Teaching and Learning with Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom in an International Perspective

With the aim of exploring future classroom environments and uncovering new possibilities for integrating digital media into primary and secondary education, teachers from the Gustav-Walle-Mittelschule in Würzburg and the Albiz Eskola in Bilbao visited the Media Education and Educational Technology Lab (MEET@JMU) at the Chair of School Pedagogy on June 6, 2024.

In a 90-minute workshop, Professor Grafe first introduced design possibilities and principles of teaching and learning spaces, including the MEET@JMU facility. In the following, Tina Heurich led through the DigiMePäd teaching and learning space, which is part of the Competence Center for Digital Teaching and Learning (DigiLLabs@JMU). The teachers then practically explored various media of the Extended Reality (XR) spectrum for use in school, guided by Tamara Baumann and Samuel Ruckdeschel (Chair of School Pedagogy). Participants used, e.g., Augmented Reality applications on tablets, immersed into Virtual Reality by using cardboards and smartphones, and explored the virtual classroom ViLeArn by Reality Stack. All applications prioritized cultural learning and language learning as a topic.

The visit concluded with a joint reflection on the possibilities and potential challenges associated with designing innovative teaching and learning spaces and using the respective technologies for school and education within the context of international collaboration.