As technological advancements bring in a new dawn for education, augmented and virtual reality is said to be the next big things to be introduced in learning systems across the world. Many educationists are in favour of going the smart classroom way to bring in innovative learning and teaching tools aided by augmented and virtual reality.

Imagine sitting in a classroom where you can see dinosaurs walking the face of the earth through augmented and virtual reality gear that lets you take in the immersive learning experience for a history lesson pertaining the prehistoric ages. Alternatively, how amazing would it have been to see the numbers come to life midway through a boring mathematics lesson that encouraged you to try a little harder to solve that particularly tricky integration! All of these can be a reality in a few years from now, all thanks to the innovations brought about through augmented and virtual reality. It looks like it is going to be a promising future for education indeed!

However, to make this a worldwide phenomenon, one needs to know about how they can implement augmented and virtual reality in the educational sectors to improve the quality of learning as well as teaching methods.Read this blog to find out the several ways for implementing augmented and virtual reality in classrooms and the seven remarkable benefits that they hold for the future of education.

Augmented and virtual reality in classrooms

Overlaying traditional teaching and learning techniques with modern technological advancements, augmented and virtual reality can be used in classrooms and other learning environments in the following ways.

• Triggered by specific markers, codes or images, augmented reality can be used by pairing the smartphones, tablets or similar devices to the application. It can help in creating a blended learning environment. For example, students learning about photosynthesis in classrooms can place their augmented reality-aided smartphones on a particular image in their textbooks and learn about the process in-depth as a video of the process starts playing as a response of the trigger placed in the form of the picture or illustrations in the textbooks.
• Virtual reality can be implemented in classrooms by using the oh-so-popular headgears or goggles enabled with the technology. Students can put those on to experience the lessons firsthand, all the while sitting in their classes. For instance, students learning about pharaohs and pyramids as part of a history lesson dealing with ancient Egypt can put on their virtual reality goggles and take a virtual tour to Giza for an entirely immersive experience.

Not only for classrooms in schools, but augmented and virtual reality can also come of help for specialised courses at the higher levels of education as well. Imagine how awesome it would be if architecture students could see the real-life modelling of their designs through augmented and virtual reality tools. They would be able to check the feasibility factors as well as the aesthetics and learn to modify their designs accordingly from a hands-on virtual experience.

Benefits of augmented and virtual reality

As the millennial generation gradually moves towards online tutorials and technology takes over the way students receive education all around the globe, it is time to take a closer look at the benefits that augmented and virtual reality can bring for education.

Here are the 7 most amazing benefits that switching to an augmented and virtual reality-aided smart classroom presents for the learners and educators alike.

Customized and Personalized Curriculum

Augmented and virtual reality can predict the learner’s knack using the data stored from previous lessons. Tapping into the resources of previous data, augmented and virtual reality can be used to create and implement personalised curriculums for the learners as per their areas of interest. Children with potential in analytical tasks can be introduced to advanced calculations and reasoning lessons through augmented, and virtual reality devices in classrooms.

Motivating Students All the Way

Learners all around the world, irrespective of their level of education, are generally excited at the prospect of new topics or concepts to be introduced in class. Imagine having all the pupils in class excited about learning all the time, for all lessons. Augmented and virtual reality can actually turn that scenario into a reality for pupils, who will love to take part in lessons that involve them taking virtual tours or watching atoms disintegrate for ‘real’ as part of their lessons through augmented and virtual reality in classrooms. Transforming the classrooms into a fun zone with an element of surprise attached to every lesson, teachers will not have a hard time motivating students to come to class or take part in the interactive lessons.

Faster Learning Process

Motivation and concentration are the two key factors that help students in picking up the lessons way faster than before. Augmented and virtual reality-aided learning does just that. Since the pupils are excited and energised about learning through the smart and interactive techniques presented by these technological innovations, they will be able to learn at a faster pace than traditional classroom settings. Additionally, practising the lessons through hands-on experience and multiple attempts will fortify their knowledge on a particular topic and concept and teach them about the practical applications of the same way faster as well.

Enhanced Scope of Interaction

Catering to all kinds of learners, augmented and virtual reality-aided learning devices in classrooms can help even the most introverted kids in class to take part in regular class activities. Since they transport the learners to a different world altogether, combining real and virtual elements, these technological advancements can help in bringing out the best in every child, and present many occasions for putting their interactive skills to use. Teachers would thus find it easier to make students engage in classroom activities through augmented and virtual reality.

Swifter Evaluation of Progress

Augmented reality allows teachers to take note of the progress of the pupils in class and delivers the updated reports at the end of the lesson. The teachers can thus have a better grasp on the progress that their students are making in class, thanks to the innovative functions of augmented reality. Virtual reality, on the other hand, allows the teacher to observe the pupils taking part in the interactive learning sessions and note their response rates along with other factors for a better understanding of the alterations needed in curriculum or methods of teaching.

Enjoyable Modes of Learning

Converting lessons into games and interactive sessions, augmented and virtual reality make sure that the learning experience is a delightful one for the students. Who would not want to go for a virtual field trip to the Museum of Modern Art, London when learning about the contributions of modern artists? The new age learners, growing up on a steady diet of tablet and smartphone games, would definitely enjoy the lessons even more if they could just convert those into games, say, virtual tic-tac-toe for word associations in language classes or interactive hopscotch for memorising multiplication tables.

Cost-Effective Learning Solutions

Learning tools and instruments are becoming costlier by the day, and most schools around the world do not have adequate funds to purchase 3D models, smart charts and diagrams, and illustrations needed for teaching. However, augmented and virtual reality can solve these issues with ease. A one-time investment that can be used multiple times, setting up an augmented and virtual reality-aided classroom is actually more cost-effective in the long run. Since students can use these devices and applications from classrooms, at their homes and other learning environments, investing in augmented and virtual reality thus becomes totally worth the money and more.

Summing it Up

Gone are those days of blackboards and old-school textbooks, for augmented and virtual reality are all set to bring about a new dawn in education. Having multiple benefits, these two instrumental technological innovations have the potential to alter the way we learn and teach, forever. Looking into the future is now quite an easy task, all thanks to augmented and virtual reality and the various ways they are implemented in the learning and teaching techniques over the years to come in schools all across the world.