AR/VR Can Create Meaningful Experiences in the Education System
AR/VR may constitute the new morphology of our education systems and this diffusion modifies the operations and helps gain better outcomes in the future. Imagine how this paradigm can change the sense of space and time! Experiments can be influenced by the ‘movement of resources / objects’ rather than by the ‘movement of original location’.
Much more of the AR/VR has been around entertainment and gaming, but what if these emerging technologies can be disruptive across the education system? What if students were able to see that thin blur line between the real and the virtual? What if they can see virtual angles of the Science lessons, Physics and Chemistry while they’re in the classrooms? For example, students may virtually view and dissect animals’ anatomy.
Mixing these two realities would be a great experience in education where students would interact and manipulate with objects they are studying about as if they were real. For example, Art students may virtually explore a museum. Using AR/VR in education allow students to be more creative and understand lessons in a better way by shifting from the (story-telling) stage to the (story-doing) stage. This can help in absorbing the information easily, and as we studied before, a picture is worth thousands of words.
Moreover, students can get trainings through AR/VR and eventually reduce the cost of education.
Finally, we have to admit that such interaction is extremely amazing between human and electronic brains. It may be a core component of contemporary educational growth, and therefore, may lead to changes in the future economy and employment as well. As a consequence, the capacity of organizations to fully engage and adjust in learning these new skills is an important factor of the economical face of society. That’s why I believe that these technologies can create meaningful experiences in the education system.
- 1 Reply
Thank you for your contribution, Sabine. This is a very interesting topic that bears relation to the Exponential Technologies in Education thread, but also makes for an interesting discussion on its own.
I myself have been able to experience how VR is being applied in the architecture and engineering fields. It is a literally overwhelming (and can even induce a little vertigo). The technology is being used to teach engineering and architecture students with virtual 3-D structures which simulate their weight, mass, volume, material properties, etc.
Apart from the above mentioned, it is used in other areas such as virtual “field trips”, language intervention, skills training (there are many video tutorials that teach practical tasks), special education and even philosophy.
If you recall Reine Abbas’ Masterclass, you will remember that she used game learning for children to become trained at different disciplines that they wouldn’t normally would at the regular school system (and let alone become motivated by them). This is just one of the areas which may be boosted into unexplored possibilities when enhanced with VR tools.
By the way, in regards to the virtual field trips, in Madrid, where I live, museums like El Prado and Reina Sofia have opened virtual tours during these Covid times, included guided visits for children. While I still prefer the in-person experience, these initiatives have given many people with health and mobility challenges or in remote areas of the world the opportunity to be exposed to a a magnificent depository of works of art.
As always, thanks for your post and have a nice day!