The future of education
Introduction
We live in a world where technology is becoming an increasingly dominant feature of our daily lives. Virtual reality is gaining importance in a wide variety of industries. What was once dismissed as a luxury gadget has now evolved into an easily accessible platform offering immersive experiences to people of all ages.
In the following paragraphs, I would like to discuss why VR and education can be a very effective combination.
The Future of Education is Digital
It is largely due to a global pandemic that the world's education system has had to grapple with new, digital teaching and learning methods.
That this transition hasn't always been seamless was partly due to the short adaptation period, which sometimes completely overwhelmed both teachers and students. Besides the familiar daily routine, virtually all social contact disappeared or shifted entirely to the digital realm.
After a certain warm-up phase (which could sometimes take a bit longer), however, things seemed to fall into place. Admittedly, purely online or distance learning is a bit much for me personally. But it's certainly true that a large portion of the curriculum can be conveyed effectively and comprehensibly via digital channels. In some cases, it has also revealed significant weaknesses in our (educational) system, from which we can all learn valuable lessons.
The term Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) encompasses virtually any type of learning that effectively incorporates technology. TEL is not a new, radical learning concept, but rather has existed since computers began being used as teaching tools in the 1980s.
Possible teaching methods include:
Mobile Learning
A form of distance learning. It is a way to access educational content using mobile or other handheld devices.
Flipped Learning
This is a teaching method that allows teachers to prioritize active learning tasks during class time by providing students with materials and presentations to work through at home.
Virtual Learning Environments
These are online systems commonly used in schools, colleges, and universities. They allow students to access various resources and easily submit assignments. They also enable teachers to share their own materials and communicate with students (e.g., Moodle or MS Teams).
Digital Games and Apps
Due to their playful nature, apps can sometimes create a more engaging learning experience than traditional methods. The advantage is that virtually every smartphone owner has access to this learning content. And that's a very large number of people.
Virtual Reality in the Classroom
VR has the potential to revolutionize teaching, or at least parts of it, in the near future. However, the path to classrooms remains challenging. This is especially true since the cost of the necessary headsets (although significantly reduced in recent years) still seems too high for many educational institutions. Yet, learning in VR would offer significant added value on several levels. Firstly, it would enrich lessons with another technological element, and the fun factor shouldn't be underestimated. Secondly, content can be conveyed very securely and, above all, more engagingly than ever before.
VR learning, particularly in complex subjects or environments, allows for a more immersive and engaging learning experience. But which subjects could benefit most?
Consider subjects like geography, history, art, or the natural sciences. Instead of the traditional method of learning about content through textbooks and videos, VR allows students to virtually move around the world. Immersing oneself in an environment on the other side of the planet is enriching and a much more enjoyable experience. VR could make historical content accessible, recreate scenarios, and even allow for conversations with historical figures.
Biology and chemistry offer further excellent examples. VR could allow for close encounters with dangerous or very rare wild animals. Chemistry experiments with potentially hazardous substances could be conducted in a completely safe environment.
Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?! But what is the current status?
From Theory to Practice
If you want to look to the future, as is so often the case, it's worth taking a look across the Atlantic, more precisely to Palo Alto. At Stanford University, Professor Jeremy Bailenson (founder of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University, among other things) has been researching the possibilities of and surrounding virtual reality for almost two decades.
His course "Virtual People" has existed for almost as long. However, it has only recently become entirely virtual. All 263 course participants use a VR headset to participate and spent a combined total of almost 200,000 minutes together in the virtual (classroom) world during the 2021 academic year.
"In Virtual People, students don't just try out VR a few times. VR becomes a medium they rely on. As far as I know, in the history of virtual reality, or even in the history of education, no one has ever connected hundreds of students via VR headsets for months on end. It's VR on an incredible scale." So says Bailenson.
Looking to the future, Bailenson plans to continue teaching Virtual People in its natural medium, VR. The goal is to familiarize his students with a valuable technological tool.
"It's gratifying to see how far virtual reality has come in the early 21st century," said Bailenson. "I'm sure it will go even further in the capable hands and minds of Stanford students."
For us, it's already clear that we shouldn't wait for the next pandemic to take the next step in education. Both the technology and a generation of inquisitive minds are available. We shouldn't let this opportunity go to waste.
Further links:
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/virtual-reality-education-immersive-learning
https://immersionvr.co.uk/about-360vr/vr-for-education/
https://news.stanford.edu/2021/11/05/new-class-among-first-taught-entirely-virtual-reality/