State of VR for Education
What is possible in VR?
Virtual environments offer a computer simulated environment that can be joined globally by many users who have created an avatar at the same time.
Virtual environments are well known in the gaming industry. However, there are a number of other social possibilities that VR can offer users, such as training, learning, conferencing, events, convenience and communication.
Virtual learning environments can offer learner immersive engagements content, management, and assessment, that promote and support learning. In a virtual classroom learners and educators can connect allowing students and professionals to learn in a virtual environment that is professional, realistic and not just theoretical. Seeing how something looks before executing it creates trust and confidence while reducing cost of training as well as operational costs.
There are three main types of virtual learning environments. They differ in how learners and instructors interact with each other, at the same time, or studying independently or a combination of the previous.When both learners and instructors are online simultaneously they interact with each other in real-time through features like video conferencing, chatrooms, and virtual whiteboards, communicating in a virtual environment by avatars or virtual and simulation environments.
VR is also a safe environment for testing dangerous environments such as laboratories, fire elements and aeroplanes. It is safe to explore new places, observe objects and cities around the world, national parks, museums, and historical places.
Plenty of activities can take place in VR. Instead of viewing a 2D screen, users can interact with 3D worlds. You can
use and share content like text, slides, Google documents, videos
use a whiteboard, notes, last pointer, browser, import and export files from your desktop, observe 3D objects
record or take pictures of your sessions.
Pedagogical content
VR learning can be roughly divided into two types:
for training-type VR learning, where the object of learning is various functionalities, e.g., using, assembling, working, and
for community learning, where VR platforms offer the opportunity to learn more conceptual things.
An example of training type VR learning is Mandatory Trainings, a digital training platform for aviation and maritime compliance using VR, AR, adaptive learning and gamification in the Metaverse developed at Helsinki XR Center. The certifications would be International Air Transport Association (IATA) certified and can in the future be reused for multiple aviation companies.
Events and co-working in Metaverse are an example for community learning. Metaverse helps you connect with people when you aren’t physically in the same place it get us even closer to that feeling of being together in person.
Pedagogical theories are usually divided into behaviourist, cognitive constructivist and sociocultural theories. Behavioural learning means learning an activity, e.g., sports performance or the use/assembly of a device. Behavioural learning is already widely done with VR assistance.
The other pedagogical theories mentioned refer more to linguistic communication and are based on concepts. To apply linguistic and conceptual communication in virtual realities, we need to look for metaverse platforms developed for community and cooperation.
In our work we found new pedagogical tools and methods made possible by virtual reality:
Student activity:
Passive
listening to a lecture
reading texts
watching a video
Active
writing notes
drawing diagrams, mind maps
Collaboration
discussing with others
working together on assignments
using Mural, Figma and other coworking platforms
Play
role play with drama
dance
exercise
New VR abled
viewing 3D models
visiting virtual environments
using, modeling and editing 3D models
Teacher activity:
Active
speaking
writing to whiteboard
showing pictures and videos
showing movements
New VR abled
showing 3D models
modeling, editing 3D models
assembling, operating 3D models
showing virtual environments
Last updated