The Rube Goldberg machine has been part of many makerspaces and classrooms across the world because the chain reaction challenges are so addicting and fun. I’ve recently wondered if we have anything like this available using immersive technology. I was excited to find the Gadgeteer app available on the Oculus Quest.
The app begins by bringing you through the tutorial to show how to use the dual remotes and tools to solve the challenges. After the tutorial, the game starts and fills the virtual reality room with a series of puzzles to complete one step at a time while becoming more and more difficult as you progress.
I began the first puzzle with the help of my 11-year old daughter. She was in the room with me and was mirroring my virtual reality view on my iPhone. She helped me problem-solve when faced with dilemmas and celebrated after each step. The live stream below was done through the Oculus Quest using Facebook Live.
I found this app to be challenging, fun, and collaborative for the classroom. Even if you don’t have the supplies to build your own Rube Goldberg machine, the virtual space provides the challenge but the convenience of starting back immediately at the beginning with all items back in place.
The Gadgeteer is $14.99, which is a small price for several hours of fun this will bring your students. Once your students get started, they’ll have a hard time ending without solving every puzzle. Just as I received outside help, it would be smart to group up students to solve the problems together.
This blog is part of the #31DaysofARVRinEDU event. Expect a new augmented or virtual reality resource for the classroom to post every day in March. All subscribers will receive daily notifications.
Get more inspiring ARVRinEDU ideas from my book, Learning Transported. The book lays the foundation for classrooms to get started with augmented, virtual and mixed reality.
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