Exploring New Realities: How Virtual Reality Enhances Learning

Step into Kathie Glick’s classroom at Richfield STEM Elementary, and you might find students wandering through ancient ruins, diving into volcanoes, or exploring complex math concepts—without ever leaving their seats. Mrs. Glick, the school’s STEM Specialist, is leading an exciting new pilot using ClassVR, a virtual reality platform designed for education.

Thanks to support from the IT Department and a district-owned set of VR headsets, Mrs. Glick is exploring how immersive technology can deepen learning and engagement for elementary students. The results so far have been promising and exciting.

“These aren’t gaming devices,” Mrs. Glick explains. “This is an educational tool that brings our lessons to life. There are VR experiences and models for all curriculum areas, though it seems especially strong in math, science, history, and social studies.”

Mrs. Glick chose to start the pilot with 3rd and 4th-grade students. “They have the maturity to understand that this isn’t just for fun—this is about learning. And because I’ll continue working with these students in the future, we can build on what we’ve started.”

Most students are encountering VR for the first time in her classroom, and their reactions say it all. The headsets spark curiosity, deepen focus, and make abstract concepts more tangible. “They’re excited, they ask more questions and they’re more engaged,” Mrs. Glick says.

Currently, the district has eight headsets—seven fully functional—and Mrs. Glick is running the program as a classroom station, monitoring VR use closely while other students work independently. “The technology can be temperamental. Sometimes things load perfectly, other times content gets dropped or a device needs to be reset. It’s not flawless, but it’s full of potential.”

Over the past few months, Mrs. Glick has invested time in learning how to operate the ClassVR platform, navigating the wide variety of content, and preparing to support other teachers in using it. “The idea is that I’d explore its usefulness in the classroom, and then help others get started. I even hope to use it again during summer school, especially in math and reading.”

With thoughtful guidance from Mrs. Glick and technical support from IT, Richfield Public Schools is taking a smart, scalable approach to introducing immersive technology in classrooms. And while it’s still early days, one thing is clear: virtual reality is helping students see the world—and their learning—in entirely new ways.