Is Augmented and Virtual reality the future, fad or flop of teaching and learning?

The last 2 years has seen a surge of VR and AR becoming one of the hottest trends in education. The 2016 ISTE conference and the 2017 FETC conference was flooded with workshops and vendors supporting these technologies in education. The question is, are these sustainable and effective technologies in the classroom? Before we examine how and why these technologies are being used in the classroom. Lets define exactly what VR and AR are.

Virtual reality (VR)  is a computer-generated experience that can simulate physical presence in real or imagined environments. Augmented reality (AR) refers to technology that allows for digital information – videos, photos, links, games, etc. – to be displayed on top of real world items when viewed through the lens of a smartphone, tablet or wearable device. Mixed reality is a blend of the two.

Thanks to the Oculus Rift, Hololens, Playstation 4, Pokemon Go and the new Google Daydream, the world has gone mixed reality crazy! Yet many question that despite the consumer entertainment popularity, what place could this possibly have in education. Will bringing a technology tool meant for entertainment purposes support the academic rigour necessary for our K-12 schools and beyond. Consider this site by Kathy Schrock suggesting we can use Pokemon Go as a classroom tool. Should we mold entertainment platforms into educational ones? Winn proposes an exciting opportunity for educators to consider an embodied environment where we are not just offering an intellectual platform to learn, but one that includes a physical experience in order to increase engagement and learning (2003). We are faced with an exciting time in education where we have to offer more than simple information and call it learning. The whole body experience we offer to the student is quite simply what will set us apart from becoming a basic Google search. We can establish “presence” and really allow students to transcend this 2 dimensional experience of the paper we have traditionally offered in our classrooms (Winn, 2003).  Even though educational VR and AR apps are only a small fraction of in the market, this small fraction represents billions of dollars and is growing rapidly. With this VR and AR content being specifically created FOR education vs entertainment, educators can confidently try VR and AR in their classrooms and when they are ready they can even easily make their own!

Using existing classroom technology such as iPads or allowing BYOD of mobile devices in upper grades, this type of technology is low to no cost allowing educators to take learning and make it come to life! Imagine taking your students on a field trip on the other side of the world like with Google Expeditions, or inside places they wouldn’t be able to go…like my backyard beehive.  AR and VR make the impossible possible and allow students to be part of the reality instead of just having to imagine it. This experience is a true stage for “flow” where are students are fully engaged, learning, and enjoying every second without the distractions from their learning (Winn, 2003).

While there is no doubt to the educational value these experiences have had over the past 5 months. The most impactful experience has been the effect on using both AR and VR with students with special needs. I have been filming filming trips for students with Autism and anxiety to experience ahead of time, allowing students in wheelchairs to go skiing and swimming, and letting students with learning disabilities have their stories and mathematics come to life. These students are engaged and excited to learn in ways that were not possible before. These applications are enhancing their face to face experience. VR has the potential to transform our learning environments. Virtual reality is a “compelling method for storytelling, allowing users to feel the experience throughout their bodies” (Adams, Freeman, Giesinger, Cummins & Yuhnke, 2016, p. 42). Rather than simply viewing a story that is told for example in a video or animation, I wanted my students to have this head to toe experience. Beyond the growing availability of educational VR, from field trips around the world, to dissections in science, teachers have the ability to create their own customized VR learning that meets the needs of their students while also covering specific curriculum. VR  is a “prime enabler of student-centered, experiential, and collaborative learning” (Adams et al., 2016). But more than that he result has been for my students with special needs place based trips that teach literacy and numeracy, reduce anxiety and provide an on the spot opportunity to be transported to another environment regardless of limitations imposed by their disabilities. These 3D worlds have the potential to contribute significantly to the needs of these students by enhancing therapeutic treatment, education and quality of life of students with disabilities and/or phobias (Khushalani, 2010).

In Kevin Kelly’s book the Inevitable, he describes the 12 technological forces that will shape our future. The interactivity of VR and AR in one of the inevitable forces. This mixed reality of interacting with the digital world within our day to day lives is something that is growing daily especially with the internet of things. Education will not be immune to the need to go beyond what we can touch or read in front of us. In fact many believe these applications will improve and enhance the learning experience.The goal of VR is not to suspend belief, but to ratchet up belief (Kelly, 2016,  p. 212) If we apply this to education then we can in fact “ratchet” up learning by letting students learn beyond the walls of the classroom. In most ways, the AR class will be superior to the real world class (Kelly, 2016, p.217). Eventually we will need to ask ourselves if our future mixed reality classrooms will become superior to the real world face to face classrooms?

The NMC Horizon report for K-12 education recognizes that students immersed in mixed reality enable complete focus with less distraction and are more likely to adopt VR and AR in education as they are already experiencing the technology in entertainment and gaming. This technology is considered a prime enabler of student  centered , experiential and collaborative learning. Students can engage in new situations and activities in realistic settings, fostering greater knowledge retention than textbook learning (Adams Becker, Freeman, Giesinger, Cummins & Yuhnke, 2016, p.42) When we can create a more engaged and authentic learning opportunity with VR and AR, we can overcome the shortcomings of relying on theory with a lack of concrete experiences. If educators are open to it, the mixed reality classroom can be a great equalizer among students allowing them to share experiences with each other that only a few could experience in real life. VR engages students in a fun and exciting way that increases retention (Adams Becker et al, 2016, p.43) The great power of VR and AR is allowing for students to transcend bricks and mortar. Yet if this technology is only ever used to take virtual field trips then we have wasted the potential to transform teaching and learning. VR allows us to transcend time and space that limits learning to the walls and school day” (Snelling, 2017, p.29) The key is not the tool but how it is being used. As with any technology, it is about pedagogy first and technology second. Technology enables education; it doesn’t drive education. Adopting VR is just another one of those changes that requires a growth mindset, a school culture that expects innovation” (Snelling, 2017, p.26)

With any type of technology adoption in schools we have to also consider the limitations and cautions.

1. There are many things to consider such as how do we convince stakeholders of the academic rigour and see it as more than a game?
2. In a generation consumed by screen time and virtual worlds, do we want to introduce more technology that reduces face to face educational encounters?
3. How can we ensure resources and professional development so that teachers are not left behind with this rapidly changing technology?
4. And finally, if we fail to adopt this type of technology are we robbing students of transformative learning?

It is up to us to ensure that the VR and AR experience is part of and enhances the face to face teaching environments in ways that would not have otherwise been possible and allow for tasks that were previously inconceivable, not act as a simple replacement to traditional teaching and learning.

Undoubtedly the future of education is going to be impacted with mixed realities. I personally am excited to see what the future brings. I was fortunately able to register to be part of the UBC Summer Institute on VR in the classroom and I hope to gain even more insight to the potential this technology of embodied learning will bring.

Trish

References

Adams Becker, S., Freeman, A., Giesinger Hall, C., Cummins, M., & Yuhnke, B. (2016). NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K.

Kelly, K. (2017). The inevitable: understanding the 12 technological forces that will shape our future. Penguin.

Khushalani, K. (2010). How Does Virtual Reality Enrich the Lives Of Special Children?. In Conference’10.

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.

Snelling, J, (2017, January). Future or fad; Bringing the new realities of AR, VR to the classroom. Entrsekt, 24-29.