Over the years, the methods and manners of educating have transformed dramatically. Just 20 years ago, the concept of video in an educational setting was new and rarely used. Today, students are learning and studying on their mobile devices and likely never to pick up a textbook. In the past few years, there has been a surge in the use of virtual reality for education.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment but can also be the use of cameras to capture and record an environment. For users to experience this simulated environment, a virtual reality headset or head-mounted display is used. Users are immersed into a 3D, 360 degree view of the environment, allowing them to feel as if they are actually there. The position of the user’s eyes are located within the simulated environment. If the user’s head turns, the graphics react accordingly, creating a convincing, interactive world for the user.
Benefits of Virtual Reality Education
The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. A combination of words and pictures has proven time and again to be a more effective teaching tool than words alone. Now, videos and VR experiences are proving to be the most effective.
Because VR creates an immersive experience for users, this presents the perfect opportunity for users to learn, study, and train in a life-like environment without the risks or cost of materials. Virtual reality also helps students better understand the subject they are studying. When students read about something, they often want to experience it. With VR, they aren’t limited to word descriptions or book illustrations; they can explore the topic and see how things are first-hand. EdTech reports on a recent study that shows an increase in retention of almost 9 percent for students who learned in an immersive environment such as VR.
Using VR for Education and Training
Exero Vet is a veterinary medicine app with hundreds of virtual reality videos of veterinary surgeries and procedures. These videos are from the perspective of the operating veterinarian, allowing vet students to experience the procedure without the risk of harm to the patient. Vet students are able to visually see each step of a surgery performed, instead of just reading how it’s done in a textbook.
The use of VR for education allows what would normally be passively consumed materials to be actively consumed through immersion. To put it simply, choosing where to look and when to look there is a form of interaction.
The use cases for virtual reality education are endless. Virtual reality can be used for on-the-job training all the way down to elementary school education. According to a survey conducted by Samsung, 93% of teachers in grades K-12 said their students would be excited about using virtual reality in the classroom and 83% said virtual reality might help their student’s educational outcomes.
Versatility of Virtual Reality
The beauty of virtual reality is that it can be used for much more than education or entertainment. Pyxis creates VR content for businesses looking to increase brand awareness, lead generation, or customer retention. See how you can best use virtual reality content by contacting Pyxis.