Over 40% of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies today utilize eLearning platforms for skill development, team training, and organizational improvements. That is besides the massive landslide of K-12 schools worldwide adapting online education services for hybrid and at-home teaching environments.
Much of this move to digital education occurred because of the global pandemic and has stuck around because of the convenience eLearning provides everyone, from the 8-year-old learning multiplication to the executive picking up a secondary language.
While eLearning is now part of our lexicon, newer developments continue to shatter educational barriers. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two technologies that allow students of all ages and demographics to gain knowledge through exciting and innovative ways.
As a professional video production team based in Toronto, Canada, many of our clients seek support moving to this new educational form. Here are some ways VR and AR will transform the eLearning experience.
How is AR & VR Changing eLearning?
First, let’s get a few definitions out of the way. AR is using the world around you through the lens of a smartphone or other device to receive augmentations to your environment. This is how you look at that couch you’re debating on by using your iPhone to see your living room with the piece already included in your living space on the screen.
VR is a bit different. Instead of projecting or adding digital items to your space, you are transported into a new and exciting “virtual” world where everything is computer-generated.
As you can guess, both systems create a wealth of versatility for teachers, institutions, and educational organizations. Here are some examples.
Creating a VR Classroom Setting
Imagine being transported into a lecture hall at Harvard, Yale, or McGill University. With VR, you can create a digital representation of a classroom for all your students to enjoy via VR goggles. They can physically turn their heads from left to right and see the avatars of fellow students.
Practicing Practical Techniques
With AR in eLearning, you can overlay digital information onto a real-world scenario. For example, a mannequin can receive a digital overlay of living, working body parts for surgical students. Even new mechanics can explore possible mechanical repairs laid out with instructions on different models of cars.
Having a digital space for practicing techniques lowers the risk of any danger while improving students’ skills.
Hazard-Free Experimentation
Trying to demonstrate the collision of different atoms or the results of a chemical reaction on a human being is not practical in physical classrooms. With AR/VR technology, these scenarios (like physics, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, etc.) can be explored in a safe and digital environment that simulates what would occur in the real world. That cuts down on insurance concerns, equipment costs, and time barriers to new developments.
Virtual School Field Trips
With VR, students can be transported on a field trip to the Roman Colosseum or the Louvre Art Museum in Paris. Suddenly, students who may have never left their city or state can enjoy some of the most interesting and exciting places on the globe. AR in eLearning allows a student interested in natural sciences to digitally hold a baby panther in Africa.
Gamification of Topics
Gamification (applying game scenarios with points and winners to activities) improves student performance by up to 89.45% compared to lecture-based education. When people are given the opportunity to add earning points, enjoy mini-games, or turn life into something far more enjoyable, they increase engagement and understanding. AR and VR can both gamify the application of eLearning topics.
What are the Results of Using AR & VR in eLearning?
The point of integrating AR graphics and VR environments is to cultivate a highly immersive space for students to interact with more topics, insights, and features than ever before. When done properly alongside seasoned professionals like our team at Leo Pixel Studios, these technologies can elevate even the most mundane topics into an exciting experience.
These reasons are why many schools are moving to include AR and VR systems because they offer:
- Better Student Retention: The National Training Laboratory concluded that eLearning using VR created a retention rate of 75% compared to 10% for reading and 5% for lectures.
- All-Inclusive Learning Environment: AR and VR cater to any learning style and needs, allowing everyone from any background or demographic complete freedom to learn.
- Experiential Learning Opportunities: Now, you can bring in hands-on experiences without needing any extra equipment other than a strong network connection and a decent pair of goggles.
- Overcomes Language Barriers: Real-time AR and VR scenarios can adapt to numerous languages, allowing more students from diverse backgrounds to engage with teachers and topics.
- Adaptive Learning Paths: Personalization is improved as students can make changes, or the systems can “learn” using AI (artificial intelligence) to adapt to the needs of the individual.
- Real-Time Instructor Feedback: VR environments allow instructors to interact with students in real time, creating more opportunities for feedback and support.
Ready to Get Started with AR and VR in eLearning?
AR and VR are doing today what the printing press did years ago. More and more students are gaining access to exciting innovations and information that would never have been dreamed of before.
Now, we can transport a classroom of 5th graders to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia as they discover different species of fish and sea life. Or we can increase team skills with new products through eLearning workshops before they are announced to the public.
The possibilities are limitless, and that is where our team at Leo Pixel Studios can help. As a professional video production service provider in Toronto, we help transform your ideas into captivating digital experiences. Our realistic simulations offer heightened engagement and interactive experiences your students will never forget.
Give us a call or book a consultation today, and let’s discuss how AR and VR can elevate your next topic, class, or educational initiative.
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