The rise and stagnation of Google Earth VR : dashing the hopes of immersive geography classrooms?

Abstract

ABSTRACTGiven the sensational development of virtual reality (VR) technologies in recent years, how can hopes of fully-immersive experiential learning in geography classrooms be achieved? One solution may be through Google Earth VR, which is a truly immersive app for ‘visiting’ places across the globe via a wired VR headset. The app has been an increasing focus of academic research and classroom VR sets, but many challenges exist, such as technical issues and developer neglect by Google. As the educational benefits of VR for student learning continue to be seen, can a somewhat stagnant Google Earth VR app become a mainstay in academic geography, thus realising the dream of immersive classrooms?