CANTERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) – As virtual reality becomes more popular, some schools are discovering how it can be used as a learning tool that’s both engaging and informative.

Virtual reality headsets are booming in the entertainment world.

“It was teaching me about cranes and work safety and how to use the cranes,” said Morgan Lee, a student.

It’s a learning tool in the Dr. Helen Baldwin Middle School classroom. The students are learning about manufacturing and other hands-on careers not typically introduced in middle schools.

“I’m going to be a plumber I think, so I would need to measure pipes with the thing it’s teaching me to do,” said Andrew Cygnarowicz, a student.

It’s still piloting the program, but teacher Timothy Simkowski wants to see more students get the opportunity.

“A lot of students at this age don’t really understand what an engineer is or does,” Simkowski said. “So, seeing some of the scenarios and tools they use will help them gauge if this is something they’re interested in or not, and if they are, they have a chance and opportunity to explore it further.”

“I was testing in case something was electrical,” Lee said. “I was answering questions about whether what they were doing was safe or not.”