There is a lot of hype, information, pause, and even some action being taken with virtual reality in education. While it’s true that we do not yet know its complete impact on academic achievement, there are some things we do know about VR’s potential in the classroom. It's important that educators are well-informed when it comes to this technology and we hope to always present accurate information. But, of course, some will still form their own opinions based on what they hear or have always believed. Some of that information may be true, but some of it is just myth and it’s crucial that any impressions you develop about virtual reality in education are formed firsthand. Here are some of the most common myths about virtual reality with some reasoning for debunking each.
VR Causes Nausea and Headaches
If you’re not all that familiar with virtual reality but do know a little bit about the basic premise of using it, one of the reasons you might be turned off is because of the belief it causes physical illnesses. We’re not talking about anything long term, but some of the common issues we typically face. The most common malady associated with virtual reality use is nausea brought on my motion sickness. If you get car sick or fear amusement parks, you might be nervous when somebody mentions virtual reality. We’re not going to say that you’ll never experience nausea when using virtual reality because some people probably will. It's not something, however, something that should deter you from trying it. You can always remove the headset immediately upon the onset of nausea. Plus, like we said, only a small percentage of people usually feel these effects.
Part of the reason people get headaches when using virtual reality is because their eyes become so stimulated. With stimuli being concentrated all in one place (the eyes) and not spread out evenly through the body, headaches can possibly begin to occur. Also, if walking down a set of stairs in virtual reality, your feet and legs wouldn’t actually feel the change in height and weight of your body, but your eyes would see it. This could cause come disorientation for people who are not used to the phenomenon and, again, for those who are prone to motion sickness. This is also due to the lack of a physical point of reference in many cases. Hopefully, understanding a bit of the reasoning behind why people get headaches and nausea when experiencing VR can help alleviate some of the fears you might have or at least provide you with some knowledge that might confirm your belief that it’s definitely not for you.
There has also been a good amount of progress made in reducing the likelihood that people experience nausea when using VR in education. Companies have made it possible for users to obtain that point of reference by providing them with various icons in the corner of the display that they see in the headset. Another improvement that’s been mentioned a lot, which has come over time as the technology has improved, is the reduction of lag in what users are seeing. If their connection was not very strong, for example, users might experience issues similar to a CD skipping and this is definitely something that could result in either motion sickness or headaches. Ultimately, like anything else, moving past motion sickness when using VR is something that could simply take some getting used to for some people, but do know that plenty of steps have already been taken to try to make sure that this issue never comes into play.
VR is Expensive
Another common misconception about virtual reality is that it is very costly. Depending on what you consider costly to be, I suppose this is open to interpretation, but virtual reality’s cost is not something to freak out about. Since VR is still relatively young in its current and most advanced form, it’s likely that it’s currently at its highest price point. As with all new technologies, the average price of VR equipment stands a very good chance of coming down over the next few years. And, it’s not at a tremendously high number as it is. Some of the top end virtual reality systems, like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive come in at a total cost of under $2,800 for everything you need for the best virtual experience. This includes computers, speakers, sensors, and more. The reason the prices of these bundles is even that high are due mostly to the accessories rather than the headsets.
Virtual reality systems are actually comparable in price to most consoles on the market at the moment and they’re just as vivid, too. On the low end, however, you can get basic VR viewers for as low as $10 and still find a number of ways to immerse students in educational content. Of course, going with some low-end VR viewers means educators would be able to purchase more of them and perhaps even allow every student in the class to have their own. This would not be the case if purchasing one of the top-end VR systems since the price points are so drastically different. Most schools would only be able to afford one of the previously mentioned VR bundles (maybe two) and, honestly, you probably wouldn’t need more than that or have the space for multiple systems. The less expensive VR viewers typically work with smartphones and specific apps, allowing students to slide a phone into the viewer and experience the content displayed in VR.
When virtual reality first came on the scene, the systems commonly cost a few hundred thousand dollars. It has since become a fraction of that and, as a result, it's much more practical in K-12 education. With the HTC Vive Bundle, for example, you’d receive a monitor, Intel processor, two tripods, set-up and orientation, and a foam headset replacement all as part of the cost. The Oculus Rift also comes with a foam replacement as well as the processor, handheld controllers, and the monitor. That’s a lot to be able to receive for the prices of these systems and, as new versions are released in the future, they will likely come with more power and perhaps less of a price tag. Hopefully, understanding a little more about the actual costs of VR systems can help ease the minds of educators and ultimately open the door to potentially acquiring one.
VR Has Recently Been Discovered
Sure, virtual reality has recently undergone perhaps the biggest boom it ever will see, but just because you’re just now learning more about it doesn’t mean it’s just now emerging. VR is actually a pretty old invention—the concept of it anyway—and it has just simply evolved to its current state over time. While VR in its modern form was originated back in the 1960s, there is evidence that the same concept was used for the same purpose as modern day VR is as far back as the 1800s. While those devices were nowhere near like what we have today (obviously), they helped lay the groundwork for what was to come. Even in the latter half of the 20th century, new elements of virtual reality started to emerge, including 3d visuals and audio, which have become a huge part of VR headsets.
Another recently added element to virtual reality is the sensation of touch. The Vive and Oculus Rift in particular make use of this haptic technology to allow users to feel like they are physically grabbing objects that they can then use within their experience or place down somewhere else. Before these innovations started becoming much more mainstream within the last few years, previously, it was only organizations like the Air Force and NASA that had the means and the money to develop new elements of virtual reality technology. There have also been failed attempts at the creation of new VR devices—mainly throughout the 1990s. Designers simply didn’t have the knowledge and the knowhow to successfully put anything more advanced together—despite some persistent efforts.
Despite those failures, which occurred for a variety of reasons, the virtual reality industry eventually recovered and is now quite successful. Those earlier failures included sub sufficient engineering and subpar graphics, which is logical based on what we see today. Since then, virtual reality has come a long way and allows students to view much more than rotating slides. Today, anybody with access to a VR system and the Internet can travel pretty much anywhere they would like. There is so much content available (a lot of which is free) and it can send any user to places they’ve never been before—and likely would not be able to get to without this technology. Ultimately, I guess it’s safe to say that VR as we know it is just getting started. But, at the same time, the concept of virtual reality as a whole has come an incredibly long way.
VR is for Playing Games
Well, we’ve already given some examples of using virtual reality in education alone, so this myth might not be true. While VR does have plenty of users from the gaming and entertainment worlds, that’s not the use we’re focusing on. This is the area it probably has the most fans and current impact, but the reach of VR doesn’t stop at entertainment. Though it’s far less frequent to use virtual reality in education than in entertainment, it's valuable in all grade levels. And, so far, despite still being in the very early stages, the results of using virtual reality to enhance learning have been great. Whether it’s for supplementing classroom conversations, enhancing remote learning, or providing practical experiences for students, VR certainly has its fair share of educational benefits.
One of those benefits is felt by the teachers and students who are involved in remote education. Despite its overall success, students who learn remotely often are unable to interact with their teachers or with the material that’s being covered. Virtual reality can change that. VR is also a tool that students can learn to use in the real world. For example, it’s been used a lot by doctors to diagnose any number of illnesses without having to physically be with a patient. Once in higher education, students could end up learning with virtual reality rather than just learning about it. And, again, this is a fantastic way for people to leverage technology to overcome any physical barriers they have in solving problems. As of now, virtual reality helps educators create highly specialized education experiences and could become more mainstream in the future.
The greatest thing that VR has going for it is actually something that also makes it so appealing in the gaming world. That characteristic is immersion. Virtual reality content can immerse students in a 360-degree universe that’s vivid enough to bring any environment to life and lifelike enough to spark unheard of levels of engagement. This allows VR to be used to illustrate content as well as train students in higher education. It seems simple, but having the ability to show students rather than explain concepts to them can have a much greater impact on their retention. Just think about why some gamers are so entranced by virtual reality. It’s largely because of the incredible levels of immersion and VR’s ability to make them feel like they’re in a different world. That’s just what it can do for students, too.
VR Discourages Physical Activity
Since many people associate VR with video games, it’s understandable that they might link using it to laziness. This could certainly wind up being true if a VR user abused their headset and spent hours each day immersed in a virtual world. Though we’re not sure of any exact numbers regarding people doing that, we’re pretty confident that it’s pretty low. Not only does VR not typically lead to a lazier lifestyle, it can also result in the opposite. With the advances in modern VR technology, users are able to literally walk around while wearing a headset and move in the physical world to mimic the movements they’re experiencing in VR. Don’t take this the wrong way—it’s not a ton of exercise but, with the realistic nature of VR programs, users can stand and make a lot of movement.
People can, in fact, use virtual reality explicitly for fitness. Some people don’t like going to the gym or maybe it’s too tough to get there with their work schedule. Though possibly pricey, it’s possible to work out at home in VR instead of paying for a gym membership. This would still allow them to do many of the same cardio workouts and they’d definitely be able to mix things up more regularly. Now, what about working out and sweating with a big headset covering most of your face? Well, that’s something you might have to get used to. It would definitely provide a more intense experience since you could play workout videos in the headset in 360 degrees. Besides that, VR has potential as a tool to make people actually want to work out more.
So, it doesn’t sound like a completely ideal situation to work out in a VR headset—at least not yet. That experience could see some improvements, like smaller headsets, in the future perhaps. In any case, you can still get some physical activity in while experiencing VR and, for any Fitbit users out there, there are plenty of ways to add hundreds of steps to your daily totals during your VR activities. Ultimately, VR will have its ups and downs, but those hiccups shouldn’t discourage people from giving it a try. Whether in education or everyday life, this medium offers real benefits that show promise for VR becoming a mainstream technology. If you have any questions about different virtual reality systems or would like some suggestions for using it in the classroom, feel free to get in touch with us!
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