Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have found widespread adoption across various industries such as medicine, gaming, entertainment, and more recently, education. Virtual reality statistics from KommandoTech show that there are 171 million active VR users in the world as of 2018, and that the combined augmented and virtual reality global market should top $160 billion by 2023.
Active VR users around the world are spread across various industries, with gaming and entertainment collecting a huge chunk of that number(45%). The younger generations are spearheading the growth and adoption of VR, as reports indicate that 44% of people interested in purchasing VR devices are between the age of 18 and 35.
However, VR has more far-reaching effects on education and training. A recent study on students saw a large number (97%) declare that they would prefer to study through VR than in a standard classroom. Also, parents acknowledge the importance of VR to a child’s learning process, with over 62% of parents agreeing that the use of VR can enhance the education of their children.
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In this article, we will take a look at the various benefits VR has in education and training. Let’s dive right in!
Contents
How VR Benefits Education
It eliminates language barriers
Often, transfer students from other countries encounter language barriers when trying to further their education in a new environment.
The introduction of VR can help eliminate such challenges as language translation software can be installed into VR study programs to aid the study of international students.
It reduces classroom distractions
Teachers would agree that one of the significant challenges that come with the job is the ability to capture the attention of a full classroom for hours until a lecture is complete. Advancement in tech and smartphone devices have made things worse.
Research shows that students spend one-fifth of their time in the classroom on their mobile phones, and engaging in activities unrelated to their schoolwork. Another study also revealed that students check their smartphones on average 11.34 times every lesson period.
The introduction of VR can change all that. VR is an immersive technology designed to block off all interactions that a user may have with the real world while making use of the VR machine. This should reduce distractions that may affect the user experience of a VR machine.
Students that learn using VR can fully concentrate on the task at hand, without having to suffer from various forms of distractions, especially those from smartphones.
It helps simplify complex concepts
Interactivity and imagination are some of the key features driving the usage of VR in education today. With VR, complex theoretical concepts can be broken down and transmitted through visuals to students for easy understanding.
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VR does not only break down these complex concepts but it also enables students to fully participate in given tasks. After all, it is known that if a person obtains a piece of information through personal experience, they are 90% more likely to remember it compared to those who only heard about it.
How VR Benefits Training
It creates a visual learning environment
It is known that humans learn best when exposed to visuals than when exposed to text, and that information gathered through visuals have a higher retention rate than those collected from reading books.
Virtual reality is capable of aiding the learning process by immersing a person into a 3D visual learning environment where everything feels almost real, and interaction with the proposed task is at its best.
This kind of training situation is particularly favorable to jobs where there is no time for new employees to learn on the job, meaning they have to be brought up to speed about the work environment within the shortest possible time.
VR in training is cost-effective
Not long ago, VR training was used mainly by government bodies, military applications, and large commercial industries for the training of staff. However, recent advancement in tech and the introduction of cheaper hardware has led to the massive adoption of VR among small scale businesses and even households.
A lot of values are attached to VR training due to how effective they can be at offering top-notch training programs for new employees in the quickest time possible. It is also fair to say that VR training is fairly cheap, especially since the introduction of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
VR ensures safety in training
This should not come as a surprise, given the fact that VR only uses computer technology to place the user in a visualized 3D environment that feels almost real, without them being there in person.
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This safety can be manifested in various forms – from injury safety to financial error safety, manufacturing safety, and even accident safety. This comes in handy as new employees or trainees are more prone to mistakes than their experienced counterparts.
VR provides an opportunity to minimize these risks by exposing new trainees to real-life scenarios of what they are likely to face, day in and day out. That way, they are better prepared when taken into the field.
In cases of military training, this can be a huge plus. It is no wonder that the military kept utilizing VR, even when everyone thought they were going extinct.
It helps provide accurate remote implementation of tasks
Most jobs are going remote, and there is a growing concern about how staff will be able to have access to subsequent training required on the job. VR provides companies with the opportunity to train their staff effectively and with ease. By simply uploading a training software, employees can download and install it into their VR devices for practice purposes.
This can go a long way to contribute to the smooth running of a remote business as VR allows your employees to completely understand what is expected and subsequently implement them into the market.
Conclusion
Virtual reality is gaining widespread adoption across various industries, with education being one of them. VR in education is already a million-dollar industry with younger people preferring to study with VR than sitting for long hours in a classroom.
Also, businesses have found VR helpful in helping to train new staff and recruits.
Author Bio:
With a degree in transport and traffic engineering, Miljkovic is a digital marketing expert, financial enthusiast, and entrepreneur extraordinaire. He takes joy in analyzing economic trends and translating them into engaging articles. He is a fitness and nutrition expert who loves spending his free time cooking for friends, playing basketball, and playing his favorite 90s tunes.
