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:

1. for training-type VR learning, where the object of learning is various functionalities, e.g., using, assembling, working, and

2. 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