Revolutionising the Return: Immersive Learning Experiences Await After the School Holidays

The Lumination Learning Lab Eases New Term Transitions with Immersive Technology

With the holiday period now coming to an end, students and teachers are preparing to return to the classroom. As we enter the new year of learning, we aspire to continue revolutionising the education experience for our students and educators.

By integrating immersive learning experiences and cutting-edge technology solutions, schools will not only swiftly adapt to the new term but set the stage for an innovative and dynamic educational journey for their students. Discover the invaluable role a Lumination Learning Lab can play in engaging students as they transition back into school life.

Increased Engagement

Engagement is always important in the classroom, but after the holiday break reengaging students with learning can be particularly challenging. We’ve seen first-hand how the Lumination Learning Lab and immersive XR technology can boost engagement levels not only in students, but with the entire school community. Students find it much easier to visualise the topics they are working on with XR technology and can interact with the learning materials in a profoundly effective manner, making it a perfect tool to reintroduce the passion for learning in the classroom

XR technology encourages student agency, giving them more confidence to drive their own personal educational journey and immersing them in the richness of the subject matter. Picture students starting their year embarking on their own virtual exploration of ancient Egyptian tombs or wandering through galleries showcasing the work of Van Gogh. This immersive technology doesn’t just enhance the classroom; it transforms it into a dynamic and student-centric realm where education transcends traditional boundaries.

Grange Primary School used their Lumination Learning Lab as part of their geography lessons, exploring geographical diversity in the Asia region. Utilising Dr Ellen Skinner’s Engagement vs. Disaffection with Learning scale, Lumination measured the response of all 78 students before and after using the Lab. After just four lessons, there was a 155% increase in the number of students who responded “very true” to the prompt “Geography is fun”, while 96% of students said they preferred to learn in the Lab over an ordinary classroom setting. The lessons also resulted in a 17% increase in engagement from a student’s perspective and a 50% increase from a teacher’s perspective.

Collaboration and Communication

A class is a learning unit, in which individuals come together to function as a group. While students can still express themselves independently, the social awareness and communication skills they develop during collaborative tasks are invaluable. Providing students with increased opportunities for collaboration allows students to openly communicate with their peers and gradually transition back into the classroom setting after the holiday break.

Actively engaging students in collaborative activities upon their return to school encourages them to contribute to discussions, group projects, and class activities. This interactive approach helps students express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, fostering a sense of involvement and easing the adjustment back to school routines.

Lumination Learning Labs provide educators with a large space to facilitate collaboration with students through station-based learning. This allows teachers to split the class into multiple stations, giving students the space to develop independent problem-solving capabilities while collaborating with their peers and teachers, as well as using VR and AR technology to fully immerse themselves in the lesson. Utilising station-based learning pedagogies within the classroom allows educators to better manage the classroom, while also fostering deeper connections between students.

Gamification for Motivation

Most of your students probably love playing games – in fact, they probably prefer playing games to traditional learning methods in the classroom, particularly following a lengthy break from school routine. Games are fun, challenge players and give the feeling of accomplishment when the challenge is complete, or determination when it isn’t.

Many schools use point scoring, leaderboards, personal challenges, and direct accomplishment-reward dynamics as motivators for behaviour, establishing routines, and engagement in learning tasks. This strategy is proving effective, and the resulting engagement and interest in the classroom makes students 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future than their actively disengaged peers.

Combining VR and AR into an XR solution makes it easier to keep students engaged and motivated, even during that post-Christmas lull. As virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are already being used in gaming, they are an integral part in  accelerating the adoption of gamification principles in smart classrooms.

In December of 2023, Lab schools around Australia completed the Lumination League, a 6 week inter-Lab school VR sports tournament, which had schools across Australia competing in a friendly competition using All-In-One Sports VR in their Labs. Ann-Maree Tippins, Digital Technologies Teacher at Loreto College in South Australia, says the tournament had many of her students thoroughly engaged. “I used the competition as an opportunity for the students to assume more responsibility for setting up the Lab and eventually had one student lead her class through some Basketball training as part of their PE unit of work”, she said.

Your school can run a similar program across classes by integrating captivating educational initiatives that seamlessly blend gamification with virtual and augmented reality technologies and experiences. Consider designing interactive lessons featuring point systems or collaborative team challenges, fostering an engaging and achievement-oriented learning environment.

Personalised Learning Paths

Education is a journey for young learners, and there are forks and divergences along this journey. Students need guidance in personalising their learning experience so they achieve the very best in the classroom. This is particularly important following school holidays, where a new learning path may be required to allow students to smoothly transition back into the classroom structure.

Lumination Learning Labs and XR technology simplify this process for educators. The station-based learning framework also empowers teachers to personalize the learning experience for specific students by creating a dynamic and flexible classroom environment. Through differentiated instruction, educators can design stations tailored to diverse learning styles, interests, and abilities, ensuring that each student engages with content at an appropriate challenge level, ensuring students who may be struggling to grasp the lesson or transition back to the classroom environment, are accommodated for.

Equitable Education

Immersive XR technology can make a real difference to students right across Australia. Traditionally, proximity to learning resources and the position of communities within regional Australia can cause problems for educators. Students can become disengaged as they struggle to access the same high-quality educational resources as their counterparts in metropolitan areas. The problem is significant – a study of Australia, New Zealand and Canada found that students in rural areas had lower literacy rates and more negative learning environments than their urban counterparts. There are also socio-economic issues at work here, and one study found that the impact of these socio-economic divides was worsened by the pandemic.

The Lumination Learning Lab, equipped with immersive technology, serves as a gateway for students to experience the world beyond the classroom. Through transformative virtual reality (VR) experiences, captivating virtual excursions, and thought-provoking lesson plans, students are not just learning; they are actively participating in an educational journey that enhances engagement and welcomes them back to the classroom with enthusiasm.

A Culture of Creation

Implementing immersive technology in the smart classroom creates a space for students to generate their own immersive content.

Students from primary to secondary can use AR tools like merge cubes for hands-on book reports, offering a visually engaging way to convey their understanding. Additionally, students can leverage platforms like CoSpaces, an online immersive content creation tool, enabling the construction of virtual environments with interactive elements, expanding their technological and educational horizons. This integrated approach not only captivates students but also provides educators with a powerful tool for assessing comprehension, creativity and understanding.

Students can display their creations in the Lab, creating an immersive and engaging experience that effectively communicates their learnings to both students and teachers. Ultimately, Lumination Learning Labs allow classrooms to go beyond the traditional boundaries of education and foster active creators of knowledge.

Discover More About How Lumination Learning Labs Can Help Your School

Learn more about how a Lumination Learning Lab can elevate the educational journey for your students by immersing them in the future of immersive learning. Reach out to our team today and book your demo.