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A presenter from Let's Talk Science was in with Google Cardboard VR Glasses.  After doing a presentation on careers she let the students explore different careers from YouTube 360 Careers.  The kids loved it and were really engaged.

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We just ordered a class set of Samsung VR headsets/phones at our college and I was able to try out a really neat app for public speaking. It allowed you to choose your venue (small talk, conference, etc) and then load your own slides if you wished. You would then practice your presentation. Once complete, it scores you on your speaking pace, eye contact, how many times you say "um" or use filler words,  and more. I think this would be such a great tool for students to get accustomed to public speaking and to 'rehearse' a presentation in a realistic way.

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I seem to have misplaced my original post….

I was really lucky to get the opportunity to try out a range of VR/AR products.  BCIT has just invested in quite a bit of gear, and we got to have a session to try it all out and see how it could fit with our classes.

Personally for myself I found a lot more comfort and value with the AR equipment.  We had the HoloLens.  I really liked and appreciated the ability to still know what is going on around me in real life (more on that later with VR).  I also like that it had a product that was ready to go for healthcare teaching; we got to work with the anatomy and physiology program and it was amazing to use.  It was really easy and quick to learn the swiping and pinching motions to manipulate the AR human body and really look at the structure and motion.  BCIT also teaches many different trades and have been creating AR for their automotive classes.  So I got to play and explore a car’s transmission and watch it work.  My understanding that the students who have used it in class felt it was a very valuable tool for their learning.

While the VR gear was amazing and exciting, it seemed a lot more complicated very disorienting.  They have the Vive system, which when we used it was still tethered to the computer so that the headset had quite a few cables attached.  It was also a very disorienting feeling that would take a while to get used to.  It may be that we were just in a regular classroom, but we ended up using spotters to make sure we didn’t walk into chairs, walls, or each other.  My thought is that using full on VR headset may be limited in the classroom as you would want a safe environment like a separate VR lab (with cushioned floors and walls J) Also neither of the two VR options had programs for the school of health sciences, we would need to create the program.

We also got to use something like (but not) Google cardboard.  Again immersive and disorienting; luckily safely sitting in a chair at the time.  Much easier to use, but nearly fell of the chair as I was chasing ants and a spider jumped out at me.  Even though it was cartoonish people still remark about how loudly I shrieked.  I play WoW and have heard that Blizzard is possibly coming out with a VR version of the game, I will likely need sedatives if I were to try playing with all the creatures, flying and falling of things my character goes through.

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I've never played a VR game but I have seen presentations by Samsung used as a marketing tool.

I've used Layar and play Pokemon go before. Both of which are a form of AR, which was an interesting experience to see how it brings item to 'life'. I would be interested in having more AR opportunities available for education, especially the Microsoft Hololens. The product is a great tool for health care professionals, as they can view the human body and collaborate on solutions to medical problems. Reducing the risk on real patients. Obviously the results may vary as complications do happen in real life, but the ability to test out theories before actual implementation can be a huge advantage for health care professionals.

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I have never used AR or VR in the classroom. I only wish I had more experience in this area. From what I've seen, the potential is great. I did use AR with my children though, with the product below. It was a lot of fun and really did feel like magic at first. Of course, this product has limitations and seems a bit gimicky after a while, but it really amazed them and sparked their imaginations for a short time. I am looking forward to seeing where this technology goes over the next few years.

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Magic Tattoos - The Magic Tattoos That Come to life! Buy a pack of fantasy or adventure tattoos then download the free app and watch them come alive! 16 Characters to collect! Available NOW!

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I've used VR (a variation of Google Cardboard) and enjoyed it, although it does cause motion sickness after a while.

I've also used AR at work: https://www.aurasma.com. Our manager recently used this app to create an AR orientation/tour of our facilities. Both developers and users can download the app for free, aim their mobile device's camera at certain areas in the hospital, and a video pops up explaining what they're looking at. It was engaging and certainly adds value in a way that obviates the in-person orientations for trainers.

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Hi, I have never played a computer game and in general avoid screens for my kids. I did not like VR in games at all, especially the parts where kids would actually shoot somebody or blow sth up. Everytime I see that in VR I am thinking: you want to blow sth up, go to Syria or Eastern Ukraine and see what it takes emotionally and psychologically to to something like that. But I really liked augmented reality, it looks useful in many, many ways (IKEA example: perfect!) I also got inspired with guided meditation vr, even checked on amazon but it is still too expensive. To sum up: I would be comfortable with AR but not VR in my daily life. In teaching: I have thought about it and I realized two things: first, with the world becoming a dangerous place it might be great to teach history and geography this way (we could still see Petra, for example...). But I would never use it in social science: one must go and emerge in the reality of the people studied. I would have never understood migration if, as a student, I hadn't been put to a refugee camp for two weeks, or to hadn't crossed border with hardly documented people. I can do policy now, but I know the smell and the atmosphere of a shelter in Calais. VR cannot do people, smells, emotions, atmosphere.

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As an English and Technology teacher I have had the opportunity to dabble into AR and VR over the past couple of years. Where I normally start with really depends on what is being taught and the age of the students.

For the most part, I like to start most students off with augmented content using augmented coloring pages since it tends to relate to most age levels along with it being a stress releaser and a creativity connector.  The main use of the coloring sheets in English class is to act as a story or writing prompt and with my younger students I have them name the characters on the page and then tell me what they think is going on in the page.  In certain situations I've had my students write out a description of the page or use tools such as Adobe Spark https://spark.adobe.com to record the student telling about their character.  Since QR codes redirect you to one location online, I would publish the Adobe Spark as a video clip to my classroom webpage and print QR codes to redirect parents to the digital augmented story.  In the video clip I would make sure I included pictures of the student interacting with their character.

With older students I have them develop a story around their page.  I also have them do a rewrite to include a classmate’s coloring page.  When doing this I usually make sure everyone in class has a different augmented coloring page.  To add a 3rd revision I would then have students include themselves in their story.  I would also then have them take selfies with their characters.  After students have finished their 3rd rewrite I would have them use digital tools such as SMORE https://www.smore.com/educators or Buncee https://www.edu.buncee.com to publish their digital stories.

My favorite augmented coloring app is Quiver (http://www.quivervision.com).  I love the variety of scenes and the interactivity with the pages. I can use these pages with all ages of learners and with all levels of abilities. What I love to do with the coloring pages is to add them to my students’ interactive notebooks.

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I haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing or working with AR/VR in schools as of yet!  I think that the technology is a generation away from being widespread and cheap enough to merit adoption in schools.  Right now, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive's hardware and physical space requirements are prohibitive for the average consumer, with early adopters and tech-enthusiasts championing the technology.  While Samsung VR and Google Cardboard are interesting and affordable alternatives, I haven't seen the technology utilized at its full potential for education.

For me, I think that VR/AR would be an amazing learning technology in the humanities, especially in history/social studies by portraying virtual or AR depictions of famous events or locations.  The London Museum recently (2015) created an app that superimposes historical photos of London using AR technology: http://etec522-augmented-virtual-reality.weebly.com/activity-1.html

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Hi team AR/VR. Great experience so far. I have not tried either AR or VR. VR somehow feels a little scary to me having grownup during the age of Total Recall. AR, on the other hand, seems like a balanced version that allows the user to stay grounded in the real world. I see AR capturing the sales/ edtech market, but VR will not stay in the entertainment market. The WOW factor of VR makes me want to try to learn how to do things that can be a little dangerous like rewiring my house, or learning how to base-jump. These experiences include the wow factor but also help an individual come to terms with the reality of an experience so that it can become less scary. In the classroom, I would add archeology to the list of activities in my class by digging  trenches in search of obsidian and or maybe the mask of Agamemnon if I was lucky.

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I have not used AR or VR, nor seen it used 'live'. Personally, I get the sense that AR will be a lot more revolutionary than VR is or will be. I can imagine a time, in the near future, where you wouldn't have to turn on your lights as the AR would show you the physical and virtual items in your home so that for you there is light, but in fact the room is dark. Everyone would be living in a personalized world that overlaps with everyone else, but is not contiguous. We used to wonder if what I saw as red was the same as what you saw as red, however, that question may become a very real and very tangible question as people overlay steampunk, fantasy, medieval, etc. skins onto their world, speak to ARmaginary friends and where the 'real' world is full of unreal things.

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Last year I start using the VR technology when I bought a VR goggles. At first I was shocked of how cheap it was. The price was not a stopper for me. the variety as well were there for all shoppers. So, I think we are going to see more and more of VR goggles around. My son and me we started playing with this goggle buying free apps like car driving and riding a roller coaster games etc. It was a great fun to both of us. My son -9 years old- said "I got over my biggest fear --heights). This is one of the things that I could not imagine or understand coming for a generation that grew up in the real world instead of the virtual world. But, I do encourage and cheer for this kind of technology in my classroom. Also last academic year, I was a mentor for grade 5 exhibition where one group start creating a VR app, where they can explore the school as a marketing tool, we needed to buy gloves and professional tools for them to accomplish the project. mean while I think the AR technology can be very important in schools when it comes to science classes, chemistry, even story telling and writing. It enhances the imagination of the kids that they sue need int eh country where I was teaching last year. In sum, price, availability and access ability to AR and VR are not factors for educators for not to have in schools. We need just get to it.
Ghassan

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I would like to try AR but have yet to get my hands on one. AR has demonstrated many potentials for the workplace but have yet to show that it everyone would need to carry an AR device. In just 15 short years we have gone from doubting why would anyone carry a phone with a screen to now the ubiquitous smartphone in everyone's pocket. AR/VR could be the the next major breakthrough in consumer devices. If that's the case smartphone days are numbered.

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I am not ashamed to admit that I tried out pokemon go last summer in the midst of all the hype. I had to give it a shot. That was good for about 2 days...it just wasn't my thing. That said, there are or will be more interesting (as far as content) AR applications out there that I'd love to get my hands on. In the classroom I think this could have great potential. I teach biology and to have a holographic dissectable human at our fingertips would be pretty incredible.

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I just had an interesting VR experience a couple weeks ago at the TEC expo at UBC. They had a VR set up as if you were walking on a plank between two high rises! But really you were just walking on a board that was on the floor! It totally seemed like you were actually walking that high up! It was so scary thinking I was going to fall.

I think there are lots of applications for VR - especially with things like Google Expeditions. I mean, how cool is it to take your class on a virtual field trip to the Grand Canyon or Machu Picchu?

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I have yet to experience any AR or VR first-hand. I have seen others using the technologies in a variety of situations and applications though, and I believe I have a fairly strong understanding of each technology respectively. I would definitely like to try AR and VR, if given the opportunity. I particularly would enjoy the opportunity to try VR in one of the training environments mentioned, like in the medical field, or military, or in a skilled trade, because I think it would be very interesting to be able to access those experiences without having any of the risks associated

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I have to admit I have not been fortunate enough to look into AR and VR. I do recall however, walking through the pne and trying on VR goggles that made me feel like I was in space. Admittedly, I was amazed but also scared.  I was aware that I was at the PNE with people and booths around me and as I moved through the virtual world I was constantly ask if I was going to hit anything.  Because of this, I think I would enjoy an AR experience more as I can feel comfortable in my own environment while it is still being enhanced.

Something else that was coming to mind about the VR examples was gamers. As my young students talk about their gaming from the previous night, I feel as though they are participating in their own version on VR. Rather than using googles or aids, they are able to use their imagination to envision themselves in the game. I may be off track here though. Thoughts?

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I get massive vertigo, and when i tried to play a VR FPS game, I got super dizzy and had to take it off after less than a minute. I think the perception of movement when my body knew that it was not really threw my brain for a loop. I guess it either takes some getting used to, or it really is not for everyone!

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Yes! I tried the NBA Samsung VR exp and it was amazing. Honestly, it actually was an experience that profoundly inspired me. I wouldn't mind working out the mechanics and even studying it. I mean, I felt like LeBron James was actually infront of me. And then annoyingly Steph Currey. I was in San Fran, I was there. It was amazing. Funny enough, it was a hot day and I got so excited seeing the NBA game, that I began moving around and sweating--I never realized it until the next person who wanted to use it commented on how they needed to dry it up.

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The only type of VR that I have had a chance to use was for a few minutes of concert footage and of olympic events (it was through the CBC app last year). The experience was interesting, for a few minutes, but got tiring after a while. I think the key factor for engagement between AR and VR platforms is for the user to be an active participant. The mainstream VR technology that I want to have (and would pay good money for) is the NBA VR experience that Ali has described. However, VR is only openly available through Samsung or Google Devices (none of which I have).

In an educational setting, I could see AR really taking off, much like the Vuzix glasses, where items are overlaid on an environment (I'm thinking Math problems, science models, writing analysis).

The one example of the meditation and relaxing VR reminded me of the short story "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, and the issues around VR technology (was written in the 1950s I believe). His predictions seem to be coming true!

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I forgot to say this. One thing that surprised me was the fear aspect: I mean, I actually felt this need to move when an NBA player was walking my way. I can only imagine how scary a Game of Thrones white walker VR experience would, or could, be.