Virtual Reality in Education: Will it Transform the Education System?

Education is the base of a prosperous society. The transfer of knowledge is considered to be one of the top priorities for the masses since time immemorial. People worldwide are persistently searching for techniques to make knowledge transfer more effective, quick, and easy. In today’s technology-driven world, virtual reality (VR) seems to be the revolutionary step towards a thriving education system. Before computers, we had books, a powerful tool that aided in retaining facts. At present, those are being turned to eBooks that can be easily found through search engines. 

VR is capable of improving student engagement and learning. It can transform the way educational messages are provided by creating a virtual world. The user can not only see but also interact with the learning process. Fortune Business Insights™ mentioned in a report that the global VR in education market is anticipated to reach USD 13,098.2 million by 2026. The era of digitization and the rising usage of online educational platforms amongst students are the major growth drivers of this industry. 

What Makes VR in Education Advantageous?

• Sense of Place: When you read about a certain place, you often want to visit it. With VR, you can explore that place and see every inch of it. While experiencing this, a human mind actually believes that it is a completely new place and this feeling will engage your mind in a remarkable way. 
• Creativity: VR in education is great for content creation and not only for content consumption. It provides you with powerful tools that would aid in enhancing your creativity.
• Emotion: VR delivers memorable experiences to engage students the entire time. This induces visceral reactions that keep them hooked on the subject.
• Active Learning: VR in education offers an opportunity to you to learn by doing rather than simply reading. It makes the learning process faster, unlike the modern education system.   

DreamX Unveils VR Human Anatomy App for Medical Students in India 

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic made people realize the benefits of using virtual reality in a wide range of industries, such as education, manufacturing, and healthcare. In July 2020, DreamX, a startup providing technology consulting services and solutions based in Chennai, declared that it is currently working to train students to upskill and learn, as well as to get used to machinery and equipment without physically touching them. 

The company’s founder Harish Karthikeyan stated that its major focus sector includes education as it is delivering great potential to VR technology. Nowadays, experiential learning is being utilized in this sector in the form of gamification of lessons, augmented reality (AR), virtual tools, and virtual labs. He further mentioned that DreamX recently developed a VR Human Anatomy app for medical students. They will be able to use this app to practice complex procedures, such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) virtually.

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Schell Games to Launch HistoryMaker VR in Steam 

In July 2020, Schell Games, a software firm headquartered in the U.S., announced that HistoryMaker VR, its content creation theater tool for classrooms will be available in Steam next month. Steam is a video game digital distribution service. HistoryMaker VR is a new educational tool that would enable users to embody several renowned figures from U.S. history. You can step into the shoes of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or founding father Benjamin Franklin and give out speeches using multiple features. 

Sublime to Introduce Immersive Learning Platform Called Edify

Sublime, a prominent immersive technology company based in Scotland, is planning to launch Edify, its latest immersive learning platform. It would enable students to learn and explore in virtual environments from any part of the world. The company collaborated with the University of Glasgow for developing Edify by keeping in mind the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, owing to complete lockdown across the globe, students are undergoing remote learning and Sublime wants to improve their experiences. 

The Road Ahead

VR will become a vital economic commodity in future as the technology has recently become accessible and cost-effective. Though the industry is at the nascent stage, it has a greater potential in the educational sector. It will help in reducing student dropout rates, provide independent skill practice, enhance the excitement of training, augment student referrals, and surge revenue per student.