download on any device and would help build knowledge in an educational setting. I highly encourage teachers to use this app to enhance and help students grasp a deeper understanding of the concepts that are being taught in your classroom.