TRIBUNE CHRONICLE - May 20, 2025
LIBERTY — Peighton Wittway had an opportunity to visit an African savannah, see an elephant or two, control a roller coaster’s movement, and play a few laser-controlled games — all without leaving her seat.
“It was really cool when I saw everything like you’re in the world,” Peighton, 11, a PK-6 Elementary School sixth grader, said.
From the comfort and convenience of her desk and chair, she was able to “travel” halfway around the world to see parts of Africa. The sixth grader also exercised the ability to control a virtual roller coaster with “brakes and everything to go fast or slow,” she said.
Making all of this and more possible for Peighton and about 20 of her fellow classmates in Melissa Leslie’s sixth-grade science class were Meta Quest virtual reality headsets. They were introduced to the students during one of several sessions on Monday at the school, 4003 Shady Road, in which the Youngstown Business Incubator in downtown Youngstown launched a virtual reality program to the district’s sixth-grade science classes.
“We’re going to an African savannah and a rainforest today,” Megan Payich, director of the YBI’s Explorer Virtual Reality program, told the students.
The technological lessons adhere to state teaching standards. The virtual reality field trips also give teachers the latitude to choose their own lessons with the equipment, Payich said.
“They’re an extra tool for them to learn things they may not see in life,” she added.
Another advantage to the sophisticated and adjustable technology, which also is equipped with controllers and a password, is that it can hold students’ attention longer, which, in today’s modern society of cellphones and other electronic devices and distractions, often is a challenge, Payich said.
Monday’s session was a pleasing fit for Peighton because she also saw a virtual shark tank with sharks surrounding it — something that aligns with her love of animals of all kinds.
“I’ve read about Africa,” she said. “I love sea life and I want to study marine biology in college.”
In addition, many of the students physically reacted to what they were watching via various dramatic hand and arm movements.
The session also was an ideal near match for Leslie’s science class, because she has been recently teaching her students about cells and organisms.
“I feel it fits right into what we’re talking about,” said Leslie, who has taught for 23 years in the district.
Monday’s experience also piggybacked on other virtual trips to which she has exposed the students. One of them was a “travel” to Pompeii, Italy; another allowed the students to see part of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana, Leslie said.
In addition, the students viewed a virtual lagoon and had an interesting and stimulating chance to learn more about various plants and animals associated with such a setting, she added.
“I like to incorporate lots of hands-on things, so this is a plus,” said Leslie, who also has taught language arts and math in the district.
Regardless of the complexities of the technology — and experiencing it for the first time — one old-fashioned aspect was not lost on Peighton or her classmates: deriving a bit of fun and enjoyment from it.
Adam Earnheardt, a professor in Youngstown State University’s communications department, arranged the student experience. Many of his students also partake of the technology, he said.
“I had Megan (Payich) visit my Exploring Communication class this past spring semester to introduce and, in some cases, reintroduce students to VR technology,” Earnheardt said in an email. “A lot of my students use this technology for gaming, but the real power with VR is educational. These immersive experiences can really transform learning and get young students interested in learning about topics they might otherwise find uninteresting.”
https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2025/05/a-whole-new-virtual-world/