What are AR/VR technologies?

Imagine you are playing a video game wearing your headphones. Will you feel bored or distracted?

No, you are immersed in the game situation and feel plugged out of outside environment. There is no room for getting distracted or losing focus until you want to.

The virtual game stations that give sci-fi or movie-like feel are based on AR (Augmented Reality)/VR (Virtual Reality) technologies. These allow users to fully immerse in the situation and feel the experience. Headsets and sound gadgets empower them to shut out outer interruptions.

What’s the difference between AR, VR, and MR?

• Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology by which you can augment the digital elements/objects in a live view by using the camera of a smartphone. Instances of increased reality encounters incorporate Snapchat lenses and the game Pokemon Go. Microsoft HoloLens is an AR based gadget that permits you to put advanced 3D pictures on top of a real world. The technology provides immersive experiences where you can move the digital objects over the real background. Games like Pokemon Go are based on the concept of using your phone's camera to track your surroundings and augmenting additional data on top of the screen. 
• Virtual Reality (VR) gives a complete immersive experience by locking you out of the physical world. VR headsets help in giving you an out of the world experience of transporting you to a completely virtual place. Users feel as if they have reached in an imaginary environment such as on the back of a dragon or dinosaur era. VR devices such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard take over your vision and provide virtual experiences by blocking your surroundings. All your senses get totally engaged in the virtual experience and you become totally unaware of your surroundings.
• Mixed Reality (MR) combines the properties of both AR and VR allowing the real-world and digital objects to interact. Mixed reality technology not just overlays virtual objects in a digital background but also anchors them in real world. Microsoft’s HoloLens is a good example of MR device that can be worn around the head to give you the experience of interacting with virtual objects in physical surroundings.
• Extended Reality (XR) covers all AR, VR and MR technologies to provide enticing virtual experience. It combines the features of various technologies to enhance our senses and augmenting real life objects into virtual surroundings. They can create virtual or simulated experiences to provide totally immersive and engaging experiences.

How do AR/VR technologies impact eLearning?

AR, VR and MR are the best technologies for future learners to provide enthralling real life virtual experiences. eLearning has extended its reach into advanced learning, simulations and game based learning. Let’s explore how these technologies will play a key role in shaping the future of eLearning.

• Simulations: Simulations have become an obvious part of eLearning as they keep the learners engaged effectively in the course. However, at present elearning is mostly done on desktops/laptops or mobile devices, which leave ample room for interruptions. AR and VR based simulations provide completely immersive experience in which the learners get involved in the virtual situation. Audio devices and headsets used for AR and VR allow learners to disconnect from any external distractions and concentrate on the virtual learning experience. For instance, use of AR and VR for online car driving safety training simulations can help learners to learn safe driving and prevent accidents. 
• Gamification: Game based eLearning courses have proven to be very effective to create engaging and interactive learning courses. Gamification can be further improvised with MR and eLearning can become completely immersive. Learners can earn real badges and rewards in such games that learners can touch and feel virtually. This is motivating and more challenging to achieve the game objectives. Games like Pokémon Go have already swept the gaming world by engaging more and more users and allowing them to earn tangible rewards and interact with the game.
• Immersive Personalized Online Training Paths: AR can help in creating personalized online training for learners where they can experience real life connection with the virtual content. The eLearning assessment can be created based on particular areas of improvement according to learner abilities. For example, if some learners need to work on their problem-solving abilities the assessment can be customized accordingly. The learners can follow different paths based on their personalized training. They can see their performance and goals throughout the course and plan accordingly. AR/VR is also implemented in branching scenario based assessments where user is required to make certain decisions and the path of the assessment is modified accordingly.
• Visual Feedback: While taking assessments if the learners miss any activity or do any step incorrectly then they can be shown the correct steps so that they can learn more effectively. Learners can also retake the assessments with different learning paths based on their last performance. This feedback is very useful in improving performance and also encouraging learners to do well. This type of feedback is helpful in creating immersive learning assessments and advanced learning paths.
• Analytics: AR/VR technologies are perfect in tracking the time spent by learners in the eLearning program. This tracking is done by gauging their eye contact while taking the training. Many VR devices also track user’s gestures and voice commands. This tracking data is useful in analysing user engagement accurately and is helpful in creating effective courses. In future this analysis will be utilized in rendering only the topics user is interested to see and will be effective in decreasing the power consumption. This technology has proved to be very useful in tracking the market trading trends and work on complex data to give operational/desired results.
•  Teamwork: In today’s world when almost every other person is online, there is need to collaborate and come face-to-face with fellow learners. Video conferences, screenshare and online presentations have been there already however, AR/VR can be very effective in providing a real time experience of working with a team. The learners will also get the experience of interacting with peer team members and training tools. Some examples are, VR role plays, 3D models, interactive product demos and other virtual tools. Thus, AR/VR will create a possibility of developing interpersonal and social skills of the online learners.

Hope these detailed insights will help you in understanding the vast scope of AR/VR. These technologies will transform the eLearning industry and will be vital for delivering immersive learning experiences. Although a little higher on creation cost for now but these are going to be the future of corporate training due to their immense benefits and will become feasible soon!