The practicalities and realities of VR in education have been worked upon by the members of SVR since 2016, and from some hard lessons along the way, we will soon be able to bring out something truly worth the wait.
The industry as a whole has had a lot of stops and starts, and I would argue that many have not learned the important lessons of the past.
This campaign will help us to launch this immersive learning tool, into the world. We need your help.
We are Sensible-VR, a team dedicated to transforming education through innovative virtual reality (VR) technology. Our founder, Dave Dolan, is a veteran educator with over 30 years of experience and a Master’s in education. We are guided by the Japanese Ōmi Shōnin (Omi merchant) philosophy of "Sanpō Yoshi," which benefits the seller, buyer, and society (3-way satisfaction). This spirit of harmony inspires our commitment to creating accessible, meaningful, and ethical solutions that enhance education for all. SVR has been formed in Shiga, a prefecture nestled in the center, or heart, of Japan. Shiga is home to the Omi region, and the merchants who famously played a key role in the development of commerce in Japan through their ethical business practices.
We are building Sensible-VR, an affordable virtual reality system for schools, designed to transform learning for students in Grades 4–12, and language instructors.
Sensible-VR provides preloaded, immersive modules that allow students to explore subjects in distraction-free, judgement-free environments. These modules work offline, without internet access, ensuring learners have access to immersive content, regardless of socio-economic condition. These tools are too important, and too transformative, to only be within the reach of students in private schools, or advanced countries.
This project was born out of our desire to overcome significant challenges in modern education, such as reduced attention spans and limited access to quality resources. Inspired by our founder’s passion for using technology to solve real-world problems, Dave's philosophy has been that 21st century problems require 21st century solutions. He spent years developing VR-based educational tools, including STEM modules, virtual tours, career videos, and English Language Learning modules, while witnessing firsthand the frustrations borne of solutions which relied on one, or many of the following: an online solution requiring heavy bandwidth, expensive class-wide solutions which placed a high burden on instructors to manage, hardware connected to social media companies, and 6 DoF (degrees of freedom) hardware which introduces real estate issues, movement in classes that can promote the possibility of damage or injury, privacy issues, and excludes usage by special needs students. There absolutely is a better way.
These images show how learning modules will be accessed, and how the system will be protected (even offline), allowing a safe way for creators all over the world to bring their content to users everywhere. We invite the involvement of other creators, acknowledging that we cannot fill all academic needs, yet we can provide the system and platform.
Once in the system, students will be able to discover all sorts of content, filmed or created, and enter into numerous 360° worlds. Of course, this is accessible offline.
In the pipeline is a wonderful ELL series Dave contributed to in 2018, and which is being repurposed for our new VR headset. We are also in the middle of creating a unique system for creating content using AI tools. Many (most?) creators around the world are utilizing AI tools, but, as predicted in 2023, they are running into issues on educational value, and delivery. Those require a sensible touch.
We are currently in production of a varied library of 100-200 modules, all interactive and engaging. There is no end to content production for us, nor any limit as to what areas, subjects and topics can and will be covered. In the recent past, content production was a labour-intensive, costly venture, which kept it out of reach to many. That's changed.
Photographed scenes lend a certain depth and richness unequally by other tools today. For those looking to add scenes from their own schools, community, and sporting and cultural events, this can easily be done. 360° static image, or 360° video.
The issue with filmed content is that it is extremely large in nature, and "heavy" (many MBs). This is a scene from our module on Egypt. There are many more to do!
Content can be created by developers, modelers, and other skilled workers, or even by AI. This image is from a 360° scene creation company and is amazingly rich. Everyone has access to these types of tools, but adding educational elements to this, plus delivering in a practical, feasible way is the part often overlooked. A sensible solution will help bring such amazing content to learners everywhere.
This is an AI-generated 360° scene from our module on Diwali, an Indian festival. We are not an Indian company, but we will teach about each and every region.
There have been 104 distinct lessons and scene created, placing older students into real-life scenarios, such as moving through an airport, ordering in a restaurant, or checking into a hotel. Place matters.
The ongoing work is in updating this to a higher quality headset, and making the scores and analytics available to an online LMS (platform). This has not been done by any other company, to date. We are working through that development.
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.
There are a number of VR editor options out there, and some very impressive programs. "Make your own projects" are a wonderful and necessary part of a sensible solution. Online is easy for a developer. Offline is easy for a school.
We are currently working on this offline tool, to put the power of content creation into the hands of teachers and students everywhere. This becomes a part of a school's digital literacy offering as well.
Though our DNA is very much about being offline, there is one area we will concede online connectivity. The crux of the content will remain offline, specifically on the VR device. This is exceedingly important as content is the heaviest (MB/GB) component of the system. But the platform can and should be online, and only offered up as an add-on, for those that may want or need this. This is where KB of basically textual info is different than GB of content.
The platform compiles the scores from the modules done on the VR headset (when there is connectivity), but does not harm or degrade the experience, if it is not used. Teachers want to be connected with learning, and want to see progress. In-environment assessment scores help to achieve this.
Our approach is backed by research. Studies show that VR’s immersive capabilities improve engagement and memory retention. For example:
We have carefully planned the allocation of our ¥5,000,000 (about $35,000 US) funding goal:
Any amount reaised beyond our target will go toward a significant increase in types and quality of interactive, educational content, and a wider selection of languages.
After a successful launch into South Africa, there are countries patiently awaiting a solution, and partners already in place. The projected next markets are: Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, and Korea. The launch into South Africa will bring in initial revenue, which should allow us to bootstrap into other countries. We are extremely resourceful and capital efficient!
We believe that education is the key to unlocking a brighter future for everyone. That is why we are so passionate about making it engaging, equitable, and accessible. Sensible-VR isn’t just about technology—it’s about empowering educators to inspire students in new and meaningful ways. As Dave has said to educators the world over, "I know you can teach Photosynthesis, and teach it well. Go ahead and teach that 90%, but give me the last 10%, which is to take a learner into a plant, and experience photosynthesis. That will tie-off any loose ends, and make a lasting impact."
By focusing on under-served communities, we are working to bridge the educational divide and provide future generations with the tools they need to succeed. We are committed to creating a solution that makes a lasting impact on education around the world. One thing often overlooked is that physical labs are expensive to set up, and the consumables can also be pricey. There are also safety issues. VR can save a lot of money and effort, and make labs more accessible.
Education shapes the future, and Sensible-VR is here to transform it. By backing our Indiegogo campaign, you are not just supporting cutting-edge technology—you are helping empower educators, engage students, and build stronger communities.
Join us in redefining education. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful impact. Let’s make immersive, impactful learning accessible to classrooms and training spaces worldwide.
Let's bring the ideals of the Omi Shonin, and Sanpo Yoshi, to the world. Let students, teachers, and school administration be the three benefactors of Sanpo Yoshi (3-way satisfaction).
