Virtual and augmented reality are offering teachers innovative ways to reach their students. According to a report by PwC, 40% of students who use VR to learn are more confident when applying what they’ve learned. Additionally, these VR learners are 150% more engaged during lessons. The study also states that VR learners are 3.75 times more emotionally connected to class content and can be trained four times faster than their peers in a traditional classroom setting. Further, the International Society for Technology in Education and the XR Association claim that 77% of teachers believe immersive technologies like AR and VR improve class engagement and provoke curiosity.
Meta wants more teachers and students to benefit from XR learning. Thus, the Metaverse company is announcing a new partnership program to help college students in the US learn via VR. Meta is also researching ways to make it easier to find educational resources on the Meta Quest store. A variety of educational apps are available for Meta Quest, covering topics such as science, technology, history, languages and maths. Meta plans to find new ways to make it easier for teachers and students to find age-appropriate educational content in the Meta Quest store.
As part of the program, Meta is teaming up with 15 US universities embracing VR and AR learning. Each participating university is hosting classroom sessions and virtual reality exercises to determine how immersive tech can further enhance education. Universities participating in the program include Stanford University, which uses the BodySwaps app to teach soft skills to Business School students and Arizona State University, which uses VR to allow students to practice conversing in new languages.
VR Education is Growing in Europe
Europe is also embracing VR education. In Italy, schools can integrate immersive experiences into classroom lessons. Italy’s University of Camerino is also holding a course in the metaverse for the first time. Both students and the teacher will access the class via VR headsets. Various European companies are developing educational VR apps. Noun Town is an educational app developed in the UK that aids students in learning new languages.
“We remain hugely optimistic about the impact metaverse technologies can have – and are already having – on education,” states Meta. “But for everyone to benefit from the incredible opportunities these technologies open up, governments and other institutions need to embrace them and utilize them across public education systems.”
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
