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. Even in elementary and/or high schools, it can definitely add value to have a VR headset in place, if only to introduce students to new technologies. Moreover, learning with VR provides a huge incentive for (especially younger) students to delve into the subject matter. Virtual reality provides a completely different experience for students when it comes to learning, compared to the 'old-fashioned' learning from a book

Colleges and universities are exploring the various possibilities of VR technology; from offering virtual reality lab facilities for remote students, to simulated surgical procedures to train and guide medical students. VR also offers the opportunity for a virtual library, where students can access all the information they need, or get a tour of architecture or archaeological finds anywhere in the world

Finally, the report indicates that the use of VR in schools will continue to increase as the software and hardware develop. A lot is already possible with VR, and this is a good time to step into the virtual world. High-end VR headsets are still (too) ambitious for some learning objectives, but fortunately, there are already plenty of affordable alternatives available. For example, to give students their first VR experience, 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 up a notch, you might consider a standalone headset, like the Oculus Go or Lenovo Mirage Solo. To give students a real 'wow factor', you could look into high-end headsets like the HTC VIVE Pro or the HP Reverb G2.