I’ve heard a lot about a certain technology called the “Oculus Rift”, which is (supposedly) a headset that creates a virtual reality. It reminds me of some kind of bulky helmet, and seems very front-heavy.
Here is a picture of the Oculus Rift prototype.
When I first heard of the Oculus Rift, I wondered many things. How would this work for people who need glasses? Or people who have motion sickness? Wouldn’t this give users a massive headache? The company has come very far in the past eighteen months. To sum things up in a very fast and crude way, I will outline some facts about the program that stuck with me the most. Oculus Rift is the first ever successful company built upon a kickstarter campaign. Facebook recently purchased the Oculus Rift company for an impressive 2 billion dollars, so the company has done very well for itself. To read more about the Oculus Rift, you could visit Nathaniel Mott’s article about Facebook’s recent purchase.
Though, if we were to think about if VR technology develops into a widespread phenomena, there are even MORE questions that could be raised. As a pre-service teacher, I have to wonder what technologies will be in classrooms in the next ten years?
What if something like the Oculus Rift becomes available for classroom use?
Its kind of an exciting thought, and I don’t know quite what to make of it. However, I’d love to hear what other teachers have to say on the matter! What do you think classrooms would become if VR technology was introduced?
Shelby Schulze 