Virtual Reality (VR) is where the user enters a 3D simulation and has the ability to interact with it in either first or third person perspectives (Southgate, 2018). VR is achieved by having technology display a new reality through a display and speakers (often in a headset) which are controlled by movements and/or remote control picked up by input sensors. This allows students to experience learning in the reality of the subject matter.
This ability allows students to experiment with scale, perspective, ‘concepts before details’ and therefore allowing students to ‘feel’ data (Mikropoulos & Natsis, 2011). ‘Concepts before details’ is key in this learning process as patterns depicting relationships can be explored in real time. It is one thing to independently think about how a pencil would look from a 1% scale body, and another to watch the pencil grow larger as you progressively change your size. This type of experience allows students a visual scaffold for constructing understanding of the immediacy of intrinsic relationships.
Furthermore, from an educational standpoint, VR allows students to explore, role play and design virtual worlds relevant to their subject matter. The role play and design aspects of VR encourages students to creatively construct their own learning. CoSpaces is a VR browser based program which allows students to create, share and experience VR. This can be an educational tool to utilise the learning potential of VR as students can use it to demonstrate knowledge creatively, experiment with concepts and role play with their peers (Dede, 2009).
Limitations Of VR and CoSpaces:
The issue of cost comes up in every implementation of technology in classrooms. Whilst there is a need for a mobile device in most VR applications, the lower cost range of headsets are incredibly cheap with google selling headsets at less than $10 each. Because of this price point, VR is only realistically limited by the availability of mobile devices and in many schools could utilise students private possessions to circumvent this issue. The real issue of VR is the potential for motion sickness as head movements are not properly calibrated to the display (Shibata, 2018). Therefore in the classroom, clear instructions should be given if a student is to feel unwell as well as appropriate precautions to minimise class disruption such as a potential backup activity. CoSpaces in its creation capacity can potentially be extremely time consuming and therefore utilisation in the classroom should be after careful consideration.
References:
Dede, C. (2009). Immersive interfaces for engagement and learning. science, 323(5910), 66-69.
Mikropoulos, T. A., & Natsis, A. (2011). Educational virtual environments: A ten-year review of empirical research (1999–2009). Computers & Education, 56(3), 769-780.
Shibata, T. (2018). Virtual Reality in Education: How Schools Use VR in Classrooms. In Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (pp. 423-425). Springer, Cham.
Southgate, E. (2018). Immersive virtual reality, children and school education: A literature review for teachers. DICE Report Series Number 6. Newcastle: DICE Research. Retrieved from http://dice.newcastle.edu.au/DRS_6_2018.pdf
Technology in Education 
Personally, Virtual reality (VR) has always seemed like a futuristic piece of technology that was not achievable for the general public. Then I saw instances of where games have been developed and use VR to play, and now I have become aware of knowledge that can be learnt via VR technology. I like how you have stated the benefits and also the limitations of VR and how you have factored in the health and well being of the students. Indeed, CoSpaces seems it has great potential to be a useful technology used in school, due to its benefits including being able to inspire creativity within students.
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