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Virtual Reality Applications in Education

 At the end of the 20th century, there were three revolutions in information technology. The first revolution was represented by the emergence of personal computers, which was a turning point in human history. The second revolution was represented by the emergence of the internet, which has had a great impact on all aspects of science and life. 

The third revolution was represented by the huge and massive media revolution, which brought about a new qualitative leap in human life. It is no wonder that we now have wireless phones, paperless books, electronic drugs, online shopping, digital currency, and smart cards.

It is clear that using virtual reality in the educational process has an effective and attractive impact because it provides learners with diverse virtual learning environments that are difficult to access in real-life environments. This allows them to think and visualize abstract concepts, such as observing and noting the eruption of a volcano from beneath the earth's crust until it erupts to the surface, and interacting with experiences that are difficult to study in reality due to their danger, high costs, or temporal and spatial distance, or the speed or slowness of their occurrence in reality.

Through the use of virtual reality applications in education and training, what is known as the Virtual Laboratory, Virtual Round, Virtual Museum, and other applications have emerged. I will discuss them with an explanation and provide an example.

10 Best Virtual Reality Application in Education

1. Virtual Laboratories 

Virtual labs are one of the recent applications of virtual reality application that simulate real-life labs and produce similar results. They have become popular in many fields, such as science, pharmacy, engineering, and education, among others.

The need for this application has arisen to overcome the problems related to traditional labs. Virtual labs have helped learners to understand abstract concepts and bring them closer to reality in a sensory way. They have also helped to overcome the risks and consequences that learners may face while performing experiments in a physical lab.

Example: Simulating experiments and chemical reactions that pose a risk to learners and the classroom environment.

2. Virtual Rounds 

One of the modern applications that appeared through the internet, where its first use was in 1994, and Queen Elizabeth II was one of the first users of the virtual round when she officially opened the Visitors Center and it was called the "Virtual Tour". It was applied through virtual reality until virtual rounds became an effective means used online to visit some archaeological, tourist, and museum sites, and it can also achieve maximum benefit in the field of education and use it within educational environments, where it helps learners to comprehend some lessons that are difficult to refer back to or explain in symbols and expressions, such as historical events in the history subject, a tour in outer space.

It has several different names that all refer to the same meaning, such as: virtual panorama - panoramic tours - virtual tours - virtual reality tours - live virtual tour - 360-degree tour - Quick Time Round.

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Example: A virtual tour of the Kaaba and the Umrah and Hajj rituals in the Holy Mosque.

3. Virtual Museums 

Virtual Museums are museums that rely on audio and visual technology, where they are created through the internet to introduce a certain museum (and it is not necessary for this museum to exist in reality). The goal is to preserve archaeological pieces (such as paintings, pottery, photos, and sculptures), research their history, and obtain information about them to share and benefit from.

These virtual museums are designed within an interactive 3D virtual world where information is conveyed easily through a virtual tour inside the museum.

Example: A tour in a virtual museum where movement is done through arrow icons (at the bottom of the image), and the blue arrow on the floor indicates the museum's path. In addition, information about the exhibit in front of you can be obtained by clicking on the information panel and displaying it on the screen.

4. Virtual Theaters

It is a type of performance such as theatrical and circus shows, but it relies on a simulation process done through a computer, where it presents a virtual environment that embodies realistic or fictional environments for the audience. It is interactive and can be navigated in real-time or in pre-recorded time.

These shows are presented on a real theater stage, where display screens, video cameras, and other multimedia are used and the audience watches them by wearing virtual reality glasses.

Example: Reviving historical events and ancient battles or embodying old plays such as William Shakespeare's plays or embodying dangerous creatures in the world, making it easier to convey information to learners.

5. Virtual Reality Classrooms

Virtual reality classrooms are digital environments that use virtual reality technology to create immersive and interactive learning experiences. These classrooms allow students to engage with educational content in a way that is more engaging and interactive than traditional classroom settings. Virtual reality classrooms often include 3D models, simulations, and interactive elements that help students understand complex concepts in a more visual and hands-on way.

Virtual reality classrooms can be used in a variety of educational settings, from K-12 schools to colleges and universities. They can also be used for training and professional development in a variety of fields. Some of the benefits of virtual reality classrooms include:

1. Increased student engagement: Virtual reality can make learning more fun and engaging, which can help students stay focused and retain more information.
2. Enhanced learning outcomes: Virtual reality can help students better understand complex concepts by providing immersive and interactive experiences.
3. Access to new educational opportunities: Virtual reality can provide access to educational experiences that may not be available in traditional classroom settings, such as field trips to faraway places or simulations of dangerous or difficult-to-recreate situations.
4. Customizable learning experiences: Virtual reality can be customized to meet the individual learning needs and preferences of each student.
5. Increased collaboration: Virtual reality classrooms can facilitate collaboration between students and teachers, which can help promote a more interactive and social learning environment.
6. Improved accessibility: Virtual reality can provide educational opportunities to students with disabilities or who may not have access to traditional classroom settings.

6. Virtual Reality Entertainment

Virtual reality (VR) technology has transformed the entertainment industry by providing users with immersive experiences that allow them to feel as though they are part of the action. VR entertainment applications include video games, movies, music concerts, and sports events.

In VR video games, users can interact with the game environment and characters as if they were physically present in the game. VR movies, on the other hand, give viewers the feeling of being in the scene, allowing them to look around and interact with the environment. VR music concerts and sports events enable viewers to feel as if they are in the front row of a live event and provide them with a sense of presence that traditional viewing methods cannot match.

Virtual reality (VR) has brought a new dimension to entertainment. With VR, users can immerse themselves in an entirely different world, and the possibilities for entertainment are endless. Here are some examples of virtual reality entertainment:

1. Gaming: Virtual reality gaming is one of the most popular forms of VR entertainment. Users can experience a new level of immersion in their favorite games and feel like they are actually in the game.
2. Movies and TV: Virtual reality movies and TV shows are becoming increasingly popular. Users can feel like they are part of the story, and the experience is much more immersive than traditional viewing.
3. Theme parks and attractions: Virtual reality is being used in theme parks and attractions to enhance the overall experience. Users can experience rides and attractions in a whole new way.
4. Sports: Virtual reality is also being used in the sports industry. Users can experience live sporting events in a virtual environment, which can be especially useful for people who cannot attend in person.
5. Museums and exhibits: Virtual reality is being used to bring museums and exhibits to life. Users can explore artifacts and exhibits in a whole new way, which can be especially useful for people who cannot visit the physical location.
6. Music and concerts: Virtual reality is being used to create immersive music experiences. Users can feel like they are part of the concert and experience the music in a new way.

Overall, virtual reality entertainment offers users an immersive and engaging experience that traditional forms of entertainment cannot match.

7. Virtual Educational Games 

Virtual reality offers games and applications with great potential for learners to immerse themselves in their imagination with such available resources. Games and virtual worlds allow us to tap into the hidden potential to support our learning communities, expand our networks of learners, and provide tools to support creative learning activity and experience design. (Mustafa Joudat, 2015).

Example: Role-playing historical characters and reenacting events, and students can interview scientists who have long passed away, such as Albert Einstein explaining his laws (as shown in the picture).

8. Virtual Reality in Libraries 

The world of virtual reality in libraries attracts people from different communities by allowing them to travel to other times and places and work together to understand and build parts of history and literature by opening up to the experiences of others. virtual reality application can be seen here as a counter to isolation (one of the negatives I will mention) and a means to bring visitors from different communities to the library for virtual exchange of experiences, building empathy and understanding between people.

Libraries today are shifting towards becoming community centers focused on education and experience as much as they are centered around books. People visit libraries for free access to Wi-Fi services, computers, 3D printers, and other programs that are not directly related to the hundreds of volumes and stacks of books on the shelves. Additionally, many library users verify books virtually, and they actually don't visit the physical library very often.

9. Future Libraries:

We are confident that what is happening is a "big idea," but with the presence of a lot of virtual reality technologies, which are likely to improve over time, it may be good to look optimistically at the future of libraries. Once upon a time, libraries used physical locations to preserve physical materials, but these days most libraries are working hard to digitize physical materials and make them available on the Internet, qualifying libraries to become a source of content for virtual reality technologies, which can be used as a primary source of historical events in the future.

10. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Virtual Reality in Education 

The advantages of using virtual reality for educational purposes are similar to the advantages of using a computer or interactive simulation, especially three-dimensional computer simulation, where computer simulation has been used for several years in education with the help of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Some of these advantages include:

• It is very stimulating, as found by Mikeropoulos, Chalkidis, Katsikis, and Emvalotis (1998), where learners have a positive attitude towards using virtual reality as a tool in the educational process. 
• Virtual reality captures the attention of learners, as they find themselves excited, challenged, and interactive in navigating a three-dimensional environment, motivating themselves to create and build their own three-dimensional world. 
• Virtual reality can clarify some features and processes in a more precise way, allowing for close examination of the object model from the inside, top, and bottom with accuracy and clarity, resulting in areas that have not been seen before. 
• Virtual reality can change the way learners interact with subjects, requiring interaction that encourages active participation rather than passivity, where learners who interact with the virtual environment are encouraged to continue to interact by seeing the results immediately. 
• Virtual reality provides a way to teach some objectives through distance learning, which was previously impossible to teach.

Some of the negatives of using virtual reality include:

• The high cost of purchasing the necessary equipment and the high cost of producing virtual programs. 
• It takes time to learn how to use both the hardware and software. 
• Possible negative health and safety effects, such as eye strain, dizziness, and nausea if used for extended periods of time. 
• Complete immersion can lead to panic and fear in certain situations. 
• Despite the flexibility and independence of virtual reality, it can lead to a kind of isolation from the outside world and instill a sense of individuality and selfishness.

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