Benefits & Use Cases of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Education

The educational process has changed significantly over the past decade, offering students of all age groups enhanced and interactive experiences. This is done by using AR and VR technology in the classroom to immerse the students in the material they are studying and bring the content to life. Today we would like to explore the use of virtual and augmented reality in education and how all students, from preschool all the way to post-secondary levels, can benefit from it. 

Learning Experiences in VR 

When children are in preschool, their education is shaped by experiences. Immersing these young students into 360 environments allows them to develop better speaking skills, enhance real-life experiences, and open up new opportunities. For example, suppose we are teaching students the names of the various animals out there. In that case, it is one thing to show them a picture of a tiger or a lion, but imagine how much the experience would be enhanced if they could actually see the animal walk around before their eyes. Such enhanced experiences allow students to solidify what they learned in the classroom and absorb the material better. 

Using AR to Bring Textbooks to Life

One of the most significant advantages of AR in education is that students no longer have to read a textbook and picture whatever is being discussed in their heads. For example, let’s say a history textbook is discussing George Washington’s estate in Mount Vernon. If a student has never been there, it will be very difficult for them to imagine what Mount Vernon looks like. With the help of AR, the student can now take out their smartphone, point the camera at the image and it will appear to them in augmented reality. By using AR in education, such experiences can be applied to any subject, and it could significantly help students perform better in school. 

Also, it is possible to bring the textbook to life via game format. AR/VR games development allows students and teachers to make learning fun, and the students can compete with each other to solve math problems or anything else, which only adds to the excitement. 

Applications of VR Education 

VR for education can help schools overcome some of the most formidable obstacles in assisting students in learning better. Nowadays, one of the biggest problems is getting to school since the lockdown measures in place are preventing students from coming back to the classroom. Using virtual reality in education allows students, parents, and teachers to bridge the distance gap and maintain a high standard for remote learning. While technologies like Zoom enable everyone to stay connected, it does not provide the students with a quality educational experience. 

Even when everybody is allowed to return to the classroom, there will still be some challenges that VR can help us overcome. For example, high school students often need to dissect a frog or another animal as part of their biology class. Still, a lot of students are reluctant to do so because of their convictions. Virtual reality learning eliminates this problem since they can now perform the dissection on a virtual animal. 

Virtual Reality in Higher Education 

As students learn trades that will help them get jobs in the real world, they need to be placed in situations that they will encounter when they are on the job. For example, medical students need to study many materials about treating patients, various diseases, and best practices. Virtual reality teaching allows instructors to place students in life-like scenarios and provide them with the guidance they need in a stress-free environment. It could also show them all of the specific details about the human body’s workings that would be almost impossible to imagine without actually seeing it for yourself. 

Such realistic experiences can be offered in any subject, and any scenario can be created. It can be especially useful for freshman and sophomore students who have yet to get real-world experience, and it can help them prepare for internships or any other work they would like to do. The way they perform in the VR simulations will give both students and instructors invaluable input about what they need to work and honing their skills before they apply what they learned in the real world.  

We mentioned all of the benefits of VR and AR in education, but you still need a service provider who will take your ideas and bring them to life. Skywell Software Provides Comprehensive Solutions for AR/VR Education. Our augmented reality development company has extensive experience developing educational products, and we will work with you to create something that fits your exact needs. We can also develop virtual reality solutions that provide your students with life-like experiences and will motivate them to learn in a way traditional methods simply fall short. As we saw from some of the examples mentioned above, both AR and VR have a lot to offer students, and such solutions are needed today more than ever.