The education nonprofit Learning with the Five Senses is launching a two-year long action research study called the Global Classrooms Project, which will use virtual reality headsets to improve students’ cultural competencies. This will begin this September at several local schools in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“It is essential that educators gain the skills to serve the increasingly diverse population of students by changing the lens through which they view the world,” said executive director Elizabeth Porter in a press release. “In a survey conducted in early 2021 of 1500 teachers from Washington State, over 90% stated that they did not feel adequately trained in Culturally Responsive Teaching.”
The Global Classrooms team and Elizabeth Porter will develop curriculum and materials for the program. The Global Classrooms Project will use Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets.
The program will be implemented across multiple countries, following the nonprofit’s outreach. It was inspired by research done through Learning with the Five Senses, revealing that the American education system shows a disconnect between instruction and diverse, inclusive practices. They also found that only 16% of educators identified as BIPOC individuals, whereas 58% of students did.
“The idea behind the project is that educators have the power to bring the world and their experiences into the classroom,” Porter said in a press release.
The full press release is available here:
