Not too long ago and not in a very far land, there were books in schools and students would get bored with them…
Oh, wait, books still exist in schools…
But you know what else exists that is better than the boring lifeless pictures in books?
Amazing inventions of this century! Virtual and Augmented Reality!
If you think that VR is just for killing zombies and roaming around VR chatrooms then you could be very wrong.
VR is being used…
Wait for it…
In schools!
Someone was just probably sitting around and thought “Why don’t we just let the students play with VR and AR in classrooms and see how much they learn from it?” We can make you sure that whoever thought of that was a very brilliant individual. The fusion of technology with education isn’t just entertaining but informative and engaging as well!
VR and AR in some way have eliminated the concept of homework, students learn and practice everything right in school, but hey! If you are still stuck with homework you can just check us out at EazyResearch and find professional thesis writing, Spain, Germany or wherever you are at great prices!
What is the Difference between AR and VR?
AR and VR are two different concepts but in the same genre, bringing images and videos to life. Virtual reality is visually interactive. Virtual reality comes in headsets and the wearer can easily lose the touch of reality. With real-life-like motion captures and movements, it’s easy to get immersed in them
Augmented reality is different than virtual reality. Instead of the headsets, augmented reality is usually on smartphones and other devices with cameras. From scanning your face and turning it into a cartoon to showing you a totally different sight through your camera.
Besides AR and VR, there’s a fusion of both called MR (Mixed Reality) which has elements of both combined into one. MR makes augmented reality interactive using the virtual reality aspects and the outcome is wonderful.
Virtual Reality: Innovating eLearning
How could VR technology be useful in schools?
That’s the question most of you might be having right now, don’t worry and keep up with us to find out!
Let’s take your biology class for an example,
Learning is Fun with Virtual Reality
You are in the lab studying about DNA strands and you have textbooks, you can learn everything about the theory from them. But you won’t be 100% sure about the concept of visuals of it. What if someone tells you that you can see and interact with a DNA strand in detail using a VR headset? Would it interesting? For sure it will be interesting and exciting.
We know not everyone is excited about DNA strands as much as others would be, now let’s have a simpler examination. You want to learn the concepts of gravity but you can’t turn your classroom into zero gravity (unless Elon Musk has invented something that can do it). You can virtually experience zero gravity using a VR headset. How bout that? You can see how fast an object would fall or rise on earth vs moon.
How Does VR Help Students?
The current generation loves technology, their life becomes dull without it. Now imagine locking them in a room with just books and no technology at all… they’d get bored and become uninterested.
VR doesn’t just entertain the students, it also engages and attracts students and feeds their curiosity by giving them a chance to explore different places without even leaving the class, which is absolutely amazing
Augmented Reality? How does it Work in Studies?
While VR could at somewhat be justified. AR technology might confuse you a little bit but you don’t have to worry.
AR, as we said before, is used mainly through mobile devices like smartphones and tablets and as we all know that schools are now embracing tablets to help students study better than before. AR is a great tool for efficient learning. It invokes collaboration among students and teachers.
But how exactly does AR help in school?
The easiest and most simplest examples would be apps like Google translate and Photomath.
Google Translate in AR!?
You read it right! Google Translate is in AR and it’s as simple as just pointing your phone or tablet towards any language written anywhere and it will translate it into your selected language. It helps students learn different languages like Spanish or Arabic or Japanese in real-time with accurate translations.
Photomath app?
Very popular that you might be using it and not know that it actually is an AR-based application. For those who don’t know about the Photomath app, With Photomath you can just scan your math problems using the camera and it will automatically show you all the methods available with the correct answer.
These were just two of hundreds of examples of educational AR apps. AR technology is implemented in a wide range of subjects. You can learn about stars or human anatomy or chemical reactions with just using your tablet or phone with maximum interactivity and best visuals.
While AR and VR are used in different aspects, both of them have the same purpose; to engage students and to encourage them to learn more and efficiently. With the correct use of AR and VR and MR technologies to teach and learn, schools are not only saving their time but also helping students sharpen their skills and achieve success in their lives!
About The Author
Elijah Gabrielson is an MA in Linguistics from the College of the Liberal Arts University of Illinois. Elijah Gabrielson is a technology writer and has done technical writing as a part-time, with his great play of words, Elijah Gabrielson knows how to make business blogs creative and keeps the readers hooked up till the end. Elijah is passionate about AI and food blogging as much as he is about writing and loves to write for EazyResearch!