Teach & Learn with Virtual Reality

In 2025 our team developed educational VR apps for Meta Quest headsets in two different VR environments. These environments require different setups and provide different educational experiences.

Standalone Unity-based Apps

Standalone apps do not depend on external cloud services. These apps run locally on each student’s (and the instructor’s) Meta Quest headset. They require no or very little WiFi bandwidth and work in classroom or online settings.

However, standalone apps need to be installed on every VR headset. We try to make this as easy as possible by providing the apps in an online store free of charge (SideQuest).

There are a few steps needed to be able to download SideQuest apps directly to your headset:

  1. Get a free SideQuest account: https://sidequestvr.com/login
  2. Set your headset to Developer Mode
  3. Use a USB-data cable and connect your headset to your computer
  4. Allow USB Debugging on your headset
  5. Install the Side Quest Web app (you most likely do not need the Side Quest PC app)

Watch the 12 minute video that explains steps 2 and 5 in detail:
How to Side Load

You need to go through Steps 1 – 5 only ones. Afterwards, you can use the SideQuest app on your headset to install many games including the Profit Maximization Case Study and the Diagram Exhibition app:

  • Profit Maximization: A Mining Case Study
    This VR app is a game to explain marginal costs in economics. It is distributed via the SideQuest platform:
    Get Profit Maximization: Mining Case Study

  • Diagram Exhibition
    This app can be used for data related teaching tasks in various majors such as statistics, engineering, or economics. It allows instructors to use an interactive 3D diagram environment to showcase various instructor‑prepared datasets to students. It is distributed via the SideQuest platform:
    Get Diagram Exhibition App

Horizon Worlds - Cloud Based Apps

These apps run inside Meta Horizon Worlds. After starting Meta Horizon on the headset, the user loads a so called “World”. We currently have developed two Worlds. They can be found when using the search tool and searching for the application’s title.

Meta Horizon Worlds need no setup and supports multi-player mode out of the box. Inside the World students and instructor appear as avatars and communicate via the headset microphone regardless if they are in a classroom or in different locations. In a regular classroom the WiFi bandwidth usually supports up to six players, unless the classroom has a WiFi setup optimized for Virtual Reality. When students participate online their home network WiFi bandwidth is usually sufficient.

  • Simple Regression
    This app introduces a simple regression (only one predictor variable). Self-learners and students can rotate a regression line to adjust it to a dataset for real estate data. The related formula updates simultaneously.

    The World starts in a warehouse with an improvised bleacher for a student instructor environment. It contains a giant diagram with data. The instructor explains the basics of a Simple Regression. Afterwards self-learners and students can proceed to a breakout room (groups of four students each breakout room) to exercise what they have learned. Finally, everybody proceeds to the debriefing room meeting the instructor again.

  • Walkable Production Functions
    This World consist of two interconnected rooms, each featuring a walkable production function. The horizontal axises determine the labor and capital input. Each full number (capital and labor input) constitutes a tile. The hight of the tile determines the related output.

    The two interconnected rooms contain a linear production function and a Cobb-Douglas production function, respectively. Learners can start their journey at either room, but it is recommended to start with the linear production function room.