I’ve been a technology early adopter nearly all my life, and I’ve been using Augmented Reality since about 2010, mainly in an aspect of learning more about an area around me. I’ve also been using Virtual Reality for a few years now. I’ve never thought about these seemingly “gaming devices” being used as a learning resource though.

An article on the website XPRIZE runs through some of the opportunities and benefits of using AR and VR in a learning environment.

One of the firsts point they touch on is using VR/AR for virtual field trips. In a time where people are learning more and more via distance education due to the pandemic and busier lives – this allows everyone to still have the same experience anywhere in the world! I’ve played (and I look back now after reading some information about VR learning, I definitely did play the game, but the bigger intent was probably to learn something I would have never had interest in learning otherwise) a National Geographic game that takes you on a journey through the Antarctica where you photo document different types of animals that are native to the area.

Another point they touch on that caught my eye is the immersion factor. In a time where everything around you has potential to be a distraction, the immersion of VR really can take hold of your mind for hours at a time and when you come out of VR you can’t believe that much time has past already. Hopefully this makes for an insightful and dedicated learning experience.

The entry to VR as a consumer can be very reasonable – the smart phone you’ve probably already got, headphones, and a cardboard viewer. The hurdle to VR/AR becoming a great learning device in my eyes is the content creation. As with most other technology, once things start to develop the speed and advancement happen exponentially.