VR and AR in Education Essay Sample

Learning is a perennial process. Humans have tried to perfect it at a variety of stages of history. Owing to the connection between the mind and matter has opened new facets of research in child psychology and pedagogy. Traditionally, students learn via reading books, journals, and articles, which might work for some fraction of students. The conventional pedagogy would not be fruitful for everyone due to the diversity of minds and people. New paradigms are being explored for inclusive education and learning. 

With the advent of the information era, children have been growing with technology. While it is mainly employed for recreational use, its application in education could be path-breaking. The perceiving of reality makes the most out of learning, and researchers and educators are involved in making this process understandable for everyone. Experiential training tries to inculcate these values by engaging students in real-life scenarios. It would be great if these experiences could be tailored according to students and be more tangible. Immersive learning is a paradigm that emphasizes using technology to give a captivating experience devoid of distractions. Extended Reality (XR) is an upcoming field that reinforces humans and technology through content delivery via machines (Doolani S. et al. (2020) Takrouri K. et al., 2022). Millgram et al. (1994) based it on the idea of a reality-virtuality continuum (Takrouri, K. et al., 2022). It is implemented using two facets of the continuum: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Collectively, they are often referred to as Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR) technology, which is critical for future education and is worth investing in (Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022)).

Immersive learning tries to make learning more inclusive and accessible. The target audience comprises students and teachers in higher education, K-12 and training programs. It is required to address some shortcomings in the current teaching methodology. Immersive learning primarily focuses on increasing students' motivation to learn and collaborative disposition, which eventually translates to confidence and improved comprehension. 

Virtual Reality (VR) is a prototyping experiential learning where real-life scenarios and objects are generated using computers (Al Farsi et al. (2021)). It ensures safe, effective, and authentic learning, which owes to the transition from the information age to the experience age. There are terse concepts, particularly in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) which are hard to visualize and understand. The standard delivery model of their understanding was using 2-D imagery and drawing. VR in education stemmed from the idea that life-like 3-D objects contribute to better learning. The significant difference between VR and AR is that VR completely replaces reality, and AR supports it through textual projections and overlays (H.-K. Wu et al. (2013)). 

It is commonly delivered through Hand-Held Devices (HHDs) and VR Headset, with VR Headset being the popular ones (Al Farsi et al. (2021). The study of Al Farsi et al. (2021) is also supported by Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022), which uses VR Headset as their preferred mode for VR in the purpose-designed laboratory. The popular VR headsets are Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. 

Some compelling points on VR make it a viable option for future learning. It provides a significant possibility for people with impairments who lack the linguistic or physical skills to participate in real-world activities (Al Farsi et al. (2021)). It provides students with life-like experiences and exploring places it is infeasible to visit, like Polar ice caps, to visualize climate change and space exploration, and even develop soft skills! (Dick, E. (2021)). These multi-faceted benefits also translate to an overall positive response to VR adoption. The survey at the University of Sydney suggested that 71.5% of students improved their learning outcomes and 68.5% look forward to using it (Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022)). This positive trend is backed by many surveys reported in Dick, E. (2021), e.g., one conducted by Samsung Electronics for the U.S. teachers states that 83% believe in improvements through VR in education.

While there is a significant acceptance among people, some limitations account for the rest of the cohort. We cannot neglect the cost and expenses of VR. VR headsets like Oculus Rift require high-performance computers, accounting for 66% of the price, starting from USD 3000. The price becomes significant when VR headsets might not be within every student's budget (Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022)). It also contributes to mental fatigue, including motion sickness, blurred vision, and discomfort with prescription glasses. Dick, E. (2021) describes it as an alternative to fatigue in online classes, such as increased cognitive load. However, studies from H.-K. Wu et al. (2013) and Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022) contradict it and claim students have similar problems with VR and AR, which adds to its weaknesses. 

These challenges also possess opportunities to overcome through VR labs, which should comprise state-of-the-art experimentation and content creation facilities to aid the learning process. It helps to bring the cost per student of VR significantly down. There are cheaper alternatives, such as Google Cardboard, and in the future, the cost of VR will decrease with an increase in technology adoption and increased computation (Al Farsi et al. (2021)). Incorporating evaluation feedback loops, training schools for teachers, and substantial fund allocation for schools (Dick, E. (2021)) could mitigate the challenges.

While the VR tries to mimic real-life experiences, real-world object feedback is required in some disciplines, such as civil engineering. Augmented Reality (AR) allows synchronous adaptation of technology using visual enhancements and overlays (Takrouri K. et al., 2022). The AR research started as early as 1967, but its applications are exploratory. Millgram et al. (1994) defined AR followed as a restricted approach in the early years as merely defining it as a technical aid, and a broader strategy defines it as augmentation in natural cues, conceptualizing beyond technology (H.-K. Wu et al. (2013)). Klopfer and Square (2008) described it more broadly as "a situation in which a real-world context is dynamically overlaid with coherent location or context-sensitive virtual information" (quoted in H.-K. Wu et al. (2013).

With faster mobile chips, there is an uptake of mobile-AR. It offers location-based AR experiences backing the success of games like Pokemon Go, making the whole paradigm more authentic (H.-K. Wu et al. (2013)). Moreover, gamified approaches to learning are possible through AR, and acquiring technical education and specialized training is more feasible. The early takers of AR were the engineering disciplines in STEM, which is now being experimented with in Arts and Social Sciences. 

Unlike VR, AR allows pupils to interact with real-world things simultaneously. It clarifies the link between virtual augmentations and the real-world gadgets or occurrences in question. It also eliminates the possibility of colliding with real-world items because the digital data is immediately added to the physical objects rather than the learner functioning in a virtual environment (Takrouri, K. et al., 2022).

Researchers unanimously agree to identify challenges Immersive Learning faces in content adoption and creation. Often there is a requirement for specific content created by teachers, which cannot be fulfilled by ready-made content. Attempts are being made to generate content through AR/VR labs (Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022)), but there are not any reported guidelines that set the benchmark for content creation (Takrouri, K. et al., 2022).

Takrouri K. et al. (2022) highlight a paucity of research regarding the long-term integration of augmented reality technology into engineering education which questions its continuity which is concurred by H.-K. Wu et al. (2013).

Immersive learning has the potential to transform education to make it more inclusive. Success stories in the discipline of STEM, Arts, and Humanities providing better holistic growth and enthusiasm among students are laudable. New learning elements such as exploration, gamification, and training in hazardous conditions are now being implemented using immersive learning. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid adoption of distance learning makes immersive learning a suitable candidate. However, this is still the tip of the iceberg: the first uptakers are the innovators with STEM subjects leading the adoption (Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022)). The challenges in contextualization, authenticity, and engagement make the policymakers adopt a wait-and-watch policy. The fraction of engineering courses with AR content is relatively low, supported by the studies of Takrouri, K. et al. 2022 and Marks, B., & Thomas, J. (2022). The challenges could be opportunities through effective policy making (Dick E. (2021)), better content creation measures, and long-term studies. New opportunities will likely develop as technology progresses and becomes more widely adopted; it is hopeful that the future of immersive learning is bright and leading toward more inclusive and diverse education.