Introduction to VR in Education

Brief Description: This article discusses the importance of using Virtual Reality (VR) in educational settings in order to “enhance, motivate” and stimulate students’ understanding of specifically abstract concepts that many students have trouble assimilating. Definitions of and reasons for using VR are outlined as are the positive effects that students experience from this particular teaching method.

Theme: Virtual Reality is both an educational and technological breakthrough that can have an immense impact on student construction and use of knowledge. It fits into the Constructivist view of learning by allowing students through different forms of VR (desktop, partial immersion and full immersion) experiences to manipulate environments in order to discover and verify information, learn by doing, and realize their misconceptions. VR is expensive, and is most often used for training by the military, medical field.

Author’s Perspective: The author encourages educators to bring this little-used method of learning into higher education where it will positively impact student understanding of “complex systems and processes and other non-intuitive materials.” Just as we have learned that Mushroom Management and Simulation learning methods add to student understanding of material, the author presents compelling reasons that VR is one step closer to student centered, problem centered learning and therefore a more complete understanding of the content. Reasons include: 1) the ability to change one’s frame of reference and experience from the exocentric (outside view), egocentric (inside view) and biocentric view (alternating views of the above); 2) the ability to interact with the learning environment presented and create and manipulate objects within it similar to real world experience; and 3) allows the student a multisensory experience not formerly possible.

Agree or Disagree: I agree with the author regarding the use of VR in higher education. I would love to work with a team of creative and knowledgeable students to design VR experiences to enhance learning experiences. I have so many ideas in mind. The reality is that the technology hampers the endeavor because it is expensive, takes up space and has not been used enough in educational environments. In addition, I can also see legal problems arising with some individuals who may claim there were traumatized by a certain experience or other barriers that we have yet to work out.

Enhancement of Understanding: While reading this article I had a number of thoughts that crossed my mind regarding the use of VR. I understand what the author is trying to say regarding taking the VR educational experience from the training realm and into the classroom or online environment. It has some real worth as a teaching method particularly for 2^nd language learners and individuals with learning disabilities. The author is correct in stating that assessment needs to keep up with the VR method and this is where I see some real possibilities in assessing the above two types of students. By watching them manipulate and create, say, the solution to a particular problem, the instructor might be able identify alternative modes of discovering how certain students perceive their world and others.

Recommendations: This article is a good starting point to discuss the possibilities of VR, its barriers to successful learning and possible solutions to make VR more of a reality.