Virtual Reality for Education | How VR Improve Education?
📅 Nov 10, 2021

Virtual Reality for Education
Educational technology is a way to encourage people and children to pursue a more convenient, affordable, faster, and accurate method for learning. The methods for teaching have only evolved with time, from duplicating machines in the early twentieth century to army training during World Wars to Smartboards in schools around the world. This human novelty of innovation has bought the world to Virtual Reality Education.

Virtual Reality refers to a simulated immersive environment that gives consumers a realistic experience. VR education is the current, up-and-coming approach that began in classrooms.

Virtual Classroom

Virtual Reality Classroom
A virtual classroom is a software-constructed environment that focuses on setting up learning and mentoring space via computer networks at times and locations of participant convenience.

Steven J. Hoffman, in his Practical Guide to the Virtual Background, Teaching the Humanities Online says, "Online education will not displace traditional face-to-face instruction, but will surely occupy an important niche in the expanding market for higher education." Thus, the growing population will become a part of virtual classrooms with immersive experiences.


How can VR improve education?


Traditional Learning has been prevalent in the schooling and education system worldwide since the very beginning. A typical classroom experience with offline classes, exams, and tests has proved to be discriminatory. The main purpose of education is learning, however, the Traditional style of the education system is more in favour of cramming and top-scorers than the unorthodox innovators. Different kinds of students have different learning styles and perceptions. The question is, how does VR education pave a fair path for all kinds of students? By simplifying lessons and expanding the means of learning to not just audio and perusal, but also virtual and immersive, the benefits are:

  • Learn through live experiences- Students will be able to not only learn about a subject but immerse and experience it with virtual reality education.
  • Virtual Reality saves time and reduces unnecessary hassle. With VR education becoming the primary means of education, the students will not only be able to pursue their dreams starting at an early age, but they will also express themselves better in the immersive environment.
  • VR prepares students for the future. Virtual Reality will indeed dominate the future by preparing young children for the new technology-driven future.

"Ready, headset, go!"- VR education and COVID

VR Education
As the epidemic wreaked havoc on nearly every industry and area of human life, the traditional procedures and methods of disseminating knowledge were rendered obsolete and fell to dust. The previous year, online schooling became the new normal. Although situations have returned to normal, several prestigious institutions and educational systems have continued to use technology as a means of instruction. AR, VR, and AI technology are making education more efficient, possible, fascinating, and broad. The time spent analysing the benefits, drawbacks, and availability of VR education at an accessible cost is phenomenal.

VR would be anytime and anywhere, for one and all. Virtual Reality can be described as a stepping stone in the changing educational system. VRAcademi's sole purpose is to provide a live learning platform that teaches art, digital design, and virtual reality to all children, regardless of their social or socioeconomic circumstances.

VR in prominent fields

Virtual Reality in education is the result of years of research put to ease the education spectrum for students that are a part of VR education. Virtual Reality is quoted as, The Science of Illusion, as it covers various disciplines such as Computer Graphics, Mathematics, Architecture, and Science.

VR Development Hannes Kaufmann offers an overview of immersive virtual environments produced in the preceding ten years to support mathematics and geometry teaching in Virtual Environments for Mathematics and Geometry Education. The following claim by Bell and Fogler, 1995, VR can bridge the gap between the concrete world of nature and the abstract world of concepts and models. Virtual reality can completely change the way students learn in the classroom. Students who used virtual reality headsets fared better in science laboratories, according to a virtual learning study. Virtual reality is being used in an increasing number of universities and colleges throughout the world. A debate, it takes place, would be won in favour of Virtual Reality-based education and all of its advantages.

Medical treatment is also being transformed by virtual reality. Virtual Reality is being used by doctors, specialists, surgeons, and other professionals of specializations. Medical researchers have been using virtual reality to create 3D representations of patients' internal organs since the 1990s. VR has accelerated the pace of medical treatments, from X-rays and CT scans to intricate operations needing meticulous planning. Virtual Reality is also allowing students to engage in a more interactive and immersive learning experience. As a result, medical institutions are embracing Virtual Reality education as a way to give aspiring professionals a more hands-on learning experience than a traditional classroom setting.

VR Learning The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant shift in surgical training, which was more harmful than positive. However, being able to continue has become easy and even more efficient with the help of virtual reality education and training. Computer-Aided Designs and Engineering software are used for engineering and designing virtual prototypes and parts. With Virtual Reality becoming more popular and accessible currently, medical as well as engineering institutions are becoming more inclined towards immersive learning. Not only that, but architecture has always adhered to the same principles. VR Education is not only shaping our imaginations for an advanced future, but it is also shaping the future workforce.

Education and Technology


With the introduction of online courses, universities and educational institutions all across the world have taken similar approaches. Stanford's Education Program for Gifted Youth descended from Psychology professors Patrick Suppes and Richard C. Atkinson's experiment with computers to teach elementary school students arithmetic and spellings in California. MIT also began providing free online classes in 2002. With one out of every three college students taking online classes, the concept of distance learning and working is not only well-established but is escalating towards VR education.

Online education brings about the face value of distance learning as something that avails education and learning for the masses. Videoconferencing has become widespread as online education makes its significant space and is an essential aspect in VR education, as VR development courses available online use online platforms.

Certain approaches towards online education are- Computer-mediated communication (CMC), which focuses on learner-instructor communication. CBT/CBL (Computer Based Training/Computer Based Learning) Individualized learning is frequently the case. Educator/tutor facilitation, the process of creating a scenario, are key to the process of CMC. Furthermore, modern ICT provides educational institutions with instruments for sustaining learning communities and the tasks that go along with knowledge management. Modern ICT provides educational institutions with instruments for sustaining learning communities and the tasks that go along with knowledge management.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also bought upon the human civilization a dire need to embrace digital and virtual platforms. World organisations, UNESCO, for example, have directed and promoted the use of technology and digitalization for student outreach initiatives as well as to compensate for lost time and possibilities. VR learning at mass stands as a bridge with the latest participation seen by leading world organisations. Granted the immense growth, development, and immersion of technology, VR education, by and large, is a milestone for humanity.

VR education- Immersive and inclusive

Virtual and Augmented realities, much like the real world have all sorts of standards to live up to. The bare minimum in all senses are the following-

  • To be inclusive- VR education should be inclusive of all those who wish to be a part of the virtual world irrespective of their caste, creed, financial background, country of origin. Be it, students, from socially backward backgrounds or a child with special needs, VR ought to be available with the highest benefits to all.
  • To promote principles of modern society.
  • To be of service- VR and technology are by the human for the humans. Hence, technology should serve humans to create a better functioning society and help humans reach their highest potential.
Virtual Reality courses

With the growing influence of VR and AR in education, several courses are available online for students to make themselves about the functionalities of VR. Some of the most intriguing and useful courses are Creative Design and Digital Art, Immersive Movie Making, 3D game development, etc.

Several VRAcademi’s are focused on bringing different VR courses online. VRAcademi brings for the future artist's different courses to suit the student's interest and caliber. Virtual Reality in Education is, has claimed multiple times, the building block for the future.

References
https://arpost.co/2019/11/21/can-virtual-reality-improve-science-education/
http://earthlab.uoi.gr/ojs/theste/index.php/theste/article/viewFile/60/42
https://immersionvr.co.uk/about-360vr/vr-for-education/
https://online.lsu.edu/newsroom/articles/how-virtual-reality-changing-education/
https://www.viar360.com/virtual-reality-improves-education-in-classrooms/

This article is written by Mokshika Sharma
Mokshika is an intern at VRAcademi and she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from IPU.

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