VR and AR in Digital Education
Before VR and AR became technologies used in education, they were known among people and industry experts as technologies used for video games.
In the VR field, Oculus, and in the AR mobile gaming field, Pokemon GO, revolutionized the video game industry. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion, while Pokemon GO became an AR mobile game played by millions.
The adoption of new technologies has recently become the norm among industries. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are among the technologies that companies operating in the e-learning/digital education field have recently started to adopt extensively.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) for E-Learning/Digital Education
Now, the potential of VR and AR has gone beyond video games. The corporate use of these technologies has increased significantly, and the revenue generated from these technologies is expected to reach approximately $75 billion by 2023.
1) Advantages of AR and VR in Corporate Training
The benefits provided by these technologies pave the way for their greater adoption across industries. Let's take a look at some of these benefits together.
a) Provides a Safe Learning Environment
Creating safe e-learning environments with VR has become much easier. As a result, it has become possible to carry out digital education programs that require being in risky environments without endangering the lives of trainees and participants. Scenarios in which VR and AR are used to achieve greater efficiency by conducting training in an e-learning environment instead of the real world, where errors in training can affect productivity and efficiency, have also been implemented.
b) Remote Work
Multi-dimensional technologies provide companies with the infrastructure for remote work. In particular, VR contributes to the creation of an ideal remote working environment by increasing collaboration, which is reduced in remote working arrangements.
Employees have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues during work from home and e-training with VR headsets.
c) Productivity
Thanks to the fact that training becomes much more engaging and memorable with VR and AR, you can achieve much more productivity with multi-dimensional technologies. Research has shown that multi-dimensional technologies can increase retention rates by approximately 25%.
Companies can also increase their productivity through cost-effectiveness. The implementation of multi-dimensional technologies is much cheaper than creating real-life training environments. Even if large costs arise during the initial supply of the necessary equipment, you can increase productivity in the long run by saving on continuous inputs such as trainers and classrooms.
Productivity can also be associated with the analytical nature of multi-dimensional technologies. VR and AR can automatically collect and analyze information about users' training sessions and activities.
2) Disadvantages of AR/VR Implementation
The implementation of VR/AR brings with it some disadvantages and limitations in addition to its various advantages. Let's examine some of these.
a) Health Side Effects
Prolonged activity in VR-simulated environments can cause various side effects such as nausea and dizziness. However, let's also mention that developers are aware of these side effects and are working to reduce them.
b) Initial Costs
The average VR headset costs hundreds of dollars. Learning management systems (LMS), which are necessary to create the ideal learning environment, also have various costs.
However, it should be noted that it pays for itself with the savings it provides in the long run.
3) Implementation of VR/AR in Digital Learning
Multi-dimensional technologies are mainly implemented in areas that require employees to be trained in high-risk environments.
As more industries and companies adopt multi-dimensional technologies for training, the benefits of these technologies will increase, and the risks and disadvantages will be minimized.
