It may help some learners to sit down while using Google Earth VR. Not all 3D objects are created by hand, so when examining a building, tree, or car closely, it may look blocky and blurry. Students who are afraid of heights may experience anxiety or even fear, so care should be taken by the teacher to prepare them for this. A more meaningful connection can be made with current events, as learners can travel to places they’re hearing about in the news and have a look.įlying around isn’t an amazing experience for everyone. The same is true for learners studying important historical sites or geographical areas. Students studying biomes can easily fly to that area and gain a deeper understanding of their appearance, scope, and scale. Anyone strapped into a VR headset can zoom over the earth and explore 3D structures and topography. Google Earth VR truly brings the experience to the next level. Many educators use and love Google Earth. Students can also choose to remain at human scale regardless of altitude, which gives an appreciation of the size of objects in the world that regular Google Earth just can’t provide. Google has also created a “comfort” feature to address this: The field of view can be narrowed during flight, which can alleviate sickness for some. Fortunately, learners can search for and automatically go to any point on the planet rather than traverse half the globe to get there. Motion sickness can be a challenge, especially for new users. Many areas also have Street View, where learners can experience standing in the area and looking around. While these are present in the regular version of Google Earth, the sense of scale is truly brought to life with VR. When first logging in, you’re given a tour that showcases many of its features, most notably topography and 3D models of buildings and other structures. Google Earth VR is an impressive version of Google Earth designed to work with virtual reality headsets such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.