Virtual reality and experiential learning will transform the future of education.

• Education methods have not kept up with technological advances, yet the need for change is becoming increasingly evident.

• As the benefits of experience learning become increasingly apparent, virtual reality (VR) is becoming more widely embraced.

• Virtual reality is transforming education, expanding K-12, higher education, and vocational training.

A successful economy is built on the foundation of education. It promotes economic output by increasing human capital and driving productivity.

Individuals can use education to learn new skills, improve critical thinking and analytical abilities, contribute to economic well-being, find a sense of purpose, and change their careers. 

As a result, it has an unmistakable impact on individuals, societies, governments, and the entire planet. However, educational approaches have not always kept up with technological advancements. Change is inevitable, and it will accelerate over the coming decade.

Indeed, progress was obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments were pushed to close schools and institutions around the world for weeks at a time. 

To promote learning continuity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization provided digital tools, programs, and resources to the global education sector. 

Alef Education in the UAE, School in Saudi Arabia, and MOE E-Learning in Egypt, to name a few, have all launched online teaching tools.

Given their importance, these solutions mostly focused on the transfer of knowledge rather than the practical and in-person experience that students required to grasp topics. After all, some people learn by theory, while others learn by doing. 

As a result, the future of educational technology must include experiential learning. Augmented reality, virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality are positioned to answer this requirement and generate a competitive edge for all stakeholders when combined with novel pedagogies.

Most industries have been modified logistically or in terms of service delivery as a result of technological advancements. However, further technological breakthroughs are still required to disrupt education. 

The penetration of these developments into educational systems has become increasingly necessary.

Innovation and disruption

The disruption we’re experiencing in today’s grade 11 and grade 12 world is helping to improve global education accessibility, quality, and cost. 

These treatments may be sufficient to bring about transformational change. Furthermore, environmental concerns and the COP26 targets will accelerate the digitization of education streams both inside and outside the classroom, reducing reliance on textbooks, notebooks, and pencils as important learning instruments.

To overpower our success, we must adapt to a changing landscape and develop our future generations. While personal development has become increasingly important in schools and universities, some technologies can help speed up the process. 

VR is a leading example of immersive learning and is likely a game-changer for the next generation of students, graduates, and vocational learners.

It helps students to engage themselves in a dynamic experience that allows them to see the results of their actions firsthand. Students and professors can communicate and exchange while immersed in the metaverse, bypassing space and specific terms. 

Finally, individuals can employ abilities learned through traditional e-learning to cement previously acquired knowledge.

While researchers have noted that VR can increase student-teacher connections in and out of the classroom, it can also promote student-teacher connections through practical hybrid deployment. Teachers can use virtual reality in the classroom to engage students and create a more creative and dynamic learning environment. 

VR can be blended with traditional teaching to offer a customized learning experience tailored to each student’s ability, style, pace, and motivation to study, assuring their preparedness to progress through various tests.

VR effect maximization

Virtual reality allows for more powerful visualization, improves educational interaction, improves collaboration, develops students’ practical learning, and is available worldwide. 

As with any new technology, research and development must match with maximizing output and fully using its benefits.

It should be highlighted that if not properly supervised and presented with a guided program, VR can limit human interaction and induce isolation in younger generations. 

Nonetheless, the benefits of virtual reality outweigh the risks with proper research, development, and precautions. VR is a technology that may instantly improve graduates’ skill sets through practical applications. 

Learning through play, firsthand experiences, and applied information appeals to pupils and results in significantly better skill sets.

Educational technology is at a critical point, requiring leaders, educators, regulators, and other stakeholders to take a proactive strategy to invest in future generations and ride the wave of change, whether through VR or other experiential learning methods. 

Even growing economies like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has begun to implement similar concepts in national transformation programs. The UAE has recently opened The Museum of the Future in Dubai, an architectural marvel that simulates the future.

Through augmented and virtual reality, the museum presents a huge display of “Tomorrow Today,” graphically illustrating how technology is reshaping our future and how our “Future Heroes” can learn through play and build new skill sets.

As governments throughout the world compete to be more resourceful and invest in social infrastructure, innovations like virtual reality (VR) are disrupting the status quo, expanding K-12, higher education, and even vocational training. 

They are motivated to enhance results and build a more capable, qualified, and experienced team. These are the forces of change, and we think that the moment has come to take action.