The happiest place on Earth!

The happiest place on Earth—

because of the all the magic making and alternate realities you can immerse yourself in!

There used to be only one park at Disneyland—until Disney California Adventure Park emerged. Prior to its opening, my favorite ride was “The Pirates of the Caribbean". It is quite a staple for my family. It was my grandfather’s favorite ride. And my grandfather was my favorite. So whenever I went to Disneyland, it would be the first ride I’d head to and immerse myself in some adventure. As a child, that ride (and most of the rides at Disneyland) took me out of my reality and I was able to place myself in situations and scenarios I could only dream of.

The happiest place on Earth— because of the all the magic making and alternate realities you can immerse yourself in!

Now, fast forward a few decades, and I still can find myself in different realities— whether virtual or augmented (which is the topic of this week’s discussion in class). Disney California Adventure Park has the best example of a virtual reality called “Soaring Around the World”. This ride is actually my heavy favorite now because of the nostalgia, wonder, and thrill I feel every time. The sensory input and media used are incredibly top notch— the scent of jasmine transports you to the Taj Mahal in India, the safari portion in Africa literally takes me back to Pilanesburg, South Africa (the smell of grass!), and the sight of the sparkling Eiffel Tower tugs at my heart strings because of my own core memory made there.

The potential of VR in the classroom is boundless. If a VR ride can illicit such strong emotions and cognitive processes for me, I can only imagine the learning that can take place if students are placed in VR situations and scenarios they can learn from. Sky’s the limit—