Meta's Nick Clegg makes pitch for virtual reality in the classroom

Why read about the International Space Station when you could board a virtual replica of Nasa’s giant floating laboratory? That’s what Facebook owner Meta is hoping kids will do at schools around the country as it pitches its virtual reality headset to teachers.

Later this year, the tech giant will launch an educational version of its Meta Quest goggles, with apps and controls aimed at classrooms. Instead of faffing about with individual headsets, teachers will be able to manage multiple devices at once, saving time and allowing pupils to jump into virtual lessons straight away, Meta’s Nick Clegg explained in a blog post.

The product’s name and features will be announced in the coming months. Don’t expect it to pop up at primary schools, though. Despite allowing children as young as 10 to use its headsets, Meta says the educational version will be limited to students aged 13 and over. That aligns with the recently lowered age limit for its Horizon Worlds social VR platform.

Mr Clegg also assured schools and parents that kids would be protected in virtual settings with robust safety controls.

"This is not going to be used in the classroom unless teachers feel they have complete visibility and control of what's going on,” the former deputy British prime minister told Sky News.

"And crucially, that parents, particularly of the younger kids, feel that too, otherwise, why would you use this in an educational setting?"

The company will rely on a feature called "shared mode" that prevents children from accessing the Meta Quest store to download new apps or games. So, no playing Beat Saber on the sly. Meanwhile, others will not know the identity of the school user, Mr Clegg said.

In a promotional video, students and teachers can be seen wearing virtual reality headsets to immerse themselves in a range of subjects. The clip starts with a trip to Egypt to examine a 3D version of an ancient artefact, before switching to a science lesson that peeks inside the individual structures of a human cell, and ends with a look at the components of a wind turbine.

Everything looks photorealistic, which is a far cry from the cartoonish visuals of Meta’s VR games and avatars. Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder and CEO, was infamously mocked for sharing a “primitive” screenshot of Horizon Worlds’ visuals in 2022.

Nevertheless, Mr Clegg reckons VR will turn our schoolchildren into an army of boffs. He throws around statistics claiming kids who take virtual lessons do better on exams versus those who learn in person. Another survey cited, this one from an organisation dedicated to mixed reality tech like VR, claims that 77 per cent of educators believe these technologies “ignite curiosity and improve engagement in class”.

Of course, there’s no mention of the detrimental effects of virtual reality. Many people who use VR for extended periods complain of eye strain, headaches, and nausea. VR is also isolationist by its very nature as it blocks out the outside world.

There’s also the question of accessibility. VR headsets and software can be expensive, potentially creating a digital divide within schools where some students have access and others don't.

Additionally, some students might have difficulty using the technology due to physical limitations or disabilities.

But, how do kids feel about VR? Well, the truth is that while many have already experienced it, they’re not used to seeing it in classrooms. In a 2023 survey of children aged 8 to 17 by the Children's Commissioner for England, 46 per cent of kids said they had used a VR headset, but just 4 per cent said they had used the tech at school. They might become a more common sight once the Apple Vision Pro reaches these shores.

The company previously known as Facebook has staked its entire brand on VR, or the metaverse as it has taken to calling it.

Amid flagging sales, Meta has started to position VR for specific use cases. A business version is already available for workplaces, including hospitals. Meta also offers a Pro headset aimed at power users and developers. Zuckerberg’s right-hand man, Andrew Bosworth, also recently mentioned the possibility of a VR device for fitness enthusiasts.