While some people fear the rise of the robots and the continued automation of many facets of everyday life, there are some aspects of tech evolution that could be the key to making the future even brighter. One major area in which this is the case is in the field of education.
It is almost impossible to calculate how much technology improvements have aided education over the years. From computers to the internet, these changes have absolutely transformed how people learn all over the world. Luckily for those involved in the education field, both teachers and students alike, there’s another revolution on the way in the form of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
What are AR and VR?
Augmented reality is a technology in which digital information or features are implemented to interact with the real world around users. This can be in the form of visual, auditory, olfactory augmentation, amongst others. An everyday example of this is the filters used in social media apps such as Instagram.
Virtual reality takes things a bit further, using technology to create a fully immersive digital world in which users interact with an artificial environment. This is often done through the use of a headset that covers users’ eyes.
How can AR and VR change the field of education?
Whether it’s younger students in grade school getting a grip on the basics or more mature learners working in some of the most most advanced fields in the world, AR and VR can make a massive impact on the ability to learn.
Casting a wider net
The rise of the internet and online courses has made education accessible to thousands of people in more remote places whom otherwise might not have been able to boost their knowledge base. AR and VR only widens these possibilities, providing digital versions of real-world experiences that break down the barriers geography sometimes puts up.
Real-world scenarios without real-world consequences
Although they come with the caveats of being augmented or virtual, AR and VR bring learners a step closer to the action. Whether it’s students being able to interact with an immersive, real-world underwater environment without having to worry about drowning or medical students being able to poke and prod bodies without fear of harming a living, breathing human, these powerful technologies take learning to the next level.
Practice makes perfect
Similarly to the aforementioned lack of real consequences, AR and VR allow teachers and learners to keep costs down while providing more or less infinite resources for learning. Students don’t have to fly to foreign countries to interact with people in foreign languages, or worry about finding patients on which to practice.
Ready to get started on or further your career in education or just want to boost your skills or knowledge in your chosen field? Find online education courses, from a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care to other exciting certificates, that can put you in front of a classroom and give you the chance to harness the teaching power of AR and VR.