The idea of integrating VR in schools has been around for a while, and now is the perfect time to make it a reality

The current state of the VR and AR industry is fascinating, especially in terms of virtual reality lessons. We’ve moved from relatively basic, yet expensive school-oriented headsets with large content libraries that are difficult to use in real lessons, to advanced mixed-reality headsets offering much more at a significantly lower price—all within just a few years.

Case studies and research show that VR and AR in education deliver positive results, but mainly when implemented correctly. In fact, many VR lessons created for education aren’t suitable for real-life lessons due to poor design, unintuitive UI/UX, and the lack of multiplayer or co-location features—essential elements for making virtual reality lessons effective and memorable.

I have some experience using AR and VR in schools for both primary and high schools. To my surprise, many schools are already using VR headsets, and whenever I come across one, I always ask which headsets they use. In my experience, none of the dozens of schools I’ve asked uses the latest Quest 3 or Pico 4 headsets. A few use the older Quest 2, but the majority rely on the “ClassVR” headset.

ClassVR is a company that sells headsets with technology from 2017. Based on my experience with their headsets, they are quite old, bulky, and limited, primarily displaying 360° images or videos. These headsets are expensive by today’s standards—while you can get a much more advanced, feature-packed Meta Quest 3 for just €350, the ClassVR headsets (which are sold in packs of several, but I rounder the cost for one) cost around €2000 each. This represents a huge price difference.

What I will say, though, is that a major issue for VR in schools today is the lack of unified software—specifically, the ability to control a fleet of headsets from a single device. Currently, you have to launch an app on each headset, which isn’t as troublesome with a mixed reality app where multiple users can connect, but it still creates time-consuming problems by nature.

ClassVR addresses this issue with software that allows you to control all devices from a single laptop – launching apps on every headset simultaneously, updating them all at once, and more. However, the lack of this feature on other headsets will change with Meta’s newest project, Meta For Education. More on that later.

While ClassVR offers unified education software, it is designed for outdated hardware by today’s education VR standards. That is why I won’t consider them when recommending VR hardware in this article. With that in mind, let’s move on to the main part of this article.

VR in Schools: How to Implement Modern Virtual Reality Lessons in the Classroom

Today, VR and AR headsets offer much more than they did just a few years ago, and they advance rapidly. With the addition of mixed reality capabilities, modern headsets allow users to see the real world through cameras and overlay virtual objects onto it. There are several devices to choose from, and I will list them below:

Headset	Who is it for?
Meta Quest 3S	The most affordable and latest headset from Meta. It has powerful processing and supports Mixed Reality, but uses an older optical system. Best for schools looking to deploy the most headsets.
Meta Quest 3	Currently, the best headset from Meta. Features powerful processing, support for Mixed Reality, and a new, high-quality optical system. Ideal for schools focusing on quality.
Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise	The latest headset from Pico. Designed with a focus on enterprise use. Pico offers education-focused apps, and the Enterprise version allows for managing multiple headsets simultaneously.
Apple Vision Pro	The most expensive, and complicated to consider option. While this headset offers unique solutions, it is hard to justify for use with an entire class. It may be best suited for apps that require one person at a time, such as Keynote (for soft skills training).

These are the headsets for virtual reality lessons I recommend, though the Apple Vision Pro is a tough choice. Don’t get me wrong—it’s an incredibly advanced headset, but its high price makes it hard to justify purchasing even one unit for VR lessons, let alone enough for an entire class.

The Vision Pro is an expensive device that you probably wouldn’t want to hand over to kids at school. Given its specific use cases for education VR and the delicate materials it’s made from (like glass), I would recommend considering it only if you work at a college or high school. I’ll revisit the Vision Pro later in the article, but for now, I want to focus on the headsets I recommend for virtual reality lessons most.

Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S are the most popular options from the list. Their difference is mainly in the optical system and the price. Quest 3S costs $200 less than Quest 3, but it has lower resolution panels and last-gen Fresnel lenses, instead of Quest 3’s Pancake lenses. Because of that, the lenses in Quest 3S have a much smaller sweet spot (a spot where everything you see is clear), are more blurry, and also contribute to the headset’s bulkier design.

This raises the question: do you prioritize quality over quantity for your VR lessons, or vice versa? There’s not much else to consider—both headsets share the same ecosystem and work with the same apps.

The Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise, on the other hand, is not specifically designed for education VR. Its primary focus is on enterprise users, offering solutions for collaboration, training, and other business use cases. It’s important to note that the Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise shares many features with the Quest 3 and can be considered a competitor in some ways. However, keep in mind that the Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise is not a consumer product—you can’t access apps from the Pico Store. Instead, it uses its own Pico Business Store, which offers apps mainly for business and education VR, along with the Pico Business Suite for managing multiple headsets simultaneously.

Although this is an enterprise device, some apps are well-suited for VR in schools. My personal favorite is Bodyswaps, a soft skills training app that I’ll discuss more later in the article. There are also several other apps available in the Pico Business Store, such as Human Anatomy VR, CadaVR Anatomy, Futuclass Education, and more.

FigminXR – One of the Best and Most Versatile Education VR Apps

You’ll see FigminXR mentioned several times in this article—and for good reason. FigminXR is an excellent sandbox app available on the Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Apple Vision Pro. It features co-location, allowing up to 10 people to connect to the server and see each other in Mixed Reality, with virtual objects placed in the same locations for everyone in the classroom during VR lessons. This means I can give a virtual object to someone in the class, seamlessly augmenting the reality they perceive.

Before I dive into the section on implementing VR lessons in this app, I need to address a few drawbacks of FigminXR. The most important point is that FigminXR is a sandbox app, not one specifically designed for education. This means there are few, if any, ready-to-launch lessons for students. You need to manually prepare and show virtual objects, animations, or scenes you’ve organized earlier, or those created by other users (and trust me, finding specific lesson topics can be difficult). In other words, while FigminXR can be an excellent education VR app, it requires the teacher to prepare it in advance.

FigminXR also suffers from confusing UI choices. While the app is fantastic for physics simulations, offering many specific settings you can adjust for virtual objects or scenes (such as gravity), it can be overwhelming if you don’t need such detailed options for your lesson. In this case, you’re left with a complex UI that takes time to get used to. This highlights why training on these apps is both important and challenging—many education VR apps have different interfaces and operate in unique ways, and FigminXR is no exception.

For example, when I was preparing a history teacher for a lesson he was going to create in FigminXR, I had to teach him how to navigate the app’s interface. First, we searched for the virtual objects he needed for his lesson. FigminXR is connected to Sketchfab, so you can access a wide range of free-to-use 3D models. His topic was “Types of Warriors Throughout the Centuries,” which was relatively easy to prepare with FigminXR, as we were able to find most of the 3D models he needed, mainly featuring warriors and their equipment.

Next, he needed to learn how to use the interface and conduct the lesson. This included spawning virtual objects, locking some of them so students couldn’t move them, deleting unnecessary ones, and navigating the interface. Teaching these tasks was challenging, even though he was already familiar with Mixed Reality headsets—it wasn’t a matter of learning how to click but mastering the app’s specific controls. Ultimately, I had to assist during the lesson, helping lock objects in place or clear the scene when needed.

The lesson was a success, with noticeably better student engagement and retention, even though we had only seven headsets (FigminXR supports up to 10 users). This meant we had to create groups and switch headsets between users every 15–20 minutes. For those not wearing a headset, we used the teacher’s headset to cast the screen to the classroom’s smart TV (or alternatively, a projector), allowing everyone to see what their classmates were doing.

The positive results from the lesson made all the time spent on teacher training and manual preparation worthwhile. However, it also highlights the need for software that streamlines the preparation process—such as improved UI, tools for easier lesson organization, and software for managing multiple headsets. With such advancements, VR and AR could be implemented in many more schools, thanks to their clear advantages over traditional lessons in many cases and the potential for easier integration.

Tips for Using FigminXR in the Classroom

One crucial point to highlight: every co-location education VR app currently relies on a strong Wi-Fi connection. This is especially important when planning virtual reality lessons with six or more headsets. Based on my experience, a 50 Mbps Wi-Fi connection is sufficient for 5–6 users, but I strongly recommend at least 100 Mbps for 10 users. Trust me, you’ll want to avoid the frustration of users being disconnected from the server. Even worse, if you’re not the host and get disconnected, you’ll lose the ability to change scenes—at least temporarily (though it has occasionally worked for me somehow).

I recommend using a router with Wi-Fi 6 for optimal performance. To check your Wi-Fi speed in the classroom, you can use a speed test website.

To reduce the chances of users being disconnected from the server, consider covering the proximity sensor on the headset with tape. This prevents the headset from going into sleep mode, which often causes disconnections.

Lastly, I recommend enabling “kiosk mode” for students in FigminXR through the app settings. This prevents them from navigating the UI, which could lead to accidental deletions or server disruptions. Additionally, disable the rays to stop students from moving or taking 3D models from a distance. Keep these settings off for the teacher to maintain full control.

Physics VR Lessons

For physics VR lessons, I highly recommend using FigminXR. As mentioned earlier, this app offers a wide range of settings specifically designed to simulate physics laws. Combined with 3D models, it becomes an excellent tool for teaching complex topics like astrophysics. For example, I can demonstrate how gravity works on Earth by dropping a virtual basketball, and moments later, summon the moon orbiting the Earth. This allows me to explain concepts like gravitational fields and how planets and stars generate their own gravity in space.

I conducted several astrophysics VR lessons using FigminXR, and students particularly enjoyed exploring the concept of gravity. I also demonstrated how black holes form, how they interact with space and time, why stars collapse under their own gravity, and the outcomes of such events, along with many other fascinating topics.

If you plan to conduct such VR lessons for primary school students, I recommend targeting older grades, such as 6th grade and above. Teaching younger students proved challenging for me, as they were more focused on exploring and interacting with virtual objects than on listening to the lesson itself.

History VR Lessons

History lessons can be incredibly engaging in VR and AR, and FigminXR stands out as an excellent tool for this purpose. It provides access to a vast library of virtual objects through SketchFab, though some niche topics may lack specific resources. Virtual reality lessons work best when covering widely recognized topics, such as World War I, World War II, colonialism, ancient civilizations, or the medieval era. Additionally, FigminXR’s co-location multiplayer feature, which supports up to 10 participants, makes it an ideal choice for collaborative and immersive history lessons.

Instead of relying only on 3D models (even animated ones!), I recommend incorporating videos into your lessons from time to time. This will enhance student retention and add value to the class. You can easily play videos directly within FigminXR, either through YouTube (which is integrated into the app) or using the built-in browser.

You can also bring images into the space using the built-in browser. Simply search for the image you want to show, click on it, and then drag it into the space—everyone will be able to see it. This is especially useful when you can’t find a suitable 3D model for what you want to demonstrate.

Geography VR Lessons

For geography VR lessons, my personal favorite is an app called Wooorld. It’s a multiplayer, Google Earth-like app that lets you and others in your lobby explore the world in immersive VR or as a tabletop experience in Mixed Reality. You can also load 360° images of places you virtually visit. The app’s utility is impressive, though it’s currently limited to 8 people in a lobby, meaning the group will need to take turns. The good news is that the teacher’s view can be mirrored to a screen or projector for the rest of the class to see.

The app is free, but if you want to create a private lobby (which is recommended to avoid random people joining and interrupting your lesson), you’ll need to make a one-time purchase on the teacher’s headset. There are two modes available: Exploration mode and Game mode. Exploration mode offers a classic geography VR lesson, where the teacher acts as a guide, traveling around the world with the students.

Game Mode, on the other hand, is similar to Geoguessr. Players are dropped in a random location and must explore to figure out where they are. The class is split into two teams, and the team that places the pin closest to the correct location—whether by luck or deduction—wins. Such virtual reality lessons are fun and engaging – they are the best way to boost students’ involvement in the lesson while also enhancing their teamwork skills.

Art VR Lessons

FigminXR is the best choice for Art VR lessons. First, it allows up to 10 people to interact with the same virtual object. Second, the drawing experience is incredible, making it perfect for creative activities.

Imagine this: your classroom, whether it’s with young primary school students or first-year high schoolers, can create anything they want, entirely in 3D. Art lessons become something entirely new with this technology—the canvas is the world around them. For example, a teacher could spawn a virtual object, like an airplane, which students can use as inspiration to draw their own 3D version in space.

There are also many beautifully created 3D paintings that students can not only explore but also enter as if stepping into a portal to another dimension. The teacher can select these paintings from a list created by others in the community, found in the Discover section. The best part, however, is that students can create their own 3D paintings too! This is what makes using VR so amazing for art lessons.

First Aid & Occupational Safety and Health

First aid is an essential skill that every school should teach. However, basic training with just a dummy (or worse, without one) may not be enough to fully grasp the skill. This is where VR comes in, as it offers a superior way of learning through hands-on experience and retention.

I recommend 4Help VR, an immersive VR training solution for first aid, workplace safety, fire protection, and more. We are currently in the process of integrating it into our school, and the initial demos have been promising. This software is compatible with Quest 3 and Quest 3S. 4Help VR has its own pricing, which is not listed directly on the website. For more details, you need to contact them through the website’s form.

Soft Skills Training

The immersive nature of VR makes it an ideal tool for soft skills training. Need to practice a presentation? You can rehearse in front of a virtual room full of avatars, which might surprisingly make you feel stressed. Some apps take it a step further—like Bodyswaps, where you can present to a group of virtual avatars and then watch your performance from the perspective of a listener. You’ll hear your voice, filler words like “uh” and “um,” see where you looked, observe your gestures, and more. In the end, you’ll receive AI-generated feedback on your presentation.

We currently use Bodyswaps on our school’s Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise headset. Like other apps I will mention in this section, we use it for personal training to help students involved in debates improve their speaking skills.

Virtual Speech is another app we use, but on the Quest 3. In this app, you can present in front of a room full of people, or even participate in a job interview with an AI assistant. We use it to help students improve their soft skills for job interviews and, more broadly, to teach them how to manage stressful situations.

Keynote, on the other hand, is a first-party app for the Apple Vision Pro that lets you teleport to a realistic room or hall. Unlike Virtual Speech or Bodyswaps, this room lacks actual people or avatars. However, its realism, combined with the ability to see your real hands and arms while controlling the presentation and switching slides, creates an immersive experience that can be used to train students effectively.

Meta for Education – A Promising Solution to a Major Challenge

As I mentioned earlier (and as you’ve likely noticed), many of the solutions I’ve discussed require a significant amount of preparation time before the lesson. This includes launching the app, connecting headsets to the server, troubleshooting, and more. From my experience, when I first started using FigminXR for lessons, it took about 45 minutes to configure everything and prepare the class for the interactive and dynamic nature of AR.

Now, I can prepare the class in just 20 minutes – taking out the headsets, turning them on, launching the app, and connecting them. I’ve minimized troubleshooting to a minimum, making the process much less frustrating than before.

Many other VR education solutions face this issue. Meta for Education aims to solve this by providing dedicated software for managing multiple headsets at once. Instead of launching the app on each headset, you simply click “launch” on a tablet or laptop. Instead of connecting each headset to a co-located multiplayer session, you only need to click one button. This would reduce preparation time to just 5-10 minutes.

Meta is currently beta-testing its “Meta for Education” platform in a few schools in the U.S., with plans to open it to more schools in December this year. We can expect it to reach the broader market by early 2025.