I’ve kind of informally traced the rise of virtual reality (VR) throughout the years*, and I love that it and augmented reality (AR) are becoming more and more popular because of the value they hold for so many fields, including English Language Arts. Just like we should incorporate more visuals into our classrooms — for the purposes of differentiation and variety, in addition to the fact that visual texts are just like print in that they can and should be examined, interpreted, and evaluated — we can and should incorporate new technologies like AR and VR that allow for the same sort of intellectual practices that visual texts afford.

I love the idea of using visual images to inspire students’ writing — whether it is wholly creative, more of an interpretive analysis, or something completely different — and using AR and VR can foster these sorts of activities, too. The question, then, is “Well, how can I get access to AR or VR in my classroom, for my students?” Many people imagine that VR is comprised of expensive equipment and software, so it’s not readily available to the eager public —

Actually, innovations like the Google Cardboard and associated apps like Google Expeditions make it easy to get and use AR in the classroom or anywhere else**. You can easily buy a Google Cardboard device for $15, and it is easy to assemble when you receive it in the mail. Of course, $15/student is quite a lot if a teacher is paying out of pocket, but I would love if schools could fund a class set for an English department, for example, in order to provide this great opportunity for students. With Google Cardboard and Expeditions (an app that you use in conjunction with the actual cardboard device), students can explore so many different locales and gain new perspectives that they would not be able to get by simply attending class that day, or even looking at pictures. Google Cardboard + Expeditions allows students to feel like they are in the place they (or the teacher) choose because they can look around and learn about the place without actually having to travel there. These “virtual field trips” are great ways to engage students in exploring a place they are interested or a place described in a text or used to enhance a text. Students can write about what they learned or discovered using the new AR technology, or the can even engage in place-based writing activities that bring out students’ creativity.

Honestly, I think the sky’s the limit in terms of the opportunities that Google Cardboard + Expeditions can provi— well, actually these opportunities are limited based on which programs or expeditions have been created for the app (as well as the technological limits of the Google Cardboard — like I said, not “true” VR because it only appears to one sense, really). Students can explore so many places — and I love that — but certainly not everywhere, especially places that may be associated with classic literary works. Students can explore Salem, Massachusetts, for example, in conjunction with reading The Crucible or The Globe Theater in conjunction with reading any of Shakespeare’s plays, but they can’t explore Middle-Earth or Narnia, or even some real settings of other canonical texts. As such, this is a limitation if a teacher wants to use the Google Cardboard in association with a text — but I would love to hear ideas about how this hurdle might be overcome.

Because of this, place-based writing speaks to me most when it comes to using Google Cardboard and other AR/VR apparatuses in the classroom. That being said, I would love to hear other ideas with how to use it! Like I said, there are so many possibilities; I certainly can’t fathom them all. What are your great ideas about using Google Cardboard with your students?

*Well, my husband has more so than I, and he is my biggest source of information when it comes to new and cool technologies.

**I say AR, because technically Google Cardboard isn’t “true” VR.