VR and AR: The New Frontier of Educational Technology

Did you know that the use of AR and VR in education could help increase effectiveness by 76%?

The constant technological development significantly affects many industries, including the educational sector. In addition to traditional teaching methods used for long, long decades, completely new ones appear. AR and VR are prominent examples of this.?

More than half of teachers think VR can enhance students' collaboration skills. Even more students report that using VR enhances their learning experience!

Of course, old-fashioned teaching models still remain relevant in certain contexts. However, the need for innovative educational tools grows, and more institutions and businesses are turning to AR/VR to meet modern learning demands.

Read our article and explore:

• The ways AR/VR are transforming the education sector
• Examples of successful projects in the field of AR/VR in education

Dive in!

The ways AR/VR are transforming the education sector

The virtual reality education market is predicted to reach $28.70 billion in 2030. By creating immersive and engaging environments, AR can help students feel more invested in their learning and develop a stronger sense of empathy and understanding."

In addition to all of the above, VR learning appeared to be 52% more cost-effective!

So, what are the ways to enhance education with the help of AR/VR?

Immersion in the learning process

Traditional teaching methods often rely on abstract presentation of information in the form of text or two-dimensional images.?

Conversely, VR allows students to immerse themselves in a virtual environment where they can observe, explore, manipulate, and interact with three-dimensional objects.?

This multi-dimensional presentation of information makes the student more engaged and stimulates their senses.

Imagine yourself during a prehistory lesson. You are transported to the dinosaur era and have to lift your head high to see the tallest specimens. During oceanography classes, you "dive" into the ocean to get to know the inhabitants and explore coral reefs. In human anatomy classes, you have the opportunity to learn and interact with over 10,000 realistic anatomical models and structures.?

According to the PwC VR Soft Skills Training Efficacy Study, learning through virtual reality speeds up the learning process and affects the quality of the information acquired. The results show that thanks to learning through VR, we acquire knowledge 4 times faster, and the confidence in using skills acquired in VR is 275% greater.

One of the most interesting experiments was conducted by Devon Allcoat and Adrian von Mühlenen from the University of Warwick. The scientists checked how different methods — virtual reality, video, and reading a textbook — could affect learning progress.?

For this purpose, students completed a biology test twice: before learning the topic and after gaining knowledge. It turned out that the best results were achieved by those who used VR - they improved their result by 28.5%. In the case of video, this value was 16.1%, and after reading the textbook — 24.9%.

Interesting fact: AR and VR could help not only young learners. They could also be beneficial in real-world scenarios like corporate culture. For example, the Banque Populaire du Sud in France utilized this technology to help employers understand the importance of gender equality.?

Student-centric approach

The use of VR in education could help to adapt to individual student needs and preferences. Research clearly suggests that personalization using VR can lead to better matching of content and teaching methods to individual student learning styles, which in turn translates into more effective learning.?

VR technology allows for the adjustment of the difficulty, pace, and style of presentation of the material to each student's preferences and abilities.

Example: Theraply VR application's creators used VR technology to transport children with special educational needs to a world free from excess stimuli. Here, they can practice individual developmental areas while having great fun.

Improving memorization and understanding of material

VR and AR stimulate multiple senses simultaneously, creating a more realistic and engaging learning environment. This helps students associate information with specific experiences, which in turn helps them remember.?

The technologies allow students to simulate various situations and scenarios that would be difficult or dangerous to replicate in real life. They can thus safely experiment and gain practical skills.

Examples of successful projects in the field of AR/VR in education

Let’s see examples of how AR and VR are being used to enhance education and learning experiences.

Human anatomy - "Complete Anatomy" by 3D4Medical?

With the help of this app, medical students can rotate and zoom organs, muscles, and bones. This helped them to understand the spatial relationships between different organs, tissues, and systems in the body.

To make this app, developers consulted ancestral diversity experts, professors, and 3D artists to create face features or skin tones. “Complete Anatomy” had over 20 million downloads. This is a remarkable result!

Interesting fact: There are also apps that offer surgical simulations for medical training.

Language Learning — Mondly (AR)

Mondly’s use of AI is based on using virtual avatars in the user’s real-world environment. This is like having a virtual tutor talking to you right in your room. The app also provides visual cues and translations, making it easier for learners to understand and retain new vocabulary.

For example, if you are talking about food, you could see an apple magically appearing on your screen in your real environment. The combination of visual representation of an object and hearing the word helps make strong connections in the memory.?

Historical trips — Historik

Imagine stepping back in time to witness historical events firsthand. Historik uses AR to overlay historical footage, images, and information onto real-world locations.

Students could visit a battlefield and see reenactments of famous battles, or explore ancient ruins and visualize how they looked in their prime. All this is possible due to the AR and VR capabilities of this app.?

Summing up…

Both traditional and modern teaching methods have a positive impact on learning progress. However, AR/VR is a unique opportunity to create experiences that are impossible with traditional approaches.?

If you are an edtech startup founder or have an idea for a unique educational service, let Innovation Feel help you develop a custom learning app or online learning platform. Together, we can explore the boundless potential of AR/VR in education. Book a free consultation today and let's discuss your vision.