10 benefits for virtual reality in education

Much is said about Virtual Reality in education, but what are the real benefits of virtual reality in the classroom? Here are ten practical examples that underline the added value of virtual reality education:

1. Choose from a huge selection of educational software

The only limitation of VR education seems to be the storage space on VR glasses. The system boots in no time with all kinds of educational apps, made by the best teachers and expert organizations in the world. You don’t even have to pay for most of the apps and lessons. Think of Google Expeditions, 360 degree videos on YouTube or interactive applications by organizations such as National Geographic and NASA.

2. Make your own lessons

With the Teach VR platform you can not only choose from standard lessons, it is also possible to create tailor-made lessons that appeal to the students in your class. You can share these lessons with other teachers. This makes the teaching material more comprehensive. Also because it’s made from the perspective of the teachers who will work with it on a daily basis. If you already have VR content you can use Kiosk Mode for 360 video and vr headsets. 

3. More attention for the individual child

A virtual environment will be experienced by every user in a different way. It is possible to look in all directions. With interactive presentations the child determines the speed or sequence. Teachers can determine for each student which virtual lessons are the best suited. Think of students with learning difficulties in a specific subject. Offers them a suitable VR application to make up for the things they struggle with.

4. Better cooperation in groups

By working in groups where, for example, one student wears VR glasses, the other children can offer help, take notes or look up additional information. This way students are encouraged to work together. The child with VR glasses must be able to describe in words what is on screen. The others in the group must learn to understand and visualize this information again.

5. Encourage independent thinking and research

The virtual classroom goes much further than the school building, children will be surprised as they learn about what’s going on in the world. This process will continue when the children have returned to reality. They will look at their environment in a different way and start investigating. Curiosity is aroused in VR education and it continues in daily life.

6. Bring the world to the classroom

Making a trip to a museum is quite special, a walk to the forest does not occur daily. With virtual reality you dive in the Atlantic to swim among the fish, climb on Mount Everest or pet a koala in Australia. Every location in the world is just a push of a button away. The 360 ​​degree image (often in 3D) gives the impression that you are really at that unique location.

7. Make abstract topics insightful

It’s easy to tell how bacteria go through cell walls and make you sick, but without visual information it’s just a theoretical story. Have the student shrink to a microscopic level and make a journey through the bloodstream. Surrounded by red blood cells, white blood cells and everything else in the body. This also applies to other topics such as history and chemistry.

8. Stimulate the senses

It has long been known that audiovisual information is better remembered than just text on paper. With VR education, vision and hearing are stimulated without any distraction. With a special VR controller it is even possible to touch the virtual environment. This stimulates the senses, which leads to a higher retention of information. There are even methods to bring smell and taste to the virtual world!

9. Learning becomes more fun

Long ago, “learning” and “fun” were like oil and water; they did not go together well.. The time cramming and not nagging is over, by stimulating the interest of the students, more will be remembered. Learning can be fun, and VR education is an incredibly fun way to learn.  Do not think that virtual reality apps are limited to simple games without depth, there are indeed very complex applications at a high level. Only the children will gladly tackle this challenge because it is just fun to do.

10. It is accessible to everyone

This benefit not only applies to the students but also to the teachers. Fortunately, it is no longer necessary to configure a PC system, install difficult software and calibrate VR glasses. Turn on, install and go. The costs for hardware and software have also fallen, bringing virtual reality education within everyone’s reach.

Every teacher and student will find unique benefits in teaching with virtual reality, with the unlimited possibilities that virtual reality offers, new applications will always be invented and discovered.