This year, Ysleta ISD is excited to introduce a new immersive virtual reality component to its math and science curriculum at middle/high schools that aims to improve student learning through movement, experience, and meaningful discovery.

Through a partnership with Prisms, a spatial learning platform for K-12 STEM education, Ysleta ISD middle-school students are now using virtual reality goggles and handheld controllers to learn math while high-schoolers are using the hardware to learn biology.

The idea is to leverage virtual reality so students can benefit from “experiential learning,” or learning through seeing, moving, touching, perceiving, and solving compelling real-world problems. A teacher dashboard provides educators with real-time data on student thinking and misconceptions, so they can immediately identify struggling students and send messages directly to students in the virtual-reality environment. The dashboard also tracks student progress and proficiency over time.