Cobb Schools is expanding high-quality learning opportunities to help more students with math and science

Soon, more students in the Cobb County School District will have access to an experiential learning platform for math and science that uses adaptive Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) to transform the learning experience.

Prisms of Reality is designed for tactile, kinesthetic, and visual sensemaking while solving compelling real-world problems. It is designed to extend learning and increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Cobb Schools Board members see the value of the high-quality learning option David Banks And Brad Wieler advocated making the program available to Cobb students.

“When we talk about innovation in Cobb, this is a perfect example. I am impressed with what is now possible for students and can’t wait to see our students engage with math and science in ways no one in this state has ever seen,” said Mr. Scamihorn. “From what I understand, our principals and teachers are just as enthusiastic as the students; I am proud that the Superintendent and staff are providing student learning in such a groundbreaking way.”

Cobb Virtual Academy (CVA) has been using the high-quality virtual option for three years and data shows higher student engagement. As a result of the success at CVA, district leaders are expanding the proof-of-concept learning program to 20 middle and high schools in Cobb County.

The following schools will roll out virtual reality technology to help students with math and science:

• Allatoona High School
• Awtrey High School
• High school barber
• Campbell High School
• Campbell High School
• Daniel High School
• Durham High School
• Floyd High School
• Hightower Trail High School
• Hillgrove High School
• Loving high school
• McEachern High School
• North Cobb High School
• Osborne High School
• Pearson High School
• Pontifical High School
• Simpson High School
• South Cobb High School
• Sprayberry High School
• Tap high school

From more than 45 STEM-certified schools to elite magnet programs dedicated to STEM, students at Cobb schools already have access to many STEM learning opportunities. This year, 11 high schools in Cobb were designated as AP STEM Achievement Schools. Cobb Schools is also home to STEMapalooza, the annual summer event where teachers from across Georgia and even out of state come to learn how Cobb teachers teach STEM.

Prisms of Reality aims to add to those successes. As students engage with the standards-aligned modules on core topics, their teachers can monitor their progress and intervene strategically while students are in virtual reality. The program is designed to enable teachers and students to teach and learn mathematics and science through movement, experience and discovery, while rapidly improving students’ skills in key bottleneck topics in secondary mathematics and science.

Cobb teachers will be able to individualize instruction thanks to the Prism platform, which provides powerful analysis of student progress and performance on standards over time to support strategic, data-driven instructional planning.

The platform can be interwoven with regular or hybrid classroom education and can also serve as a remedial tool for interventions at school or after-school tutoring.