Technology can get a bad rap when it comes to young students. It allows young, impressionable minds to escape into a world not based in reality. VR-based video games especially contribute to these kinds of experiences.
VR technology in the classroom brings this immersive technology a brand new purpose. Students have the opportunity to explore things they would never otherwise have access to or have the practical skillset to explore.
Here’s how Virtual Reality tech is revolutionizing the way students learn today.
Sparking Imagination
Harvard psychology studies show that students tend to daydream about 47% of the time. Imagination is a primary part of the learning process, but oftentimes in lectures, the importance of imaginative thinking is completely dismissed.
Instead of ignoring the daydreamers, VR-based education gives the opportunity for students to experience their imagination in a vivid way. This excites them in their learning and helps them to look forward to new opportunities to grow.
Encouraging Exploration
Many students are unable to participate in field trips that would allow them to spend time learning hands-on. This might be due to special needs for their mental or physical health, and they are limited to a singular classroom to experience a safe learning environment.
Virtual reality gives opportunities for those students to participate in the same kind of explorational learning that their peers experience. Their caretakers don’t have to worry about the logistical complexities of ensuring safety during travel, and the students still get to enjoy all the fun of adventurous learning.
Risk-Free Learning
With VR technology, there are so many more labs that can be done without the same hazards that would complicate the learning process. Science is one of the subjects that is especially benefited by virtual learning.
For example, dissections can be done without real specimens and scalpels using VR. Students can even partake in virtual surgeries, possibly stirring up a love for new fields of work they never knew they had the desire for.
