By John Branson and Diane Thomson
Hands-On Learning in the
Engagement is a big piece of the learning puzzle. Make lessons fun and interesting,
and students are much more likely
to learn and retain them.
Enter immersive simulations. The
U.S. military has long understood the
value of this type of learning. Before
the Navy entrusts a ship to a crew,
crew members must first practice and
demonstrate their competency in a
fully immersive, simulated environment. Why not teach students in the
same way?
K– 12 educators in Pennsylvania,
USA, recently did just that when
they partnered with the U.S. Navy
in the Real World Navy Challenge
(RWNC, www.rwnc.org). A joint
project coordinated by the Navy,
the Chester County Intermediate
Unit, and Delaware Valley Industrial
Resources Center, the RWNC uses
immersive learning to give students
real-world problem-based scenarios
requiring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
Teachers in
Pennsylvania, USA,
helped build an immersive
virtual learning environment
where students could apply their
STEM skills to the real-world issues
involved with nuclear power—
without any of the real-
world dangers.
