The decision by Facebook/Meta to change the nature of modern education is not an empty promise. Facebook Reality Labs will invest a whopping $150 million in an educational program to improve tech development and training. It will use augmentation and virtual reality tools as the primary means to achieve its goals. 

What is Meta-Facebook? 

For most people, the concept of a metaverse is a mere fantasy. It refers to a virtual reality space where people can embed themselves to get an all-around immersive experience. In a typical video game, you control the character. However, in a metaverse, you are the character! 

Related Post: Virtual Reality as a Game-changer in Education

Metaverse and Education

Even for a company as big as Meta, achieving such a feat is tricky, due to which it will partner with Coursera and edX. Together, they will promote the Spark AR Curriculum of Meta using augmentation and virtual reality. These companies will convey more information regarding their partnership and goals in the coming weeks.

Even though the introduction of the metaverse, a concept emerging in fiction, seems like a shock, one should have expected Mark Zuckerberg to implement it. Zuckerberg has always displayed a keen interest in virtual reality. In 2014, Meta, then known as Facebook, bought the VR company Oculus for $2 billion. 

Is It Realistic?

The depiction of the metaverse in Zuckerberg’s video has a combination of technologies geared towards education. At 31:00, a girl learns astrophysics by looking at the planets up close, zooming in on Saturn’s rings. Instead of reading from the screen, the girl interacts with the solar system. While the idea of such an in-person experience sounds good on paper, is it for everyone? 

Virtual reality sets require a lot of space and money. The VR sets by Meta have failed to capture the market and have even discontinued one of their products called Rift. However, Meta still sells the Oculus Quest 2 and claims the sales have improved without releasing any data. 

All things included, investing capital to integrate virtual reality and education during a pandemic seems like a bad idea. Officials prefer to invest their resources into something better than manufacturing expensive VR sets and materials.

Irrespective of the idea, the metaverse will not become a reality for the next decade or so. Andrew Bosworth, the VP of Facebook Reality Labs, suggests “the metaverse is not a single product that one company can build alone.” The firm has also explained that no one company will own the metaverse.

Also Read: Most Interesting Edtech Trends of 2021 That Are Here to Stay

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VR as a Game-changer in Education

A study conducted by National Survey showed that 90% of teachers believed that VR in education was an effective tool to provide immersive learning for students.

Tablets and lightweight computers emerged first in classrooms, but as you might guess, there was still a lack of room for interaction. This is how virtual reality is differentiated from every learning practice.

By combining advanced technology with knowledge, it has been possible to create a learning environment by projecting different versions of reality.

 Application of VR in Education

• Distance Learning

One of the best things is that virtual reality in school education helps students and teachers overcome geographical boundaries and produces natural interactions in classrooms. Similarly, one can attend any interesting event on Earth with just a press of a button. For instance, the London School of Business and Finance is a great example of combining VR with distance learning in the courses they offer to postgraduate students.

•  Virtual Field trips

The capability of VR to offer deeply immersive experiences can be useful for teaching subjects such as history, geography, and art with the help of a virtual field trip. This technology promotes students with the freedom to explore and learn at their own pace. Some of the biggest universities are already offering these trips to students, and the best part about virtual field trips is that they can be distributed on a massive scale.

 What Makes VR in Education Beneficial?

1.  Engaging

 A great deal of time and resources are spent by teachers to engage students through interactive projects, public speaking, and a variety of other ways. Oftentimes, their efforts go in vain.

On the other hand, virtual reality makes it easier to create immersive experiences which bring lessons to life. By gaining hands-on skills, students also become prepared for the future.

2. Technology

It’s incredible how digital technology has changed the way classrooms are taught. The move from passive learners to active learners has changed the game. Especially today in the 21st century, students need to be proficient in technological skills to adapt to the world. 

3. Language Roadblock

International education can be a problem for the learner, considering the differences in culture and languages. With virtual reality, every possible language can be included within the software. Therefore, language will no longer be a barrier. 

4. Safe Learning Environment

Sometimes, making mistakes during learning can make the students scared of the possible outcome. Gaining skills without the fear of failure makes virtual reality a preferable tool for training to build the student’s confidence. Therefore, students can try different approaches and choose what’s best for them.

5. Practicality

Regarding the practicality of education, students often need special tools and the application of theory in real-life scenarios for learning. Difficult concepts in subjects can be hard to comprehend due to the lack of practical application. And that is how just by using VR in education, students get a chance to learn by doing rather than simply reading. By visualizing complex topics or mechanisms, the cognitive load to process the information is highly reduced.

Final Thoughts

Undoubtedly, we can say that VR is the best fit for modern education. It creates an immersive learning experience and offers a favorable environment for every student out there. Therefore, VR keeps reshaping the way we view the world. It can be said that the young learners of tomorrow are truly in good hands with technology. They will employ it to its full potential.

Reference: Immersion VR

Image credits: Freepik

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