Delia Gibbs, Executive Director of The Long Island Science Center, USA talks about VR Quest and how it is helping their students problem-solve and has increased self-esteem:
The Long Island Science Center (LISC) is pleased to continue and strengthened the partnership we already have with the interactive educational program VR Quest.
The VR Quest program teaches students to design their own virtual reality game and practices real life skills; it employs no violent themes and incorporates teamwork.
A critical component of learning is the ability to problem-solve. Introducing students to this approach early on enables them to think out of the box, make calculated choices and enhance their investigative skills. This has been both demonstrated and documented in our initial year.
The LISC is available to students and teachers as a community venue and as a resource for student learning and application. The design, the building and the testing of these interactive computer games have enhanced creativity and curiosity and increased self-esteem in our students.
We look forward to continuing our work with VR Quest on Long Island and to the expansion of the project to additional venues across the country. The ability to introduce these activities as part of an after-school initiative will demonstrate first hand to school administrators how students can be energized early on and have the chance to go on to greater learning choices. We are equally excited to bring this unique experience of research, creativity and fun to other museums across the country.
The VR Quest format enhances and strengthens the education we offer and bridges the gap between school and real-world application and it teaches students to think, make choices and develop job readiness skills. This program is unique in design yet easily replicable and we look forward to sharing the benefits of this partnership with other institutions.