Welcome ☆

 OKAY… HI AGAIN 👋

So here I am again, writing another blog post for the Current Issues in Teaching course—and honestly, at this point, blogging about our assignments feels like part of my personality. Today’s post is all about one of the most enjoyable (and slightly challenging) projects we’ve worked on so far: designing an AR/VR-based city exploration handout worksheet and an ASSURE-model lesson plan for preparatory high school students.

This project was a group work; I and my teammates—İren, Halil, and Mert—together we designed an interactive English lesson that takes students on a virtual trip to Paris, France. Our main focus was creating a meaningful learning experience by combining technology, language skills, and student-centered activities. We were responsible for selecting the AR/VR materials, designing the handout, and preparing an ASSURE lesson plan that clearly shows how and why technology is used in the lesson.

You can access our ASSURE Lesson Plan and AR/VR City Exploration Handout by clicking on names!

After getting feedback on the introduction title and appropriate questions related to the places we put our worksheet (two factual and two personal for students and their order), we have revised our handout worksheet, and you can see the edited version by clicking on the name again! AR/VR City Exploration Handout Edited

Instead of teaching cultural topics through plain texts and static images, our aim was to let students explore the city themselves. Using AR and VR tools, students interact with a 3D model of the Eiffel Tower, take a 360-degree virtual tour inside Notre-Dame Cathedral, and visit the Musée d’Orsay without leaving the classroom. The idea was to move away from passive learning and create an experience where students actually feel involved.

After planning the activities, we created an ASSURE-model lesson plan to organize the lesson step by step. The plan helped us think more clearly about learner needs, learning objectives, technology selection, and student participation. It also made us reflect on how AR/VR tools should support language learning instead of distracting from it.

All tasks were aimed at making students use their observation skills and express their opinions, allowing learners to describe what they see, make simple choices, and express feelings using basic language. For example, during the museum activity, students explore the Musée d’Orsay through a 360-degree tour and choose the part they like the most, explaining why they chose it.

In class, students work in small groups, discuss their ideas, and help each other complete the tasks. The final activity gives them the chance to write their thoughts and opinions about the experience they had imagining that they are influencers who have spent a day in Paris. This part was especially important for us because it is the output of the learning process.

I won’t lie—designing an AR/VR-based lesson was easier than I thought. However, finding suitable virtual materials, making sure the links worked properly with QR or just manually, and aligning everything with the ASSURE model definitely took time and patience. It also made me realize that using technology in the classroom as a teacher requires much more thought than just “this looks cool, let’s use it.”

That being said, I really enjoyed the creative side of this project. Choosing landmarks that I like to explore myself, designing interactive questions, and imagining students exploring these places virtually was actually very fun. It made me feel more confident about integrating technology into my future teaching because before making this assignment, I wasn't really familiar with using AR/VR-based lessons.

Of course, there can be challenges in a real classroom. Not every student may have easy access to devices, and some may need extra guidance when using AR/VR tools for the first time. Still, with clear instructions and proper teacher support, as I always say, I believe this kind of lesson can be highly motivating and effective.

Overall, this project helped me better understand how technology, pedagogy, and student needs can work together. It was a valuable experience, and honestly, one of the assignments I genuinely enjoyed.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience! And as always, don’t forget to check out my friends’ blogs—they are as good at blogging as I am. :D

Have a great day or night, and feel free to leave a comment if you have any further questions!
See you in the next post <3