Our world is changing at a very fast pace, and our worldview is changing. Everything that we looked at yesterday with wide eyes, today is perceived through the prism of modern technology and gadgets. All those technologies, robots, artificial intelligence, virtual worlds 10 years ago, we watched from TV screens, they were studied in closed scientific laboratories, and today they are actively entering our reality.
What is happening in education? Is modern education ready for technological progress? Modern education has a great responsibility: training new generation professionals who are able to learn independently throughout life, think critically, make decisions, adapt to modern conditions of social mobility, mastering advanced technologies and ready to live in a changing information and communication environment. Leading in the implementation of STEM-education, as one ofinnovative areas, we see the use of moderntechnologies. And one of these technologies, which is actively developing in recent years, is virtual reality.The concept of "virtual reality" consists of two words "virtual" and "reality". The definition of "virtual" is close, and the reality is what we experience as human beings. Thus, the term "virtual reality" literally means "almost reality". Thiscreated by technical means the world, which is transmitted to man through hisfeelings [4] .Virtual reality helps to "move" to those places where it is difficult or impossible to get, to consider in detail those objects, to
which do not have free access, ie provides an opportunity to participate in the process and gain experience. Yes, the world already has a certain layer of applications that can be used in educational institutions of Ukraine (although for most cases requires knowledge of English). For example, GoogleExpeditions is more than 600 ready-made open access lessons created by the Alphabet team. Thanks to this program are real virtual tours of museums around the world, available visual base for sciences such as biology or astronomy. The MELScience application allows you to immerse yourself in the study of material weight to the molecular level. Labster Virtual Laboratory has a collection of ingredients, including rare ones, which are available in only a few closed laboratories in the world. In virtual reality, they can be mixed and see the result. During the usual laboratory classes in chemistry it is impossible in the absence of the necessary reagents and due to restrictions safety rules. Alchemy VR brings together panoramas of different places: the Great Barrier Reef, the space station, the Amazon jungle, and more.
Education and technology are still catching up, unfortunately, and the price can meet the needs of 21st century students. While the use of virtual reality will provide them with new perspectives. For example, combined with training that aims to develop the skills needed for careers in STEM professions, teachers can use technologies such as a virtual learning platform to encourage students to learn. in the areas of STEM and further choice of profession in this popular field. Thus, with the help of live video conferencing, students can communicate with people who have built a career in STEM, ask them questions and get an idea of the lives of these professionals. One of the popular platforms for virtual education is Nepris, an American company that uses modern information and communication technologies unites professional volunteers with classrooms where a group of universities / students is gathered. The company was created to help maintain live video communication between classrooms and people working as researchers, engineers and other STEM-related professionals. The company helps teachers / teachers find the right person to enable the student to understand that everything they learn in the classroom can be applied in the workplace in the real world.
It is nice to note that the US has already launched an all-US scientific and methodological virtual STEM-center - the latest resource for the implementation of STEM-education in the US, which will enhance the innovative development of natural sciences, technology, programming, robotics and research in institutions. education . This resource is still undergoing the stage of filling and testing. So, in summary, US education is already joining the use of modern technologies, including virtual, albeit slowly. This process of transition and combination of real and virtual requires solving a number of problems: acceptance of the new society, special training of those who work with children, pupils, students (educators, teachers, teachers, etc.), their training, availability of new technologies. education, etc.
