16 June 2023
Clifton College has introduced virtual reality technology to its educational offerings and the response from the school’s boys has been emphatic. “They love it,” Justin Bennett, Clifton’s Educational Technology Integrator, told Pinnacle Schools recently.
Virtual reality, or VR as it is commonly termed, is a big hit with the boys and it has made learning fun, and when learning is fun it doesn’t feel like work.
“Gamification is the correct tech term for it,” Bennett explained.
Wikipedia explains the term: Gamification is the strategic attempt to enhance systems, services, organisations, and activities by creating similar experiences to those experienced when playing games in order to motivate and engage users. This is generally accomplished through the application of game-design elements and game principles (dynamics and mechanics) in non-game contexts.
If it sounds gimmicky to some, be reassured, it is not. On my recent visit to Clifton, within the space of less than an hour, I looked down on Rio de Janeiro from Christ the Redeemer, viewing it when the sun rose and seeing its sparkling lights at midnight. I visited a favela. Then, I visited Europe and took a boat on the waters of the Venetian Lagoon.
I also examined the human heart close-up, in 3D, from all angles, watching as it beat. I examined the workings of a bicep, extracted a tooth and learnt which tooth it is, and what its purpose is. I viewed the human anatomy, able to focus in on any part of it, watch it in action, and to be provided with more information about it, if I sought further knowledge.
Absolutely, unequivocally, fascinating
A new world had unfolded in front of me. It was a little disorienting at times, but absolutely, unequivocally, fascinating. It took no imagining to understand why the boys had taken to it with such enthusiasm. The VR sold itself in no time at all.
Bennett said Clifton has opted to use the VR technology in a collective manner: “When we do a VR experience, we’ve gone with the concept of a shared immersed experience. One or two boys have headsets, and they share the experience.”
Inside the Knowles Creative Learning and Innovation Centre, most of the boys will be housed in a flexible (multi-purpose, easily adjustable) classroom, while the boys who will use the VR headsets are in the high-performance lab. Communication, utlising technology, flows between them. More on that shortly…
There are three computer stations inside the lab, which have been set up with Windows. “In time, we’ll look at getting Mac devices, for editing and programming, for developing apps,” Bennett said.
“We’ve gone for the HTC Vive Pro 2,” he added, picking up the headset. “The reason we’ve gone for this unit is because of the backing behind it, in terms of the immersive experiences that are available. There are a lot of educational developers who put their content and experiences on the platform.”
A VR lesson
So, how would VR technology enhance a lesson? Bennett gave an example from geography: “We’ve done relief rainfall.
“We set waypoints, for example, in the Drakensberg. We set waypoints in the Free State, in the flat lands. Then, you go to those areas, with the boys.
“I am physically here, helping them navigate through the VR experience. The teacher is in the innovation space, to which we stream this feed.
“The teacher and the boys communicate with each other via Zoom or Discord. The VR Headset has a microphone in the headset, and they’ve got a microphone and speakers on that side [in the flexible classroom]. The teachers can ask questions about the area, what sort of rainfall would be there and why?”
“There is a lot of interest in how they can use it.”
Bennett shared another example, this time from history: “We’ve got the Palace of Versaille. The boys are interested in going there. We’ve got the full-on experience, with the gold, statues and all those kinds of things.”
Those interested in art could visit The Louvre, he added.
Vive Port experiences
“We have access to all the experiences that are currently available. We use a platform called Vive Port. There’s a ton of experiences on there, including games, but our focus is education.
“You are able to outright purchase experiences, but we use a subscription. It’s really affordable. It’s $8.99 per month for all of the available experiences.”
The VR technology has revealed another use that he hadn’t previously considered, Bennett said: “The other unintended use has been by our gym high-performance coach, Ollie Cash. I brought him in here and said he could also help guys who need to do rehab, torn muscles, that sort of thing.
“I put him in the headset, and I showed him the anatomy. Now he can bring a boy in, show him the muscle that is torn, and how it works.” Understanding which muscle has been injured and how it should be utilised can, thus, ensure that rehab is handled correctly.
Adding something of value
Discussing the decision to introduce VR technology to the classroom, Bennett said: “There has been a lot of hype about it, and it has always been on my radar to get something of value that is going to add to our offering.”
“There has been massive backing by the Board and massive backing by the Senior Management Team, who want us to drive this space, so that it is a differentiator.”
In KZN, Clifton has worked hard to be at the forefront of innovation. One thinks of its offering of music from grade 00 to grade 12, including in the Preparatory School as a compulsory subject. Another example would be its offering of broadcast journalism, which allows the boys the opportunity to with green screen technology. Inside the flexible classroom, a broadcast desk, as used in the studios of radio stations, was visible.
Now, VR technology is helping the school to enhance its educational options.
Clifton has fun with technology on National Innovation Day | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
Music at Clifton hits all the right notes | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
“It is about us being better than last year”
“I think we are doing a good job,” Bennett said. “It is about us being better than we were last year. It’s not that we’re better than some other school, or they’re better than us. It’s about, are we better than we were last year? Are we doing more? Are we offering our boys more opportunities?
It’s about exploring an ever-increasing number of options, he continued. “The goal is for our students to be able to release apps on the Play Store, and on the iStore. That’s where we want to go with this space, in particular,” he said, indicating the High-Performance Lab.
“The guys are learning coding, and to extend themselves they need machines that are powerful enough to be able compile and generate these apps.
“We have joined the Apple Development Programme. We have our school app on the iStore, which is mainly a communication platform for our community.
“Even if it is for the boys developing a game, those touchscreen games that the boys all love. We can start from there and who knows what will happen next.”
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