Virtual reality, if implemented in school, will be so cool that even your dad would like to go back to the classroom. Kid you not, but there will be no backbenchers, no he-is-weak and that-one-is-superintelligent remarks and certainly no rote learning. Kumar Saurav explores ways in which VR will make an impact on the way you learn. You are in for some epic fun.
Be it automobile, construction, finance, healthcare, media or entertainment, every sector responds quickly to newer technologies, however, education is the only sector that just refuses to match pace with newer ways of learning. This is why; there is not much difference between how you are taught in school and how your parents were tutored when they were growing up. It’s not like the sector has remained stagnant. Things have changed here and there, but nothing has changed so drastically that you will call it an overhaul or upgradation. However, if all goes well and the educators show some courage (that s the first thing you need to accept innovation), virtual reality will recondition our school system, its teaching approaches and techniques. Want to know how we are betting so highly on it? Read on.
You will imagine less, experience more: Currently, the history teacher comes to the class, you do your hourly drill of good morning teacher-sit down students and then you straight away open such and such chapter or turn to such and such page. If you are reading about Mughal dynasty, you are asked to mug-up a few dates, understand the family tree, their contribution to the furthering of the dynasty or know their tax system. There is nothing that you get to experience? You have to imagine everything on your own. Don t you? Virtual Reality will change all this. With the help of especially created virtual content, you will be able to walk through the lanes of Mughal cities, participate in the daily proceedings, look at their trade systems, learn about their taxes and basically be a part of that era. If it s a biology class, you will get to walk inside the body to understand human anatomy. Now isn t that mighty good?
Every subject will be a game: If someone asks you to do 2+3+9x9/6, you will curse him to death, but if heIt s established that if tricky subjects like mathematics can be converted into a game, even those who hate mathematics would be motivated to give the subject a chance. Virtual reality will do this for you. The trickiness of a subject will not keep you away from it.
Teachers will mostly assist: Teachers were, are and will always be relevent, however, if virtual reality finds prominence in the education sector, their roles will transform. Rather than purely tutoring the students, they will engage them in discussions, check the level of understanding and bring everyone at the same level of comprehension. In future, if you are studying about the law of universal gravitation, Newton himself will teach you about it. If you want to know more about rockets, a virtual lecture from Dr.Kalam will be a click away. This will be made possible with the help of specially created content.
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Education, in the times of virtual reality, will be truly global. Even cosmic if we manage to live on other planets: If today, you wish to attend a school in Dakota (USA) or be a part of an experiment in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), you will be able to do that without leaving your city. VR will make it possible for you. You can travel virtually to any place known to the mankind. So get suited for breakfast at Mars, lunch at MIT and dinner with your VR pals. After all, if you will study with students of another school in other countries, you will make some friends. Won’t you? Penpal, go die!
VR will be the true liberator: Right now, you adopt to the curriculam and to the approach with which it is tought to you. This leaves a lot students out of the learning process. In the future, this will change as the course will be customised according to your level of understanding. Individual attention — what is now merely a selling point for the schools will be instrumental in the times of VR. Take care one-size-suits-all education.
Virtual reality will bring every level of student to one level: Every class has different set of students — slow and fast learners, rote-swearers, others who really insist on understanding the concept and geeks who are just not interested in by-the-book kind of learning. Now it’s very difficult for all these groups to interact with each other because they don’t find each other fit for interaction. Because VR will use a lot of technology, customised content and games, it’s believed that these shallow boundaries will vanish forever. It will help all sorts of students to come out of theie shells and participate in the class proceedings.
What is virtual reality?
Have you ever played those simulator games? Virtual reality/immersive multimedia/computer-simulated reality is like that. It’s the creation of near-reality. Google Cardboard, a virtual reality headset, is betting high on education, a sector in which the scope of learning through VR is immense. The company rolled out Expedition Pioneer Programe where its team visited selected schools in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Denmark and Mexico to give first hand experience of the VR technology.
Would you like Virtual Reality to be one of the tools of teaching? Do you agree with the benefits that we have mentioned? Tell us!