VR as a Trend
While some would suggest that interest in and adoption of VR is flagging, most in the field of education are only beginning to recognize VR as a trend that can still be harnessed for productive learning. If we understand VR to be a trend, we need to be able to assess where VR stands now in relation to its potential. Our interpretations and recommendations are informed by three core models in the field of educational technology. Please click on each for an initial analysis of how VR can be assessed through each lens.
TPACK model
An instructor may ask, "How close to the center of this graph is my instruction?" To make the best use of technology-based learning, a teacher must possess content knowledge (CK), command of best practices in pedagogy or andragogy (PK) and be able to deploy the given technical solution (TK) in a way that supports the other two, rather than hindering them.
Jordan Budisantoso of the Washington Leadership Academy has said of VR, “Technology in and of itself, I don’t think, really solves a lot of the educational problems we have. It’s about being purposeful and finding the right fit.” Indeed, the purposeful use of technology is an underlying value of TPACK. Koehler and Mishra (2009) preface the explanation of the model by arguing, “There is no ‘one best way’ to integrate technology into curriculum. Rather, integration efforts should be creatively designed or structured for particular subject matter ideas in specific classroom contexts.”
RAT model
Instructors may apply the RAT Model, a simplification of the SAMR Model, to assess how transformative a VR learning module might be. In short, these models ask "To what extent does an alternative learning technology expand or transform existing pedagogy?" In terms of VR, the strongest affordances of this technology, according to the RAT model, fall into the amplification and transformation technologies, suggesting that VR can be a powerful tool for re-imagining pedagogical possibilities. In terms of replacement, VR offers affordances that also meet accessibility needs, such as facilitating access to locations like local museums within a designed VR exploration. VR experience designers such as Nearpod are finding ways transform the concept of the field trips with visits to global destinations like the Great Barrier Reef or even galactic destinations like Mars. As NASA’s Evelyn Miralles has suggested, “VR is really a tool that creates a scenario that doesn’t exist. There isn’t any other way to replicate space but in virtual reality.” In this way, VR presents a timely opportunity for educational innovators to conceive of and create transformative experiences for learners.
A case of VR transforming training with an opportunity that cannot be duplicated in real life. Two trainees practice treating a virtual patient in cardiac distress. He describes how he feels and the trainees use virtual instruments to assess his vital signs and symptoms.
Cognitive Apprenticeship
For centuries we have understood the value of apprenticeship as a teaching style. Craftsmen and women learned trades by working in the shop, performing tasks directly related to the desired skill. It is easiest to learn to play a trumpet with the instrument in your hands. Brown, et al. (1989) coined the concept of Cognitive Apprenticeship in arguing for a return to experiential learning. VR offers learning environments that even real world apprenticeship cannot always offer. We have shown examples of
Primary and Secondary Education
Much of the discussion regarding VR as a pedagogical tool in primary and secondary education focuses on its pros and cons. Harbridge (2017) states “The potential that the technology has in providing immersive educational experiences begins in primary school classrooms.” He further references educational psychologists who find students remember 90% of what they do; therefore, they are more likely to retain information gained during an immersive experience in a virtual reality environment than in a traditional classroom setting.
Hicks (2016) identifies six advantages of using VR technology in the classroom. Virtual reality provides outstanding visualizations not possible in a traditional classroom. It creates interest and increases students’ engagement. VR doesn’t feel like work and improves the quality of education in different fields of study. And she notes it eliminates the language barrier.
The potential to engage students by immersing them in the subject matter they are learning can increase their overall comprehension, regardless of which learning method they prefer. When used for educational purposes, it creates an active, hands-on approach to learning rather than a passive experience. It can also help students understand more complex subjects and theories. Academics have shown the technology improves user performance related to spatial understanding, memorization, and training by experiencing from a first-person perspective and interacting using natural techniques. (“How Virtual,” 2016)
To Hicks’ (2016) mind, one of the disadvantages of virtual reality is that it erodes human communication and interpersonal connections. “Virtual reality is quite different; it is you and the software, and nothing else.” However, Kosmos School is looking to create classes where “students (and instructors) meet virtually over the course of two weeks to study physics, chemistry, and engineering to create and test rockets in order to better understand how they operate and what components they require to function.” Setting a class in virtual reality allows homeschooled students, who would otherwise be learning on their own or in small groups, to interact and socialize with other students. (Hollender, 2019)
A scholarly study, conducted by Dr. Conor Galvin, at the MissionV Schools Pilot Programme in Ireland found the use of VR technology showed real benefit in tackling students’ social issues. Shy students were able to come out of their shells and were accepted by their peers due to their technological skills, boosting their confidence. (Baird, 2018)
Additional concerns in the workplace
Many of the critiques already mentioned can be applied to business applications of VR training. While current research has focused on academic uses of the technology, there are several other concerns organizations must consider before investing in VR as a learning tool. Vendors recognize these issues, and a recent whitepaper from VirtualSpeech delineates several. Beyond startup costs, adopters need to make sure that existing information systems, especially the learning management system, can interface with the new hardware and software. Furthermore, some backlash can be expected in response to any new technology introduced into an existing operation. Demographically speaking, it is generally older employees who offer the most resistance to adoption, and taking appropriate consideration of how it will impact specific teams should be given. There are practical matters to consider as well. In a call to action in advance of the most recent TNW conference, Anna Johansson names some new areas of concern that apply to deployment of VR in the workplace. Among those concerns is establishing spaces specifically designed for the safety of the user, as users will be at a sensory disadvantage when moving through their immediate physical environment. Companies should also establish policies for protecting users' privacy. Data gathered while tracking completion of VR training could be sensitive. Companies should also consider what rules of conduct should apply when working in a simulated environment. A 2017 report by Forbes contributor Schuyler Moore highlights the unsettled legal precedent for adjudicating claims by users against VR companies. Lastly, the VirtualSpeech report cautions that it is essential for each school or company to establish a means of reckoning what will define a worthwhile return on investment, be it improved student performance metrics, long-term training department savings, or revenue capture.
Click to read: Virtual reality puts crane operators in the air without actually being there. (The Journal of Commerce)