New Releases - Virtual Reality Development Lab

The Virtual Reality Development Lab (VRDL) from Digital Tech Frontier (www.wecantakeyouthere.com) is an authoring tool that promises to revolutionize classroom learning. It consists of digital cameras, editing software and VR equipment that allow students to create VR environments which they can explore and collaborate on with other classmates. Students can explore ready-made virtual environments for places such as Machu Picchu and the Hoover Dam, or they can create their own custom environments. Working collectively, students must first import images from the provided software, or take photos with a fish-eye lens. Using the VRDL software, students then "stitch" the images of their environment together to create one six-faced cubic panorama. The resulting QuickTime VR movies are linked to create a virtual tour where "hot spots" can be added with media files and additional materials. The environments are completed with interactive maps and environmental sounds that students can add to enhance the setting. In order to present their work, students only need to post their environments on the Web so that they are accessible from any desktop, notebook or projector.

Featured

  • elementary school building with children outside, overlaid by a glowing data network and transparent graphs

    Toward a Holistic Approach to Data-Informed Decision-Making in Education

    With increasing access to data and powerful analytic tools, the temptation to reduce educational outcomes to mere numbers is strong. However, educational leadership demands a more holistic and thoughtful approach.

  • tutor and student working together at a laptop

    You've Paid for Tutoring. Here's How to Make Sure It Works.

    As districts and states nationwide invest in tutoring, it remains one of the best tools in our educational toolkit, yielding positive impacts on student learning at scale. But to maximize return on investment, both financially and academically, we must focus on improving implementation.

  • computer science classroom featuring a desktop setup with code on the screen, a large wall display with charts, and a labeled book on a clean desk

    McGraw Hill Expands CTE Offerings

    Education company McGraw Hill has announced a host of new career and technical education courses, designed to help learners gain professional, technical, and academic skills for workforce success.

  • young educators collaborate with AI tools on laptops and tablets

    Survey: Younger Educators More Likely to Embrace AI Tools

    While educators across the United States agree that AI has enhanced classroom engagement, enthusiasm for AI's benefits is strongest among young teachers, according to a recent survey from learning technology company D2L.