One area of education that has undergone perhaps the largest explosion of relevance and intrigue over the last couple of years is virtual reality. We know that some educators and parents hear the mention of using VR in the classroom and instinctively cringe, having seen VR portrayed as a gaming medium or as a way to escape the real world. In ‘reality,’ VR is much more than that. It offers students up-close views of just about anything they can imagine. It helps them conceptualize discussion topics from their classes much more vividly. And, it can even be used to create content like with Merge, which just so happens to be the focus of this week’s Rising Resources post!
Both virtual and augmented reality are becoming such huge parts of the tech world and even creeping into our everyday lives. Like with many technologies that emerge, creative minds are going to look for a way to use them in the classroom while enhancing the 21st century learning experience for today’s students. MERGE has created their own set of tools that function as both AR and VR devices, helping teachers create the kind of learning that’s ideal for today’s students—experiential learning. Their model is based more on content creation rather than content consumption, showing a fine example of harnessing virtual technology for good and ensuring students’ brains are always working towards the next creative solution.
Their different systems are designed to captivate students in many different grade levels and to accommodate educators in all different locations. It’s been used in schools, libraries, colleges, and even in museums! Plus, MERGE has also been used a bit in industries, like healthcare, to offer professionals the chance to explore new angles and see new things that can help them do their jobs better. The MERGE experience is comprised of four total components: The headset, the cube, the miniverse app, and the EDU platform. So you can understand more of what each of these is able to do, we’re going to explore them one by one.
The headset slips easily onto kids’ faces and can be adjusted with the included headstrap. While wearing it, students can experience a 96-degree field of vision and have the option of controlling inputs with left and right input buttons. The headset is water resistant, shock resistant, and comes with a 1-year limited warranty. It’s compatible with both iOS and Android devices, which can be slid into the viewer as long as they are between 123 and 158 millimeters in size. While wearing the headset, students can experience hundreds of different learning experiences and even activate the optional AR mode to use with the cube and its apps. For teachers, it helps bring content to life and they can also set it up so kids can learn at home!
The MERGE Cube is a simple object that lets kids interact with augmented reality. It is essentially a 3D cardboard cube that is AR ready. Using a compatible mobile app, students can hold the MERGE Cube out in front of it and watch as the content on the screen is brought to life! Not only can students use the MERGE Cube to have fun and learn about AR technology while playing games, they can also take part in educational challenges that boost their abilities naturally!
The MERGE Miniverse app is how students experience the content made possible with MERGE VR. They can simply download it onto their device, open it up, and start learning virtually. With a compatible smartphone, they can open the app and slide the phone into the viewer so that they’re able to see all of the content within the headset. Or, they can use the app in conjunction with the cube and bring AR to life right on the screen! They can explore educational content, play games, listen to music, and try all kinds of cool experiences in this fascinating, new medium.
Finally, the EDU platform offers a single way for students to experience both AR and VR within their learning. It supports the viewing of AR objects and allows students to import 3D models or scan real items to later view as virtual objects! They can also take part in VR experiences that help them understand content on a deeper level and complement the topics they discuss in class. Finally, for teachers, the EDU platform offers lesson content, STEAM tips, activity plans, and inspiration for coding and creating!
MERGE offers educators various subscription options to use in one classroom, schoolwide, or district wide. Plus, as you can see just from looking at their website, it looks incredibly cool! To learn more about MERGE and how to use it with both VR and AR, click over to their site. And, to learn more about virtual reality in general, visit our store to see our selection of systems. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram as well to keep up with all of the latest innovations from the EdTech world!