VR in Education | How empathy transforms the classroom

In the last two years, the manner in which education has been dispensed to learners has flipped on its head. Classroom teaching has been replaced by online sessions, subverting the expectations of what a normal school day looks like. However, as the schoolroom environment gets eroded by a myriad of distractions like network lags, physical isolation and screen-time exhaustion, the logistic benefit provided by distance learning is surpassed by the drop in retention of information by students. Classes continue, but learning often does not.

Yet, despite these significant drawbacks, online education is here to stay. The best way forward is to enable true engagement via a digital interface – a problem that can be solved through the usage of Virtual Reality in classrooms. Touted by many as the ‘ultimate empathy machine’, VR holds the capability of transporting users to a different dimension, imparting information through immersion and experience. Research suggests that this approach to learning delivers better results than even traditional classroom models.

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For instance, Chou University in Japan recently published their findings on the impact of VR in learning foreign languages; the research found that students who were given 6 VR-powered training sessions scored an average of 7% higher than their peers who studied using traditional methods. Improvement in fluency were especially significant, as the anxiety associated with communicating in a foreign language dropped with hands-on practice in a virtual environment. The study suggests that practicing in VR generated empathy and understanding among students, increasing their speed of learning and boosting their confidence.

VR for learning – a new trend, or a paradigm shift?

In a world where constant learning and upskilling is imperative, the use of ‘new-age’ technology to improve student performance is nothing new. However, unlike previous technological interventions like movie projectors, smartboards and tablets, the usage of VR provides a level of immersion that surpasses the need to supplement tech with classroom learning.

Experiential learning through VR holds the potential for independent usage without a drop in efficacy; this is no gimmick, and scepticism in using these tools is only delaying the inevitable.

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Engaging the major sensory receptors, virtual reality creates a highly memorable experience for students. Unlike previous technologies employed, VR is the only that creates a sense of “perceptual illusion of non-mediation” – meaning, the students feel truly transported to a new location. This factor alone reduces inhibition among students to the point where they don’t perceive VR as another world, but rather a reality they are a part of.

This phenomenon increases a student’s emotional engagement with the material, making it easier for them to commit the lesson to memory. Over time, improved information retention also aids the processing of new information.

The future of Virtual Reality in Education

With headsets becoming more affordable than ever, the usage of VR in the classroom is set to become a feasible expense for many schools, especially those operated privately. Usable in-class as well as in distance learning models, VR provides educators the ability of adjusting teaching methodologies in accord with the constraints at hand.

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Even without VR headsets, online video classes and lectures can transition to an immersive virtual environment to tackle the challenges posed by distance learning. On platforms like NextMeet, teachers can customize the virtual convening space to reinforce the material covered in class – just as they would use a chalkboard during in-person lessons. With the help of 3D avatars, spatial audio, and an interactive virtual environment, NextMeet helps educators recreate the classroom in a virtual space, without the significant drawbacks posed by video calling software.

The outpouring of research on the efficacy of VR technology in education makes it clear that the technology holds immense potential for improving not only the test scores of students, but also even their ability to engage with each other. In an increasingly interconnected world, empathy is key – and VR can make it a part of the curriculum.