Driven students reach for the cars thanks to virtual reality program
Here’s how students from a Toowoomba high school are learning how to drive through advanced and virtual reality technology.
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Learning to drive has become a reality for students at Clifford Park Special School with the release of a virtual reality program.
The Toowoomba school has integrated a virtual reality learning hub, developed by the Endeavour Foundation, into its driving program to help students learn how to drive and build confidence.
The program teaches students about road rules through a hands-on approach that encourages quicker learning.
Year 11 student Seth Jennings said the virtual reality program has assisted him in many ways from gaining independence to successfully obtaining his learner’s permit.
“(The program) is pretty weird when you’re just starting to get used to it because it makes you feel a bit sick, but once you get used to it, it’s great,” he said.
“One of my goals was to get my learner’s licence which I did and I’m also planning on doing childcare work when I graduate from high school.”
While 16-year-old Matthew Chapman said he was enjoying learning about how all the functions of a vehicle work.
“The greatest thing about having the driving simulator is it helps people to learn to drive, indicate, activate wipers, select gears use the clutch, brakes and accelerator,” he said.
Clifford Park Special School principal Corinda Searchfield said the virtual reality learning hub complimented the high school’s readily established PATH program.
She said the purpose of PATH was for Year 10 students to determine goals they want to achieve during their senior years and the future.
“On behalf of our school we sincerely thank the Gladys Myrtle Brown fund for the generous donation that has allowed our school to receive the virtual reality learning hub program from the Endeavour Foundation,” Ms Searchfield said.
“For some of our students learning to drive is something that they would like to achieve… in fact one of our students drives to school each day independently.
“But for others learning to drive independently is not the ultimate goal however they still want to learn the road rules, experience the realness of being in a car and be respectful and responsible so this is the way they can do it.”
Endeavour Foundation service design partner Chris Beaumont said learners can build confidence and skills in the safety of the virtual world before taking it on to the roads of the real world.
“I hear from speaking to neurodiverse people that many are worried they may not even be allowed to get a driver’s licence, especially if they have a disability that impacts on their ability to learn - but that’s not the case,” Mr Beaumont said.
“With our interactive driving simulation, which can be used alongside fully developed learning modules, people with a learning disability can start with an immersive experience showing them what it’s like to drive.
“Learners then build confidence in the safety of the virtual-world before taking what they’ve learned onto the roads of the real-world.”
Spokesman for the Endeavour Foundation David Blower said one of the key interest areas identified by Clifford Park Special School was that many students had the goal of learning to drive.
“Virtual reality technology gives young people the chance to try new things and develop life skills in a safe, controlled environment,” Mr Blower said.
“Once students have learned some of the road rules and how to be safe on the road using virtual reality, we hope they will have the confidence to get their learners and gain their independence as a driver.”
More than 20 students at Clifford Park Special School have achieved their goals of obtaining a learner’s permit this year after using the virtual reality program.
Endeavour Foundation’s VR learning drive for Queensland schools is funded in partnership with Arrow Energy with $100,000 in funding over two years and a $150,000 grant from the Gladys Myrtle Brown Charitable Trust.
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Originally published as Driven students reach for the cars thanks to virtual reality program
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