How virtual reality turns students into scientists | Jessica Ochoa Hendrix

Translator: Javier Vázquez Reviewer: Mario Cal

How did you discover your passion

Como descubriron vostedes a súa paixón

or find your career?

ou a súa vocación?

Were you exposed to it?

Estiveron expostos a ela?

Or was it trial and error?

Ou foi ensaio e erro?

As child rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman said,

Como dixo a avogada de dereitos da infancia Marian Wright Edelman:

"You can't be what you can't see."

"Non podes ser o que non podes ver".

Fortunately, we now live in a time

Afortunadamente, vivimos nun momento

when emerging technologies may help us to solve this problem.

no que as novas tecnoloxías nos poden axudar a resolver ese problema.

Os últimos dous anos,

For the past two years,

I've been developing an extended reality program

estiven a desenvolver un programa de realidade estendida

that enables middle school students from across the country

que lle permite ao estudantado de secundaria de todo o país

to take on the role of a marine biologist --

desempeñar o papel dun biólogo mariño,

even if they've never seen the ocean.

incluso se nunca viron o océano.

As one seventh grader who recently completed our program said,

Como dixo un alumno de 7º que completou o noso programa:

"I could see myself as a scientist,

"Puiden verme como científico,

because I enjoyed this game."

porque me gustou este xogo".

This feedback really excited me,

Esa reacción emocionoume porque

because too few students do see themselves as scientists.

moi poucos estudantes se ven a si mesmos como científicos.

A 2014 study showed that 57 percent of eighth- and ninth-grade students

Un estudo de 2014 mostrou que o 57 % do alumnado

de 8º e 9º [2º e 3º da ESO]

said, "Science isn't me."

dicían: "A ciencia non é para min".

Coincidentally, also in 2014,

Casualmente, tamén en 2014

I met Mandë Holford, a marine biochemist,

coñecín a Mandë Holford, unha bioquímica mariña

and Lindsay Portnoy, an educational psychologist.

e a Lindsay Portnoy, unha psicóloga educativa.

The three of us shared a passion

Nolas tres compartiamos a paixón

for getting students excited by and comfortable with science.

por entusiasmar e acostumar os estudantes á ciencia.

We thought about how we could give children

Pensabamos como podiamos darlles aos nenos

the most realistic experience of a scientific career.

a experiencia máis realista dunha carreira científica.

We discussed the research;

Analizamos a investigación:

it showed that students felt comfortable taking risks when playing games.

mostraba que os alumnos se sentían cómodos asumindo riscos ao xogar a videoxogos.

So the three of us started an educational games company

De maneira que as tres creamos unha empresa de xogos educativos

to bring science to life.

para darlle vida á ciencia.

Virtual reality seemed like a low-cost way of increasing access.

A realidade virtual parecía unha maneira económica de incrementar o acceso.

In addition, academic research has shown

Ademais, investigacións académicas demostran que

that virtual reality may lead to increases in learning retention.

a realidade virtual pode axudar a mellorar a retención na aprendizaxe.

This was perfect for us, as we wanted to be in schools

Era perfecto, xa que queriamos chegar a colexios

so that we could reach the most number of students possible,

e ao maior número de alumnado posíbel,

particularly students who have been underrepresented in science.

en particular, a aqueles con menos representación na ciencia.

So, with funding from the National Science Foundation,

Así, coa axuda da Fundación Nacional para a Ciencia,

we began developing our extended reality program

comezamos a traballar no programa de realidade estendida

that combined virtual reality

que combinaba realidade virtual

with personalized digital journaling.

e diarios dixitais personalizados.

We worked with teachers while developing it

Traballamos con profesores

to ensure that it would fit seamlessly into existing curricula

para asegurármonos de que o programa se axustase perfectamente ao plan de estudos

and empower teachers to use cutting-edge technology in their classroom.

e capacitamos aos profesores para usar tecnoloxía punteira nas súas aulas.

We designed the virtual reality for Google Cardboard,

Deseñamos a realidade virtual para Google Cardboard,

which requires only a smartphone

o que require só un móbil intelixente

and a 10 dollar VR viewer made of cardboard.

e un visor de realidade virtual de cartón de 10 dólares.

With this inexpensive headset,

Con este barato aparello,

students are transported to an underwater expedition.

o alumnado pode transportarse a unha expedición subacuática.

Students use their digital journal

Os estudantes usan o diario dixital

to write down their notes,

para escribir as súas notas,

to answer questions,

responder preguntas,

to construct models

construír modelos

and to develop hypotheses.

e desenvolver hipóteses.

Students then go to the virtual world to test their hypotheses

Acuden entón ao mundo virtual para probar as hipóteses

and see if they're accurate,

e comprobar se son certas,

much as scientists go to the field

igual que os científicos

in their careers.

cos seus traballos de campo.

When students return to their digital journal,

Cando volven ós diarios dixitais,

they share their observations, claims,

comparten as súas observacións, afirmacións,

reasoning and evidence.

razoamentos e probas.

The students' written answers and virtual interactions

As respostas que dan e a interacción virtual

son actualizadas en tempo real

are all updated live

in an educator assessment dashboard,

nun panel de avaliación do educador,

so that teachers can follow their progress

para que este poida seguir o progreso dos alumnos

and support them as needed.

e axudalos cando o precisen.

To give you a better sense, I'm going to show you

Para que o entendan mellor ensinareilles o que ven os alumnos.

a little bit of what students see.

This is the virtual reality when they're underwater

Isto é a realidade virtual cando están baixo a auga

observing the flora and fauna.

observando a flora e a fauna.

This is the digital journal where they're constructing their models

Este é o diario dixital onde constrúen os modelos

based on this abiotic data to show what they expect to see.

baseados en datos abióticos para mostrar o que eles esperan ver.

Here, they're supporting that with qualitative statements.

Aquí, apóianos con informes cualitativos.

And this is the educator dashboard that shows progress

E este é o taboleiro do educador

and enables [teachers] to see the students' answers as they go.

que mostra o progreso e as respostas dos alumnos en tempo real.

When we were creating BioDive,

Cando estabamos creando BioDive,

again, we really wanted to focus on access,

queriamos centrarnos na accesibilidade,

so we designed it to require only one phone for every four students.

así que deseñámolo para que cun só teléfono traballasen 4 estudantes.

We also knew how collaborative science work is,

Sabiamos tamén como é o traballo colaborativo en ciencia,

so we constructed the experience to only be solved

por iso, creamos a experiencia para que só puidera resolverse

through collaborative teamwork,

mediante traballo en equipo,

as each student is an expert in a different geographic location.

pois cada estudante é experto nunha área xeográfica diferente.

Given that these children's brains are still developing,

Como o cerebro dos nenos aínda se está desenvolvendo,

we limited each experience to last a maximum of two minutes.

limitamos cada experiencia a un máximo de 2 minutos.

And finally, because we know the importance of repeated exposure

E finalmente, como coñecemos a importancia da exposición continua

for internalizing knowledge,

para asimilar coñecementos,

we constructed BioDive to take place over five class periods.

construímos BioDive para que tivese unha duración de 5 sesións.

We started piloting BioDive in 2017

Comezamos a probar BioDive no 2017

in 20 schools in New York and New Jersey.

en 20 colexios de Nova York e Nova Jersey.

We wanted to see students as they were using this new technology.

Queriamos ver como o alumnado usaba esta nova tecnoloxía.

In 2019, now,

Hoxe, no 2019,

we are now piloting in 26 states.

estamos a facer probas en 26 estados.

What we have heard from teachers who have taught our program:

Os profesores que ensinaron o noso programa declararon:

"It was a nice way to show ocean dynamics without the luxury of actually being there

"Foi unha linda forma de mostrar a dinámica dos oceános sen ter que ir alí

since we are in Ohio."

xa que estamos en Ohio".

(Laughter)

(Risas)

"It's pretty mind-blowing."

"É incrible".

"The students were totally engaged."

"Os estudantes estaban totalmente comprometidos".

But what really gives us hope is what we're hearing from students.

Pero o que de verdade nos dá esperanza é o que nos dixo o alumnado.

"I liked how it felt like I was there."

"Gustoume a sensación de estar alí".

"It's interactive and a fun way to learn."

"É interactivo e unha maneira divertida de aprender".

"It really gave me realistic examples of how these organisms appear."

"Deume exemplos moi realistas de como se ven os organismos".

"I could see myself as a scientist because it seems really fun."

"Púidenme ver como científica porque parece moi divertido".

Our feedback wasn't always so positive.

Non tivemos sempre comentarios tan positivos.

When we began developing,

Cando construïamos o programa,

we started off by asking students

comezamos a preguntarlles aos estudantes o que lles gustaba,

what they liked,

what they didn't like

o que non e o que atopaban confuso.

and what they found confusing.

Eventually we began asking what they wished they could do.

Ao final, comezamos a preguntar o que eles desexaban poder facer.

Their feedback gave us concrete items to build in

A súa resposta deunos ideas precisas para seguir

to be sure that we were including student voices in what we were designing.

asegurándonos de contar coas súas opinións no deseño.

Overall, what we have learned is that this is the beginning of a new platform

En xeral, aprendemos que este é o comezo dunha nova plataforma

for giving students both voice and ownership

para darlle voz e voto ao estudantado.

in deciding how they want to have impact

á hora de decidir que impacto queren para as súas carreiras.

in their careers.

We focused on science,

Centrámonos na ciencia,

because we know we need scientists

porque precisamos que os científicos nos axuden cos desafíos actuais e futuros.

to help us solve our current and future challenges.

But virtual reality could support students in any area.

Pero a realidade virtual pode axudarlles aos alumnos en calquera área.

How could we support students in exploring all of their desires

Como podemos axudarlles aos alumnos a explorar os seus desexos

with these eye-opening experiences and chances to learn from primary sources?

con estas experiencias esclarecedoras e oportunidades de aprendizaxe directa?

Could we create VR for inexpensive headsets

Poderiamos crear cascos baratos de realidade virtual

that lets them be immersed in oral literature

que lles permitan somerxerse en literatura oral

or in critical moments of human history?

ou en momentos cruciais da historia da humanidade?

Extended reality has the potential to change the trajectory

A realidade estendida ten o potencial para cambiar a traxectoria

of our children's lives

da vida dos nosos pequenos

and lead them to careers they never imagined

e orientalos cara a profesións que nunca imaxinarían,

by giving them the chance to see what they can be.

dándolles a oportunidade de ver o que poden chegar a ser.

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Aplausos)

(Applause)