HoloLens

I’m a complete newbie to the VR and AR world, but I will share that I bought a set of VR goggles at the end of the school year last year with some of my library “tech” funds.  Sadly, I didn’t open the box until I started reading this week’s module.  A few downloaded apps later and I have now decided VR is pretty fun!  I know my students would enjoy using the goggles as well, but my only hiccup is figuring out the mobile device side of things.  I can offer my phone, but that creates a great fear that students may break or mess up my personal phone.  So, at this point I will most likely set the goggles back on the shelf until I am ready or willing to trust my older students. Another idea I have had is to simply set them up at a literacy night or open house for parents to use their cell phones with the goggles.  If I include directions and downloadable app suggestions, I think this would be fun for family engagement.  I also have a lot of work left to do in finding how to use the set of goggles I bought to enhance learning.

In one of our readings, it stated that “VR and AR are not gimmicks, and must be seen as valid additions to the toolkit that may be used by libraries to engage its audience,…” and I think this is a wonderful thought in today’s age of technology and resources (Massis, 2015).  With that thought, I am curious and want to learn how this technology would best benefit my students.  If I can figure out the set of goggles I purchased and also how I could regularly implement this technology, then I may be more inclined to possibly write a grant for something a bit pricier like the HoloLens in our module this week. 

HoloLens-wow!  I love the applications I saw in just the introductory video of the set.  The HoloLens is a mixed-reality device that allows users to see holograms as they investigate concepts and things within the universe through hologram technology.  It is a headset that allows a user to move through new learning without hassle or obstacles.  If students of any age could use this technology to learn how to change parts on a car, or investigate human body—the possibilities for hands-on learning seem endless!  It just seems like a wonderful way to learn and engage students. 

One of the features touted online is that the HoloLens2 offers “the most comfortable and immersive mixed reality experience available” and when I viewed the headset, I thought the design was a thousand times better than the set of VR goggles I purchased.  However, the HoloLens is also a hundred times more expensive than the pair I snagged!  Although expensive, it also seems to be a great tool to introduce users to concepts without wasting resources in some cases.  The set I purchased is front-heavy and bulky.  The HoloLens’ design is balanced.  This design is also “untethered” which allows all movement.  My pair is also, but I had to hold the strap to my head to walk around the library as I was trying out apps, so it wasn’t seamless as the HoloLens appears.  The HoloLens is approximately $3500 for the device, so I know I would need a grant in order to purchase something like this.  Another option would be to combine finances with other librarians in my small district and then share the technology.  Again, I have a lot more research to conduct before trying to implement this technology into my school library.

Check out this resource I found for the HoloLens in regards to application to the classroom.  Some of the ideas of using this device in the classroom include virtual field trips, storying in immersive formats (i.e. comic books), and game-based learning.  One of the tools which stood out to me was the virtual frog dissection.  This was a moment in high school where I felt as if I could throw up and I relied on my lab partner to pull us through.  If I had had virtual access, I think my stomach could have handled the process a bit easier.  Lots of great teaching ideas (more for high school)!

Overall, I’m impressed that there are devices out there and within reach that we could introduce our students to so many concepts!  This module has inspired me to do more research to determine possible benefits for my students and library!

Resources:

Massis, B. (2015). Using virtual and augmented reality in the library. New Library World, Vol. 116, 11-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/NLW-08-2015-0054