A virtual reality classroom visited the College of the Canyon’s (COC) campus Thursday to give students and staff a chance to work with a 10 interactive computer screens.
The zSpace Mobile Classroom combines virtual reality (VR) with augmented reality (AR) to create lifelike images and immersive experiments.
“I like how interactive it is. It helps you learn,” COC student Charlene Holt said.  “I think that rather than just sitting in a lecture, something like this will wake up the whole classroom.”
Using a monitor, stylus and 3D glasses, zSpace offers an all-in-one computer with VR and AR and standards-based activities and lesson plans.
zSpace is meant to create “discovery though experimentation,” by encouraging students to learn, take risks, problem solve and experiment.
Through the education-based applications, students can dissect butterflies, experiment on the human heart or take apart atoms by manipulating elements on the screen.
“I liked looking in 3D and looking at the heart,” COC student Gina Avalos said. “It was really close.”
The apps also offer curriculum-based quizzes and allow teachers to track how their students are performing.
“There is an option where there is a teacher mode and you can see what you’re doing,” said Sondra Duenez, a student teacher with COC’s TEACH program.
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