5 Things Research Shows About VR and AR Teaching Tools

Understanding just how far we’ve come with VR and AR in the classroom

A decade ago, the very idea of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) teaching tools in the classroom would have been the stuff of science fiction. In recent years, however, educators, students, parents and stakeholders of all kinds are seeing the benefits of VR and AR teaching tools in the classroom.

What Does the Research Show?

Five years ago a survey conducted by Samsung found educators in a somewhat optimistic mood — 74% said they thought VR technologies would increase student motivation in the classroom, and 62% said they expected it to improve learning outcomes. Both figures represent a majority of teachers.

Today, 92% of educators support the use of digital technologies in the classroom, which have proved vital to the development of modern education. Increasingly, these ‘digital technologies’ are being used as teaching tools, with this futuristic tech becomes increasingly accessible to educators. So, let’s see how far we’ve come.

5 things research shows about VR and AR teaching tools.

1. More Effective Learning Outcomes

Learning is not simply about being exposed to knowledge; about witnessing new concepts and ideas. It is about engaging with this knowledge directly — retaining it, keeping it, and wielding it effectively in the future. Studies involving VR and AR in education have repeatedly found that this technology actively improves knowledge retention in students.

Research from the National Training Laboratory suggests students using VR and AR experienced 75% knowledge retention rates, compared to 5% for lectures and 10% for written knowledge delivery. A qualitative survey found that 90% of students strongly agreed that virtual reality helped them retain information in specific areas of mathematical education, including understanding 3D vectors and visualising mathematical problems.

Other studies support this — statistics released by PwC found learners were 275% more confident when applying the skills they learned after training, thanks to the immersive and stress-free nature of these solutions. On top of this, they trained 4x faster than in a traditional classroom, were almost 4x more emotionally connected to the content and 4x more focused than e-learning peers.

2. Improved Perception of STEM Subjects

VR and AR teaching tools can be highly effective in fostering engagement across complex STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. NASA has been using these VR and AR learning materials for several years, giving students the chance to explore life onboard the International Space Station, experience environments on other planets and better understand Space Launch System rockets.

This is helping to nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Our 5-day intensive STEM program also uncovered some very interesting figures about the way students respond to VR in the classroom.

Following the program, there was a 56.6% increase in students who chose maths as their favourite subject, a 22.5% increase in students who chose digital technologies and a 15% increase in those who chose science.

These subjects are going to be key as we resolve the increasingly complex problems impacting our society. If VR can drive engagement among young STEM learners, this is going to play a huge role in the future of societies across Australia and around the world.

3. A More Collaborative Learning Environment

Learners of all backgrounds need to feel safe, supported and understood during the education process. This means giving other students the tools they need to foster empathy and collaboration on a meaningful level, eliminating prejudice and other negative aspects in the classroom.

Preliminary research shows deploying Lumination solutions in teaching environments has increased empathy among school-age learners. Utilising the Perth empathy scale, that students exhibited a 12% increase in empathetic tendencies after a 10-week training unit, and this is helping to nurture better levels of collaboration in schools and institutions.

This is supported by studies conducted at Stanford University, which examined responses to experiencing homelessness.

In the first study, 82% of participants who engaged with homelessness via a VR simulator signed a petition to support affordable housing, compared to 67% of participants who read a text narrative on homelessness. In the second study, 85% of the VR participants signed the petition, while only 66% of participants who viewed a two-dimensional video version of the VR experience signed up.

4. Enhanced Accessibility for Learning

During the Covid-19 pandemic, accessibility in the classroom became a hot topic. As children were no longer able to access schools and other institutions, they had to learn online, utilising Zoom connections and other video-conferencing solutions to navigate the curriculum.

But even as schools reopen, hopefully for good, this idea of accessibility is still important. There is now a significant disparity in terms of learning resources for students and VR and AR teaching tools in different parts of the country – it’s difficult for students outside of major population centres to learn and develop in the same way as their counterparts in Australia’s capitals.

VR studies have shown us that this doesn’t have to be the case. Providing VR and AR equipment for teachers brings new experiences and learning opportunities to the classroom in a highly effective manner – no matter where these classrooms are located. This level playing field is going to make it much easier for the next generations to thrive, and also opens the door for students with special needs to engage in learning in new ways.

5. Part of the Fabric of Tomorrow

When students engage with VR and AR, they are taking profound steps towards familiarising themselves with this technology. This is going to be critical moving forward, as VR and AR teaching tools play an increasingly important role in workplace training and orientation processes.

The PwC 2022 US Metaverse Survey showed that over half (51%) of businesses already had a VR training strategy in place or were actively working to make this happen. 34% of these respondents said that training was the biggest benefit they expected to reap from the metaverse.

This training is not only being used to nurture hard skills, such as equipment and vehicle operation, but soft skills too. Demonstrating common VR and AR teaching tools is going to be in the working environment of the future. Find out how else VR and AR is being used in the workplace.

Gaining an understanding of these tools gives students a head start as they look towards future careers and vocations.

Lumination Leading the Way

With Lumination Learning Labs, we strive to make VR and AR teaching tools more accessible to classrooms across Australia and beyond. To learn more about our mission, get in touch or check out our case studies.

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