"We're giving these teachers a true day-one experience in a virtual world," said Asst. Professor Dr. Jason Beach, who helped develop the technology with the use of Oculus Rift.
For one teacher, the virtual world setting was the first day of kindergarten. The scene was reading time.
"You're gonna be asked to read the book while the students are listening," Beach told a student.
The virtual kids are controlled by other teaching students, and they have all sorts of distractions up their sleeves for the teacher, who today is grad student Sarah Moran.
The kids may lay down, talk, touch a classmate or just generally fidget. Someone may come to the door unexpectedly - all distractions that happen every day in a real classroom.
The teachers-in-training have to react to the little issues before they turn into big problems.
See the full story here: http://www.newschannel5.com/news/teaching-students-use-virtual-reality-to-learn-how-to-manage-class