Educational Applications of Virtual Reality (VR)

One of the researchers noted that when children start using VR at a younger age, they are better prepared for this new way of learning. Therefore, it can certainly be valuable to introduce a VR-headset in primary and/or secondary schools, even if only to familiarise students with new technologies. Additionally, learning with VR provides a huge stimulus for (especially younger) students to delve into the subject matter. Virtual reality offers students a completely different experience when it comes to learning, compared to the 'old-fashioned' way of learning from a book.

Colleges and universities are exploring the various possibilities of the VR-technologie; from offering virtual reality lab-faciliteiten for remote students to simulated surgical procedures to train and guide medical students. VR also offers the possibility of a virtual library, where students can access all the information they need or take a tour of architectural or archaeological sites from anywhere in the world.

Finally, the report indicates that the use of VR in schools will continue to increase as the soft- and hardware develop. There is already a lot possible with VR, and this is a good time to step into the virtual world. High-end VR headsets may still be too advanced for some educational purposes, but fortunately, there are also many affordable alternatives available. For students to experience their first introduction to VR, a passive VR-headset can be used, where you slide a phone into the headset and watch 360° videos.

If you want to take the experience a step further, you can look at a stand-alone headset, such as the Oculus Go or Lenovo Mirage Solo. To let students truly experience a 'wow-factor', you can consider the high-end headsets such as the HTC VIVE Pro or the HP Reverb G2.