Virtual Reality Makerspaces:
An Innovative Parent-Led Approach
to Help Bridge the Digital Divide

Virtual Reality Makerspaces is an innovative concept that was created by the Academy of Digital Visionaries and Scholars (ADVScholars), a nonprofit organization that creates training programs to help bridge the widening digital divide. Our Virtual Reality Makerspace pilot project, called “The Virtual Learning Room” (VRL) has proven to be a refreshing approach that has rekindled a love for education as students learn important technology skills in a virtual reality setting.

The Virtual Learning Room

One of the main benefits of The Virtual Learning Room is that it has sparked the excitement, motivation and creativity of students who are suffering from Zoom fatigue and stagnated traditional learning methods. Our innovative makerspaces are built on a virtual reality platform and help our students develop critical thinking, self-confidence, digital citizenship and safety as well as other relevant technology skills.

This creative online learning environment uses a virtual collaborative platform with spacialized audio. In this platform, hands-on learning can take place anytime and anywhere there is an internet connection to a web browser via a computer, desktop or mobile device. Students are able to advance their skills by using a VR headset to expand their learning experience.

In addition, when exploring educational subjects in our virtual reality platform, learners also develop social emotional skills as they discover their ability to become confident, safe explorers and leaders online. What makes this project so unique is that the students are also learning the skills to help create the 3D learning makerspace. When the students acquire these cutting-edge virtual reality skillsets they are getting a head start in what Mark Zuckerberg recently said he believes to be "the next major computing platform."

Also in our program parents are coached on how to design their own curriculum using industry-recognized educational tools. Some of those tools are Google for Education apps, coding resources and other state-of-the-art educational platforms. Parents work together to teach selected courses and to create collaborative projects, activities and crafts based on the students' interests. To increase participation and self-expression, students are awarded various certificates for completing activities and sharing what they've learned in the virtual environment.

We believe in maintaining high-quality education standards. Our classes are cutting-edge and focused on the priorities and values that families are not able to find in traditional learning settings. We also offer training to help our parent-teachers become certified educators. Our community is passionate about taking ownership of our children's education and creating pathways for them to become future leaders in the technology space.