Middle East Takes a Big Leap Into VR With 'Go To School' Program

Students at Nadeen School Bahrain immersed in VR lessons with Google Expeditions

Blog by Sahiba Sadana

The notion of immersive experiences and barrier-free learning is formed of numerous building blocks. Important parts of this notion are EdTech and the technologies supporting it. When Virtual Reality expeditions were launched in the Google I/O 2015, people anxiously waited to try their hands on the much awaited VR experiences. Since then, more and more studies have established the power of immersion in VR.

What is the real value of VR for education? Well, the answer revolves around the benefits of this groundbreaking technology. When one dons a headset, all physical connections to the real world are suspended and a student is immersed in an engaging 3D scene.

Virtual Reality field trips have kicked off a big growth wave. Leading this drive of EdTech in Middle East is a Virtual Reality trainer and Women of Wearables Ambassador for the region, Dr. Sana Farid. A pioneer ARVR strategist in MENA, Dr. Sana is working to fulfill her long-term vision, i.e. to nurture an inclusive society with high education standards.

Under her leadership, Middle East region is witnessing the 'Go-To School' Program, a pioneer program reinforcing the idea of 'one-on-one learning'. It is a tech awareness drive allowing the Middle East schools to experience demo Virtual Reality Expeditions with the Google-powered VRXOne. The demo sessions will teleport the students to interactive field trips. The engaging experience of these trips permits the students to leave the classroom periphery and learn through the tours of landmarks. Dr. Sana and her team are toiling relentlessly so that maximum students can reap exponential benefits from the engaging virtual experiences of VR.

Through her ongoing research and experience in EdTech, Sana understands the influence of reality technologies on student learning and pedagogical practices. The Go-To School program by her which kicked off in the last quarter of 2017 in Dubai has been acknowledged by all the participating schools. Teachers have reported visible signs of development in students, major improvement areas being 'knowledge retention' and 'student engagement'. This is feasible through 100% engagement and attention capture which is possible through the high immersion in Virtual Reality.

Elaborating about her belief in the technology Dr. Sana says "The world of VR is entertaining. We get that validation every day from students we meet in different schools. The amusement and excitement they show towards field trips make us more optimistic about VR. It can transmute a simple classroom into a fun-filled & productive classroom where every student thrives. The program is receiving great response from kids, and their teachers who see a notable improvement in their students' learning graph."

The Go To School Program is pronounced to be one of the foremost large-scale programs in the region for EdTech. The program spreads a clear message that the implementation of Virtual Reality in classroom is now possible and very much realistic.

Sahiba Sadana is a leading content editor specialized in academic writing and content marketing. As a lover of brevity, she’s driven to initiate progressive changes in ed-tech through her writings. A former academic counselor, Sahiba is a strong supporter of innovative technologies like Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality as notable tools to improve pedagogy and foster an inclusive environment. Also, a Sherlock Holmes fangirl and a serial chips eater. Follow her on LinkedIn.