Schools in China are studying how they can put VR(=virtual reality 虚拟现实) lessons into their classroom experience. One such lesson uses VR to teach children fire safety. Instead of pens and paper, students wear VR headsets in the classroom. They are put into a virtual environment where a fire has broken out. They must find their way out and escape carefully.
At the VR medical school under Sichuan University, a virtual system allows medical students to examine human body in different ways. They can even separate organs for closer examination. Students can practice their operation skills without a real body.
Simon Leung, vice-chairman of a VR company, said the company has developed VR classrooms and computers that send students to a 360 degree digital world. Moreover, the VR headsets can tell whether children are focused on the task at hand, Leung said.
Chinese parents, however, have a different opinion on VR lessons. They aresuspicious of VR because they are unsure if the technology will have any bad effects. They are worried about their children's eye sight, too.
Besides, VR equipment comes at a price. A top VR headset and computer could cost up to 10,000 yuan(1,475 U. S. dollars). "We need to do more to lower the cost and improve the user's experience," said Huang Ronghuai, professor at the Smart Learning Institute under Beijing Normal University, "But we are sure that we will change the model of education in the future."
