Virtual Reality in Education

Abstract

Virtual Reality is implemented by a combination of technologies that are used in order to visualize and provide interaction with a virtual environment. These environments often depict three-dimensional space which may be realistic or imaginary, macroscopic or microscopic and based on realistic physical laws of dynamics, or on imaginary dynamics. The multitude of scenarios that VR may be used to depict make it broadly applicable to the many areas in education. A key feature of VR is that it allows multi-sensory interaction with the space being visualized. Here we look at how this combination of multi-sensory visualization and interactivity make VR ideally suited for effective learning and try to explain this effectiveness in terms of the advantages afforded by active learning through experiences. We also consider some of the applications of VR in education and also some of its drawbacks.