In an age of global recession and resource scarcity, Virtual reality has become a trendy solution to many problems. Face-to-face connections are important, but it seems that as the world becomes more and more global, virtual learning is an option that is becoming more viable for students of all ages. In light of the rapid growth in VR technology, it’s only natural that educators wonder how virtual classrooms will change the way we learn. It also offers a lot of advantages for education in general.
A Focus on Virtual Reality
Virtual reality can support primary school classes with their content knowledge and basic curriculum in learning environments outside of the classroom. Virtual reality is part of a multi-faceted effort to rethink the future of education. It involves a number of different approaches such as cyber-learning, tele-learning, and video conferencing. These three methods are similar in their application and effect, but at their core they are each separate from one another in terms of implementation and structure.
For years, virtual reality has been a construct of science fiction. It’s only recently that the technology has become more accessible, user-friendly and affordable. There are serious doubts as to which direction virtual reality will take in the future. There’s little doubt that it will continue to improve and evolve, but there are varying opinions about how and what it can be used for.
Virtual reality allows a single student to interact with a virtual world, or multiple students to interact with one another and their teacher in a number of environments. It can even be applied to large scale events such as performances, workshops and interactive learning experiences.
Learning From Anywhere in the World
Ultimately, virtual learning is nothing new. Distance learning has been around for decades and technologies have evolved to make it possible for a student to attend a lecture in Los Angeles and interact with an instructor who spends their time in Sydney. Virtual learning can be done anytime and from any location in the world; even home bound students can have access to a teacher or tutor by Skype. Students are better able to learn concepts that they don’t understand by having the teacher demonstrate them in a virtual environment. This in turn allows teachers and tutors to work with more students than they would otherwise be able to.
Virtual Learning and Technology Dependence
The newest innovation involved in virtual learning combines 3D modeling, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. These technologies can now be used to reconstruct the classroom experience, enabling students at a remote location to interact with others in real time. This opens up possibilities for education that otherwise would have been impossible. Virtual technologies allow students to interact with others and engage in activities that they could not otherwise do. To name a few, there are virtual math quizzes, simulated live demonstrations, interactive films, virtual newsrooms and online classrooms where students can chat with their instructors.
Virtual learning presents many opportunities for new ways of interacting with one another. However, this also means that the learning experience depends on the technology itself. When computers fail or connection is lost, access is lost too. More will be spent on keeping educational technologies secure and steady, The convenience of the technologies that make it possible will become more widespread and innovative in the years to come. The virtual courses at Learning Cloud offer learners the opportunity to gain knowledge in the comfort of their homes.
It is important to remember that technology and its adoption is essential to virtual learning, but it is not the end goal. Virtual learning, first and foremost, is about the quality of the experience. It’s about how well it fulfills students’ learning needs, which include socialization and interaction with others. Socializing with other students and interacting with their instructors is necessary to learn, graduate and earn a degree that will enable them to follow their dreams.
