Two South African schools venture into VR

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are being introduced in select South African classrooms to provide students with immersive educational experiences that complement the curriculum.

Two Johannesburg schools, Reddam House Helderfontein and Reddam House Waterfall, are pioneering the use of VR technology to engage students in deeper learning. The schools are part of Inspired Schools Africa, whose CEO Ravi Nadasen said, “VR combined with the metaverse gives students access to activities previously out of reach.”

The headsets allow students to virtually visit locations like the Egyptian pyramids or inside a volcano that they couldn’t experience first-hand. The schools tested the technology after successes at Inspired Group locations in Portugal and Spain.

Reddam House Helderfontein’s head Graham Bennets aims to create customized South African VR environments like the Isandlwana battle site. For now, schools are using existing VR apps with plans to train teachers on designing localized content.

Over a two-year collaborative pilot, staff will hone VR integration and lesson planning with guidance from global counterparts. Students are using Meta’s Oculus Quest 2 headsets and controllers to interact within their virtual classrooms.

The technology promises more participatory, exciting educational experiences for South African learners.