FEATURE: SEND physical classroom.


Some STEM concepts are inherently hard to grasp because pupils cannot easily see or interact with them. VR helps make these abstract ideas tangible by allowing pupils to explore them first-hand. Rather than relying solely on diagrams or descriptions, pupils can use VR to step inside a cell, examine the structure of atoms, investigate electricity and energy systems, or use coding to create simulations and develop their own VR experiences.


This gives pupils a new way to explore and understand concepts that can otherwise be hard to visualise, and a stronger visual understanding of a subject can encourage a deeper connection.


Accessibility beyond the extraordinary Ultimately, the value of immersive technology in education should not be measured by how extraordinary the experience is, but by the barriers it can help remove.


and rehearse everyday situations and social interactions in a controlled environment before encountering them in real life. For a child who might find unfamiliar environments or interactions overwhelming, being able to experience and understand them beforehand can make a significant difference. At the same time, it gives teachers another way to provide targeted support for pupils with additional needs alongside learning across the wider classroom.


Bringing words and stories to life Another area where immersive content offers particularly interesting alternative routes to learning, is one that people rarely associate with VR at all: Literacy.


While Literacy might not have an obvious association with VR, immersive experiences can help pupils visualise what they are reading and give texts greater context. Instead of relying on words alone, pupils can explore environments, characters and scenarios that help bring descriptions and ideas to life. VR can also enhance students’


understanding of how narratives work – from sequencing events and following how a plot unfolds, to interpreting different settings and concepts. Immersive experiences provide an engaging starting point for group discussions and creative writing, giving pupils something tangible to observe, interpret and respond to. Crucially, this can help make reading and writing feel more engaging and accessible from an early age, particularly for pupils who may struggle to connect with long-form or written language approaches to learning. For SEND pupils in particular, having another way to access, process and respond to texts can be extremely valuable. VR allows teachers to introduce literacy through different routes, rather than expecting every child to engage with the same material in the same way.


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Making the abstract accessible STEM subjects can involve complex concepts and practical activities that are challenging to teach effectively in the classroom, particularly where access to specialist equipment and resources is limited.


VR can be an impactful tool in helping to overcome some of these barriers to practical and conceptual STEM learning. For example, EduverseSTEM allows pupils to virtually conduct experiments and dissections, reducing the reliance on specialist equipment while helping schools navigate some of the safety, ethical and practical considerations associated with hands-on activities in a


Helping a pupil explore outer space or visit historical landmarks can be incredibly powerful, and certainly has its place, but so is helping a child understand a text, visualise a sequence of events, rehearse an everyday situation or conduct a science experiment that would otherwise be difficult to access. Across these different areas, we can see just how varied barriers to learning can be. They might be sensory, emotional, practical, or simply how an individual pupil responds to information. However varied the challenge, the principle remains the same: giving pupils different ways to engage with, understand and participate in learning.


That is where VR has some of its greatest potential. Not simply in taking pupils somewhere spectacular, but in making learning itself more accessible, and giving more children the opportunity to understand, participate and flourish.


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