Running Header: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 1

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will Change Education

Jared Callis

Western Oregon University

M.S. Ed. Information Technology Portfolio

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 2

Introduction

Imagine if you could take your class anywhere in the world during a history lesson.

What doors would that open? Technology is changing the landscape of our world with the

introduction of new technologies every single day. Both virtual reality and augmented

reality have recently seen great technological gains at a lower cost, so that consumers can

finally afford such devices. Virtual reality is a simulated environment where a user can see

and react to various stimuli provided by the computer technology involved. Augmented

reality allows a device to superimpose digital information over the top of our real

environment. Unfortunately, there is a large lag between what happens in the world of

technology and what is happening in the K-12 education sector. The K-12 education sector

is just now beginning to see more nuanced implementation of technology beyond just using

the Internet as a search tool. According to Abrosimova (2014), implementation of virtual

reality and game-based learning has begun within only a few K-12 districts around the

United States. This marks one of the first major changes in technologys role within our

education system. Technology will undergo a dramatic shift as we move away from simply

using it to find information. It will move into the role of helping students experience

information through both virtual reality and augmented reality systems. This major

change will also bring a dramatic shift in what our learning environments look like in order

to more adequately accommodate these new technologies.

What is Virtual Reality?

In order to understand how these systems will transform learning environments it

is important to have a basic knowledge of virtual reality. Virtual reality is the ability to
 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 3

immerse yourself in a completely new world that is not real (Schippner, n.d.). It usually

involves a headset of some kind for viewing this new world. An example can be found in

Google Cardboard, where you see a three hundred sixty-degree view of a virtual world. It

also gives you the ability to travel through it. More complex Virtual Reality Gear could have

hand or arm sensors to recognize your own movement. This gives you a greater complexity

of interactions within the virtual world. An example of

this is the Oculus Rift. In the Oculus Rift experience,

users are able to manipulate objects within the virtual

world and move them around with their hand and arm

sensors. Various companies are now working on

technology that allows for a richer and more complex

The Virtuix Omni, a treadmill for use in virtual
reality applications, being used in combination experience. Infrared sensors that capture full body
with the Oculus Rift headset.
movements, smells that are incorporated into the
License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Picture Credit: Digitas Photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitas/1306597002 virtual reality experience, and even directional sound
5/in/photolist-kUAvFg

effects add to a virtual reality experience. Imagine

being able to hear a waterfall in the distance and as you get closer, it becomes louder

(Konnikova, 2015). This technology will have tremendous impact within the classrooms of

the future.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 4

Virtual Reality in the Classroom

One way that virtual reality is already being used within

classrooms is with Google Cardboard, where students can

turn an Android phone and some cardboard into a virtual

reality headset. This type of virtual reality is mostly being

used to provide field trips all over the globe, right from
Google Cardboard

Public Domain License: their classrooms. Google, as well as Discovery Learning,

CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication has curated a large number of historical virtual locations
Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki
/File:Google-Cardboard.jpg for teachers through which to guide their students. Since

Google Cardboard is merely a headset, students will not be

able to complete any tasks except for just moving around, viewing, and hearing the

programmed information within that virtual world (Hansman, 2016). According to

Hansman, Google has set up a way for students to see doctors in an infectious disease lab

working to solve the Ebola epidemic. Within the virtual lab, students are observing the

work the scientists are doing first-hand without physically being there. This is an amazing

opportunity to see science at work. It would not be possible or safe for students to go into

an infectious disease lab where doctors are analyzing live viruses. Virtual reality can make

that possible. The discussion possibilities generated from such a virtual trip are limitless as

the students observed first-hand how doctors search to stop such a disease right in their

lab.

Historical events provide opportunities for students to experience history instead of

only reading about it. Virtual field trips to historical places will provide greater context to

student learning. For example, when students are studying the fall of Rome, they would be
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 5

able to walk through the streets of Rome using their virtual reality headgear. Here

observations of virtually recreated events can occur. Students will have much greater

insight into such events as they immerse themselves in it, rather than reading about it in a

textbook.

Virtual reality tools can be expanded even further by using a headset and other

types of sensors that match a students body movement. A trade school student in shop

class could spend hours in their virtual world practicing the precise weld that they need to

make on their class project. They get the chance to do it repeatedly, without the cost of

wasted materials on mistakes, which are inevitable to a rookie welder. As virtual reality

gear further develops to include full body sensors, students will be able to practice all types

of tasks of wasting any actual material.

These types of experiences will lead to greater motivation for students to be

engaged in their learning. Collaboration among students within the virtual world will be

commonplace, as they work to apply creative thinking to problem solving tasks that they

face. The learning will seem much more like gameplay, yet they will be engaging in higher

order thinking as they work to solve challenging tasks. Teachers will have the ability to set

up collaborative learning tasks. In a middle school science class, a student could be asked

to build a sustainable energy source. Building a scaled down dam or wind turbine could

work in class, but with virtual reality, they can make this type of learning experience life

like. Within the virtual world, a student can build their design within nature and use the

simulated natural resources to test the design and determine its effectiveness. It becomes

possible to solve these virtual problems in multiple ways and with resources unavailable in

the classroom. Virtual reality teaching provides several other benefits. It can provide
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 6

teachers with fewer constraints in their lesson planning. Greater skill at problem solving in

content areas deepens the students knowledge (Abrosimova, 2014). This technology is

going to provide limitless opportunities for educators to create unique and authentic

learning experiences for their students.

Virtual Online Worlds

There is more to virtual reality than merely using headsets and virtual reality gear.

The Internet also provides a unique way to set up virtual online worlds. Virtual worlds

provide a way for students to have higher engagement in their learning and safe spaces for

them to take the necessary time to problem solve complex situations. These environments

are called virtual worlds, where both teacher and students design their own avatars to

represent themselves. These avatars are their digital likeness and allow individuals to

choose the way they want to portray themselves. The environment usually takes place

within a web browser on a student or teachers personal computer. The teacher sets up the

environment according to the learning goals of the subject covered. It is a new and

different way to create both a social and learning environment. This type of learning

environment is most often implemented in distance education courses.

Virtual reality worlds can take a lot of time to understand and set up in a way that is

effective for learning. Both teachers and students will need to work together to navigate

the ups and downs of virtual worlds, and persevere towards the learning goals they are

trying to reach. A study by Dr. Gary Falloon (2010) about using virtual worlds for learning

found the following:

As one of the participating teachers reflected, while motivational and engagement

levels were high, there was a need to initially invest a considerable amount of time
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 7

in allowing the students to explore and solve problems for themselves, and to accept

that mistakes and debugging was an integral part of the learning process. (p. 116)

While it takes time to set up and get comfortable using this unique type of learning tool, it is

worth the effort because it heightens student motivation and engagement levels. The

teachers participation allows for troubleshooting any problems as a whole group. Any

type of technology will present glitches or challenges when implemented into the learning

environment. A learning opportunity for the whole class is often missed when teachers

scrap the idea, or decides to try to fix the issue themselves without involving the class.

Troubleshooting together actually further enhances learning.

Blackmons study on professors use of virtual online worlds in higher education

distance learning showed that professors believed that using virtual worlds provided more

freedom for both teachers and students and allowed for a more natural interaction

between the two (Blackmon, 2015 p. 250). These virtual worlds make it possible for a

professor to create environments with students where students are able to practice specific

skills that would not be possible in the real world, or simply not feasible due to some type

of restraint, such as location or cost (Blackmon, 2015 p. 251). These virtual learning

environments increases flexibility for educators. Professors may get to a place where the

use of virtual worlds is the primary source of the way they teach. The more likely case is

that virtual worlds would simply be added to enhance the learning ability of the students in

order to meet specific learning goals of a class.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is another consideration for classroom use. Augmented reality is

modifying the reality that you see in real time. It could be as simple as Google Glass, a piece
 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 8

of eyewear, which displays information about the street you are on as you are walking

down the street. A more complex example is a holographic image projecting over the

reality you see. Regardless of the complexity, it creates another layer of perception and

enhances the reality you are seeing. A third type of augmented reality is embedded within

the smartphone and tablet devices that have become so popular. These types of

augmented reality use the sensors and cameras on those devices, along with an app to

provide real time information based on the real world you are currently in, using

smartphone GPS data. Disney has an app that uses the camera to record the coloring page

you are actually coloring and turns it into a 3-D image on the device.

Augmented Reality in the Classroom

There are many such uses for augmented reality

within the classroom setting. The most prominent use of

augmented reality is that it can allow students to model and

practice real world work within the classroom. The

possibilities for teaching students various real life skills are

limitless. One such application is an augmented reality

sandbox. It is a sandbox table with a topographical map

projected over the top of it. While you move the sand

around, the map changes elevations. Students practice

looking at a topographical map and then work to recreate it

Augmented Reality Sandbox
Public Domain License: on the table to see how water flows through that area
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F (UCLA, 2015). The students gain valuable practice at
ile:Sandbox_with_interactive_projection_
at_31c3.jpg
understanding how water reacts in different models. They
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 9

are then able to go out into the field and apply what they have practiced so many times on

the sand table. This type of augmented reality application demonstrates that such

technology could be developed to teach many other skills within a classroom setting that

can then be repeated in the real world.

Another type of augmented reality just beginning to show up on our mobile devices

is an embedded sensor that involves eye tracking. This tool is able to track a users eye

movement. This allows an observer (or in this case a teacher) to receive the eye tracking

data from the device to show where the user was actually focusing. It would be able to

provide a teacher with data about what information a student has actually read on a page

or screen (What is eye tracking, 2015). This type of technology would help inform a

teacher of material that a specific student needs to review since they missed reading it the

first time. This, along with many other augmentations, allows a teacher to individualize a

students learning successfully, because it is based on the data collected directly through

these devices. As it develops, this type of technology will have a limitless number of

applications. It is reminiscent of cell phones in their infancy. Regular consumers of early

cell phones could probably not have imagined having access to the type of phones in use

today. In the same way, augmented reality is in its infancy with applications not yet

imagined.

Concerns about VR/AR within schools

With all of the exciting possibilities surrounding virtual reality and augmented

reality, it is important to consider the dangers and drawbacks as well. As there are more

and more ways to interact online, consumers are leaving larger digital footprints behind

without even realizing it. Facial expressions and voice interactions can be recorded while
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 10

individuals engage in virtual reality experiences (O'Brolchin, Jacquemard, & Monaghan,

2016). With this in mind, high-end encryption and security protocols become very

important for data collection centers. Despite the work of companies to provide security,

breaches still happen too often and become front-page news. Recently, a Colorado school

district had a breach of their online student information software. This breach allowed

access to a large amount of student information in a relatively easily way. This information

included bus route drop-offs, class schedules, medical information, and student addresses

(Peif, 2016). When virtual or augmented reality are used, that data and information may

also become accessible in the event of a breach. Parents and students must be careful

about what they agree to be using in the classroom, and districts must do everything

possible to protect sensitive information. It is imperative for districts to vet and research

all new technologies before use in the classroom.

Another potential danger or drawback of virtual reality is the sense of escapism

that virtual reality can bring in real life as well as in the classroom. Ray Kurzweil in The

Singularity is Near (2005), mentions that by the 2030s most of humanity will be spending

the majority of their time within virtual worlds because they will be more appealing than

real life. There will be nanobots that can move people within a virtual world whenever

they choose (p. 313). This creates difficulty in that at some point people may be unable to

distinguish between reality and virtual worlds (Kim, 2015). As educators think about their

own students, it is easy to make the comparison to teens of today and their seeming

addiction or overuse of their cellphones. Many of the students in our schools today are

already addicted to constant online connection and it is the end of the world when WIFI is

down, or the phone signal is bad. While the educational possibilities are exciting and
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 11

endless, educators must take into consideration the effects of technology overuse and

possible changes it could have on our population. Virtual worlds and augmented reality

can never replace face-to-face interactions.

Learning Environment Shifts

Use of space in the classroom is greatly impacted as educators make this

monumental shift to incorporate virtual reality and online learning environments into their

learning curriculum. In order to facilitate new pedagogy and learning platforms, schools

will need to revamp their learning environments. Providing for varied activities and new

technologies within a classroom requires learning environments to be flexible and

adaptable. The learning environment is most effective if it is comfortable for both the

student and the teacher (The classroom of the future, 2016). When students are

comfortable, they engage in deeper ways with the technology tools available for learning.

The Human Computer Interaction Lab (2006) completed a study which anticipated the

development of new embedded technologies that can be a seamless part of any physical

object in schools which can then be used to support learning. These types of tools will be

effective to help motivate and engage learners (The classroom of the future, 2016). It

becomes increasingly more important for educators to think outside the box of traditional

classroom arrangement. Consideration must be given to three factors: the learning goals

teachers are trying to meet, the technology with which they are working, and the specific

needs of the students in their classes. Teachers need to integrate these three areas and

even collaborate with students in order to create the perfect environment.

Technology changes are going to drive the education system out of the

industrialized set up that has been in place for so many decades. Administrators and
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 12

district leaders recognize there will not be a one-size-fits-all solution to learning

environment set up. Rows of desks in the learning environment helped to prepare

students for work on assembly lines and in factories. Most students today will face a far

different type of work environment. Learning environments that mimic future student

workplaces provide greater opportunity for success. Teaching and allowing students to

voice thoughts concerning their own learning environments becomes important so that

students have those skills in workplace environments. Administrators can allow teachers

to give students that freedom, trusting that learning environments created as a team

provide greater comfort for students and teachers alike. Increased use of technology will

be a natural fit within these newly designed learning environments.

Conclusion

Using technologies such as virtual and augmented reality has the potential to bring

many changes to the landscape of education. Students will be immersed in their learning as

it transports them into a virtual new world. Critical thinking and specific skill building is

increased as students complete tasks that are relevant to their daily life. Virtual reality and

augmented reality can potentially help educators create authentic learning environments

for their students allowing them to become increasingly more engaged in their subjects and

have control of how to gain their own knowledge. It is probable that as these technologies

become more commonplace in the classroom, the concerns that many people have about

the addictive nature of the Internet and virtual reality may be relieved simply because the

newness will have worn off. Better security technologies will likely be developed as well,

relieving concerns about the security of students data. In time, solutions to these problems

will be enough to alleviate the consumers concerns and people will choose to experience
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 13

their own virtual world. Learning spaces will be transformed and virtual reality,

augmented reality, and the use of virtual worlds will become the norm within our

education systems. Whether it is a field trip to Rome in a history class, a visit to a live

disease laboratory, or a projected topographical map over a sand table, both virtual reality

and augmented reality will eventually provide a limitless number of doors opened to the

world of education.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 14

References

Abrosimova, K. (2014, September 7). 5 ways virtual reality will change education.

Retrieved May 19, 2016, from http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2014/09/5-

ways-virtual-reality-will-change-education/.

Blackmon, S. (2015). The pixelated professor: Faculty in immersive virtual

worlds. International Review Of Research In Open & Distance Learning,16(1), 242-

259.

Falloon, G. (2010). Using avatars and virtual environments in learning: What do they have

to offer? British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(1), 108-122.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00991.x

Hansman, H. (2016, February 3). How can schools use virtual reality? Retrieved May 18,

2016, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-can-schools-use-

virtual-reality-180957974/.

Kim, M. (2015, February 18). The good and the bad of escaping to virtual reality. Retrieved

May 27, 2016, from http://ezproxy.wou.edu:2427/health/archive/2015/02/the-

good-and-the-bad-of-escaping-to-virtual-reality/385134/

Konnikova, M. (2015, October). Virtual Reality Gets Real. Retrieved May 27, 2016, from

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real/403225/

Kurzweil, R. (2005). The singularity is near: When humans transcend biology. New York:

Viking.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Will Change Education 15

O'Brolchin, F., Jacquemard, T., & Monaghan, D. a. (2016). The Convergence of Virtual

Reality and Social Networks: Threats to Privacy and Autonomy. Science And

Engineering Ethics, 22(1), 1-29

Peif, S. (2016, May 24). Probable security breach may have compromised thousands of

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Schippner, M. (n.d.). Seeing is believing: The state of virtual reailty. Retrieved May 20, 2016,

from http://www.theverge.com/a/virtual-reality/intro.

The classroom of the future. (2016). Retrieved May 20, 2016, from https://education-

2025.wikispaces.com/The+Classroom+of+the+Future.

UCLA. (2015, July 22). UCLA's Augmented Reality Sandbox. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE1B7tdGCw0.

What is eye tracking? (2015). Retrieved May 20, 2016, from

http://www.eyegaze.com/what-is-eye-tracking/.