The (Virtual) Reality of Math!
May 23, 2022
Mr. Williams’ Algebra 1 and Geometry classes got to experiment with Oculus Rift VR Headsets’ at the beginning of the fourth quarter to help students learn complex math concepts.
Oculus is a Virtual Reality company that is owned by Meta-Facebook and the apps used in class, Prisms Algebra and Prisms Geometry, were created by a company called Prisms. While a goal of his was to teach complex math concepts to his students more effectively, Mr. Williams also had another goal in mind. “The purpose is to increase student interest in math,” he says. Shelby McGee, a student in Mr. Williams’ Algebra class, enjoyed using the headsets in class. “I prefer using the VR headsets over notes because using the headset makes class much more interesting than taking boring notes,” she says.
Mr. Williams also had fun using the headsets in class. “I really enjoyed watching students getting the opportunity to play around with VR and learn some math in the process,” he says. He intends to use VR learning again in the upcoming school year, which may be a popular decision among his students. “I would use VR to learn math any day, I found it entertaining and it makes it easier to learn,” says Shelby. Prisms is looking to expand the technology to other subjects, such as biology and history. “I definitely see the potential of VR. I still think the technology needs to develop a little more,¨ Mr. Williams says.
