Today, VR and AR are more accessible and have been integrated into our daily lives. Virtual reality is no longer a figment of our imagination or a scene from futuristic movies. Today we can use VR in the comfort of our homes.

Virtual reality app development and augmented reality app development have become more popular as well. The gaming industry is also integrating this technology into their consoles. We have enjoyed the likes of Pokemon Go, but VR and AR promise more in the near future.

VR and AR have been integrated into several industries, and one of them is the education. Adding VR to learning in schools add a whole new dimension to learning. Lots of debates on the suitability of VR/AR for schools have been ongoing. App developers have presented many pros of VR//AR in the education sector, but some users people are not quite comfortable with it yet.

Consider the pros and cons of using VR/AR for learning:

Pros of VR/AR

• One Size Does Not Fit All

One important thing to remember with VR is that, even though this technology is more expensive than old-fashioned eLearning, it offers different options that can suit the budget of businesses. There is always a VR gadget to fit the budget.

• Immersive Learning

Interactive learning is one effective way to engage children, and they will easily assimilate the new information. By letting kids learn in such an interactive and immersed way, they can be stimulated by learning, particularly when you consider a few of the benefits of interactive learning.

The VR industry constantly strives to create an exciting and engaging learning journey for students. In addition, research has shown that most of the kids learn best kinesthetically, implying that virtual reality is an excellent option for this kind of learner.

• Everyone Makes Mistakes

One of the beautiful advantages of using VR technology is that users can learn without being worried about making mistakes. Most times when undergoing eLearning in the school, employees can become conscious and be under pressure to make sure they pass all courses. However, completing eLearning with a VR headset creates a different virtual entity for the users, creating a comfortable environment where they can learn at their pace.

Cons of VR/AR

• Integration

Presently, virtual reality technology is a bit disconnected, as it is probably too costly to implement all learning into a perfect 3D experience. So, careful consideration must be taken to assimilate virtual reality into other learning that your school offers – whether it is eLearning on mobile devices or computers or even offline training such as activities in the classroom. This is not difficult, but strategic planning is required to make sure that the excitement of VR does not detract from other learning options importance.

• Costly Investment

Regardless of there being a variety of phones and headsets to meet various budgets, there is no denying that making an investment in virtual reality is going to be quite costly. For educational institutions with large numbers of students, this will cost even more. This means that institutions will decide on just investing in small numbers of VR devices to share among students. Though a seemingly economical strategy would be limiting the availability of resources by restricting access to learning during special time periods.

• Breathing Space

It is safe to state that you will not want to have your VR learning in your classroom for the risk of hitting other people or falling over desks. So educational institutions will have to find a good space within the premises to let users have enough personal space to complete learning. This, however, will make eLearning more traditional and the purpose of virtual learning will be defeated. What is more, even if most of the US’s primary learning style is kinesthetic, it doesn’t apply to everyone, and some people find other techniques more effective.

Digital revolution and VR It is important to equip young students from a tender age with vital skills, relevant to adopting and succeeding as the digital age evolves continuously. Some reports predict that the VR market will continue to grow to about $4.5 million, and may reach more than 25 million users next year. This exponential growth in a short period indicates why students must be confident using augmented reality and virtual reality, as there’s a lot of potential in virtual reality app development. By making eLearning more exciting and engaging, research has revealed that virtual reality can be used to engage students who have formerly lacked confidence in the educational system or struggled to be involved. It can be quite beneficial because emotional rewards are an invaluable incentive for most students, and it can encourage them to study even more. However, as much as augmented and virtual reality is becoming more incorporated into everyday learning, could it be dangerous for students? Can they become too dependent on such interactive learning, and become less involved in traditional teaching methods? Training in Medical School Virtual reality is currently being used more often in medical schools as well as other similar settings. It is used as a means of instruction and education. It allows medical students to learn and understand all they can about the human body. They do this by means of interaction in a virtual environment where no patients will be put at risk. Allowing these medical students perform procedures in a safe and controlled setting saves lives by providing an invaluable experience! They can also make mistakes without any consequences, learn from the mistakes, while applying the skills they have learned in real life situations. Does VR/AR make students less sociable? As augmented and virtual reality have become more common in schools, are they risking the social life of the students? Some studies advocate that mobile phones have been negatively affecting social skills of most students – could this also apply to virtual reality? When peer-to-peer association is limited will this affect getting them ready for further education, careers and developing into business leaders? Experts do not believe so as VR is more interactive than it appears. Can VR reduce bullying?

There are some concerns that VR and AR could harm kids’ social development, but there has been a completely opposite reaction from kids. Teachers have seen some kids who may be shy, but “tech savvy,” accepted by their peers because they have had the opportunity to impart some skills to them. It’s an excellent tool to get every youngster to work together as it can help teach them the benefits of being a team from a tender age. App developers and app development companies still have a lot of work to do in this field to make it more accessible, affordable and more user-friendly. What are your thoughts on VR/AR for education?

Author Bio: Harnil Oza is a CEO of Hyperlink Infosystem, a mobile app development company having a team of best Indian app developers who delivers best mobile solutions mainly on Android and iOS platform. He regularly contributes his knowledge on the leading blogging sites.