There’s a bomb ticking! Jon Spike, coordinator of instructional technology integration services at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, examined the colored wires.

A timer on the bomb counted down as three volunteers from his audience provide guidance on which wires to cut to defuse the bomb. With an Oculus Quest virtual reality headset pulled down over his face, Spike used the VR controller in his hand to guide the necessary cuts to the wires.

The seated audience of instructors watched the VR drama unfold on the projector screen behind him. The bomb defused, and off came his headgear as the crowd applauds.

The startling beginning to Spike’s presentation, “Virtual Reality Activities that Engage, Enhance, and Extend Student Learning,” at IDEAcon 2020 reflects the impact that VR technology can have on K–12 — upending norms, and perhaps signaling the dawn of a new way to teach. Jumping into his lecture, Spike explained the background for his approach to VR and shared some suggestions on apps that he found beneficial to classroom instruction.