Virtual Reality: How VR Tech Helps Underresourced Learners Visualize a Better Future

August 27, 2024

With rampant inequality, access to quality education is only possible for some. While some learn about culture through international trips, experience physics through experiments, and build robots to encourage engineering, others need help accessing one-on-one time with teachers. 

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as the great equalizer regarding access to quality education. Through a simulated, immersive experience, students can better understand, absorb, and retain information. With lower costs, better technology, and endless opportunities to create a simulated classroom, VR is a viable tool for learners without access to resources. 

Let’s take a look at how this gaming console has evolved into a learning tool: 

The origins of virtual reality in education

In 2012, the Oculus Rift burst onto the scene and ushered virtual reality (VR) into the mainstream. From gaming and entertainment to education and training, VR has completely changed how we engage with technology. 

Over the last decade, the VR revolution has gained momentum and popularity, leading to an enriched computer-generated 3D world. The Oculus and VR as a whole are no longer confined to gaming. 

Headset development has come a long way; styles are more defined, and the technology that runs these devices has improved dramatically. VR is used in various industries, including healthcare, tourism, retail, and education. 

With each iteration of technology, VR becomes more affordable, making it a realistic option for educational institutions. The possibilities to create experiences that are out of reach for learners from underresourced communities are unlimited. Students can take virtual tours of museums, explore ancient civilizations and monuments, and even deep-dive into the cell to better understand biology and life sciences. 

A modern approach to traditional learning models

Despite widespread technological advancement, traditional teaching and learning methods have largely remained stagnant. The typical classroom experience relies heavily on teacher-to-learner interaction for information, learning, and processing. In schools with fewer resources, overcrowded classrooms can impede the learning process for many students. 

With virtual reality, however, students can engage with conventional educational practices in new and immersive ways. A VR headset can whisk students away from their desks to the foothills of Mount Fuji or the center of the Roman Colosseum or allow them to conduct experiments with reactive chemicals without the risks of physical harm. 

Students see and interact with these virtual environments—creating a dynamic, responsive learning experience. 

How virtual reality can benefit the classroom

Learning through experience

Virtual reality can bridge the gap for students who might otherwise struggle to absorb or visualize information by presenting engaging, real-world scenarios. Simulated environments can immerse students in a subject, making them feel connected to the topic they are exploring. 

Meanwhile, educational experiences are enhanced by the use of integrated sensors within VR devices.

 As users’ actions and movements are tracked, VR displays can adapt accordingly to create a fully interactive sensory environment. Students who learn more effectively through experience are better able to retain knowledge and apply learned concepts in practical situations.

Virtual reality for STEM-related learning

For students in higher education, virtual reality is a valuable tool for helping them develop the core skills associated with their chosen postgraduate fields. While STEM industries adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape, educators can prepare future workforces through VR-based learning. 

With VR headsets, students can learn about the structural properties of bridge building, explore the inner workings of the human heart, and study the growth habits of giant redwoods—all from the comfort of the classroom.

By allowing students to engage comprehensively with STEM industries and the practical skill sets needed to succeed, teachers can provide a clearer idea of what to expect from their chosen career path. 

Distance learning 

With a robust internet infrastructure and the right software and devices, most virtual reality applications can be easily accessed anywhere and anytime. Through universal accessibility, schools and trusts can create virtual learning portals, removing both time and location barriers, as students no longer have to commute to a physical institution—saving both time and resources. 

Students can attend classes, field trips, seminars, or workshops through virtual platforms, creating an inclusive learning environment that accommodates a wide variety of schedules and geographical considerations.

Pre-recorded virtual lessons can be revisited multiple times, allowing students to untangle complex ideas at their own pace. This flexible, individual learning experience can only benefit students and their educational growth. 

Virtual field trips

Academic studies have long since championed the benefits of using immersive technology to enhance the learning experience, and virtual field trips represent a cost-effective way for students to visit real-life locations across the world. Instead of reading about Ancient Greece from a textbook, users are able to see the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon in virtual reality.

Not only can virtual field trips provide an enjoyable experience away from the classroom, but research has shown it can improve students’ intrinsic motivation to learn. Replace lectures and non-interactive tools with virtual engagement and participation, and students find new ways of connecting with the material.  

Virtual field trips also provide the added advantage of increased accessibility; a much cheaper alternative to visiting far-off destinations that might otherwise test a school’s budget.

VR for students with learning difficulties

The immersive classroom model has been shown to be particularly beneficial for those students with learning difficulties. For children who face challenges in traditional classroom environments, educators can create safe and controlled surroundings using virtual reality technology.

While some students may struggle with using VR headsets, the immersive classroom approach enables teachers to deliver lessons that closely resemble conventional learning spaces. This level of familiarity encourages students to explore virtual environments without feeling confined.

As noted in Dorothy C. Strickland’s 2007 study, virtual reality has long demonstrated a particular efficacy in assisting students with autism. Notably, students can transfer skills acquired within the virtual realm to real-world scenarios, including street navigation and fire safety. 

Concluding Thoughts 

Virtual reality started as a gaming console, providing users with immersive, virtual, 3D environments. In the past ten years, this technology has evolved as a tool for learning, education, and training. For learners in underresourced schools, VR is the great equalizer. Students can tour the Louvre, explore the ruins of ancient civilizations, and even go inside the human body to better understand biology—all without leaving the classroom. 

VR offers alternative learning pathways for neurodiverse learners. Sensory immersion and stimulation improve information retention and reduce distraction. VR also provides an excellent solution for teachers managing overcrowded classrooms.

VR technology is becoming more affordable, and the software solutions that run these headsets are becoming more intuitive. This tool provides learners, schools, and teachers with viable solutions to the significant issues underresourced schools face.

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