Question Sheet: A Classroom of the Mind

By Science News Explores

SCIENCE

Before reading:

  1. What kinds of technology imitate reality in some way?

  2. Why might someone want to imitate a classroom?

  3. Name some things that often distract you from your schoolwork. Are there others that help you concentrate?

During reading:

  1. What is virtual reality? Who typically uses it?

  2. Why have psychologists started to see virtual reality as a useful tool?

  3. What is ADHD? What are some of its symptoms?

  4. To test kids for ADHD, how might the virtual classroom be better than classic A-X tests?

  5. How might the virtual classroom be used to treat kids with ADHD?

  6. What adults might benefit medically from virtual reality technology?

  7. How can virtual reality help kids undergoing painful medical procedures?

After reading:

  1. Why does Skip Rizzo think that psychology needs virtual reality to “keep pace with modern society”? What would keep psychology behind the times?

  2. What makes virtual reality different from today’s standard computer programs?How could you make virtual reality even more realistic?

  3. Do you think the virtual classroom would be more efficient than other tests to evaluate students’ problems?

  4. Do you think that the virtual classroom would increase or reduce the number of kids who take medication for ADHD? Why?

LANGUAGE ARTS

  1. Skip Rizzo claims we are living in an “information deluge.” What does he mean by “deluge”? Come up with three other ways of expressing that idea about the information environment that we are in.

  2. The article describes some of the distractions that researchers programmed into the virtual classroom. Did they leave any out? Write a paragraph that describes your typical experience of a classroom setting. Be sure to include as many details as possible.

  3. After reading the article, what questions about virtual reality remain unanswered? List three or four questions that you would like to ask Skip Rizzo about his research.

MATHEMATICS

  1. The article states that about 1 in 20 kids has ADHD. What percentage is that? How many kids with ADHD would you expect in a classroom of 40? If there were 540 students in your school, what would be the average number having ADHD?

  2. Let’s imagine that Skip Rizzo’s virtual classroom can identify some kids diagnosed with ADHD who do not need medication. If one out of every five fits this category, how many students in your school of 540 would now need medication?