Implementing the GO school wide.
I quickly discovered I needed a classroom set of 30 for the Oculus Go to be an effective teaching and learning tool. I wrote a grant to the Oxford School District Foundation (OSDF) in the spring of 2019 for $6000 to purchase 27 headsets and carrying cases. I went with the 32 GB model because it cost less, and storage was not an issue like I originally thought. (To learn more about OSDF, please visit https://www.oxfordsd.org/Page/165). I was awarded the funding and implemented the project in the fall of 2019. My pilot program had created so much interest, I had teachers lining up to let me experiment with their classes. I did not want to wait on tech to set up the headsets, so I cheated for a few months and used the guest wi-fi to run my program. The old adage cheaters never win and winners never cheat rang true when tech got wind of this and changed the password to the wi-fi without telling me. Of course, I discovered it while 30 people sat staring at me in anticipation of taking a tour through the human body (The Body VR is one of the paid apps I have installed on the headsets and use with biology and sports medicine classes - https://thebodyvr.com/). As eager as I was to get started, going through the proper channels to run the program was an important step. Uncharged, I again waited for the tech department to connect me.
When I was finally able to GO again, I had to figure out how to manage 30 headsets. It was hard to instruct students on what to do when I could not see their screens. I have learned through torture by fire to cue each headset to the class playlist prior to the meeting rather than talking the students through finding it. It is not hard to do, but first time users are quickly frustrated when they cannot find the videos immediately. They are excited. I want to capitalize on that enthusiasm, so I have worked to make the user experience better. The wi-fi is also an ever present technical issue. With 1400 teachers and students on the wi-fi already, connecting 30 more devices is easier said than done. There are dead spots in the library where some headsets just will not connect. When 30 people try to jump on simultaneously, at least one headset refuses to connect or mysteriously keeps turning off. I have had few instances when all 30 will work at the same time, but the Go was not designed with educational settings in mind. I am pushing the limits of what it can do when 30 people gear up in the same room at the same time. It is also a challenge to keep the students watching only the playlist. Our digital natives adapt very quickly to the virtual environment. It is only when they scream at the clown that has jumped at them from behind the bushes, the adults know they are off task. Teachers have learned to tie the VR experience to a written assignment. Students are more likely to watch the required videos first before riding a roller coster or playing a game. Even with the spotty wi-fi and off task behavior the value of the experience is worth it.
In this video, students in Earth and Space Science explore the ocean.
In this video, the students are taking a tour of Paris in French class.