AR and VR Driving Paradigm Shift In The Education Sector: How Far Would That Go?

If not totally, but we did break with the past to a fair extent. From the days of running after a school bus, relishing canteen grub with friends, and learning in real classrooms to limiting oneself to a screen and staring at it for hours, COVID drove us a long way. 

As the pandemic came, the need was felt to come up with newer and more effective ways of imparting education. Creating virtual classrooms and finding methods that not only increase learner engagement but maintain it as well soon became a priority. Gamified eLearning is rising continuously at a remarkable pace. 

Now, even after the virus outbreak has retreated its traces online education hasn’t. Rather, it’s here to stay. Continuous evolutions in edtech have brought us to the door of AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality), the latest technologies that are already causing a sensation in the entertainment sector. 

The potential of AR VR in education is, no doubt, getting noticed everywhere, and yeah, education too. Thanks to the immersive experiences the tech manages to offer, it’s helping craft highly engaging, effective, and innovative learning platforms across every domain. 

Although the revolutionary shift in education hasn’t reached far, AR VR in eLearning is certainly sprawling its arms to become affordable and accessible. Exciting questions surround AR and VR when it comes to their application in the edTech sector. Like, as what the future holds, how will it impact learning and training fields, whether is it really worth it, its limitations, and more. 

We’d be answering most of them and satiate your curious nerves here.

So, let’s get started, then!

AR vs. VR, Well, What’s The Difference?

The terms AR and VR have come a long way. From being a jargon to becoming a household name, we’ve surely increased our familiarity with the terms, if not tech. Despite that, the confusion between AR and VR still exists. That’s why many folks even use them interchangeably. 

However, both have different market goals and applications as they are based on distinct technologies. 

How Are AR and VR Games Used In Education?

So, VR offers immersive experiences that mimic the real world by using opaque headsets. Whereas, AR simply extends digital elements over real-life views to deliver augmented experiences. Unlike VR which blocks the live view, AR allows users to see their real surroundings. 

Regardless of where they are in use, all the applications of AR and VR in education are targeted to make learning an immersive experience, so users absorb more, engage more, and holistically learn a concept. This is done by using enhanced eLearning simulations that allow learners to deeply grasp every facet of the subject. The advancements are set to break new frontiers with AR/ VR Metaverse games in the field of education and training. 

  1.  Enhanced Simulation Immersion 

As soon as we take our devices in hand, distractions start ravaging our hard-earned concentration. Immersive solutions made using AR/ VR in edtech save learners from struggling with mental and external disturbances while dealing with a virtual task at hand. Not only through standard mobile devices, but simulation games could also be accessed via visual headsets and audio devices allowing learners to completely immerse themselves in a virtual world. As the tech advances, tactile sensors will also involve a sense of touch, making the virtual experience more realistic. 

  1. One-on-One Training In Virtual Environments

Countless video conferencing tools are out there. They claim to offer more blended training and learning experiences. But, you can’t ignore the disconnect or a sense of barrier that lurks. VR and AR technologies are all set to take corporate learning to a whole new level. Virtual training rooms and classrooms will allow instructors and learners to interact in real-time or real-case scenarios. It might be in the form of an avatar or realistic representations of a person himself as the tech advances or a real virtual challenge giving first-level experience reducing the event of mishandling or accidents while offering in-depth knowledge. The best example can be a Lab Experiment or an AR-based microscope which will deliver a first-hand experience of the experiments or activity. 

VR Simulation training game development company

  1. Deep & Insightful Analytics

AR and VR technologies will make use of deep and detailed analytics to track user behaviour. From determining the alertness level to evaluating the emotional state of learners, the solutions might be able to do a lot. Big data from AR/ VR will help trainers craft more personalized and engaging courses to improve engagement. Not only insightful analytics would satisfy learners’ expectations but will also help your drive better virtual training ROI for the company. 

To make the most of your big data, professional Data Analytics & Big Data services come in handy. As experts will be handling your data, you can focus on your business strategies to scale it up further.

  1. Qualitative eLearning assessments

As learners engage with eLearning simulations and AR/ VR edtech solutions, the software tracks and records their performance to evaluate their weaknesses and strengths. Learning from mistakes is what users would be able to effectively do with advanced educational platforms, qualitative assessments, and instant visual feedback. Not only gamified assessment solutions make the process more entertaining but also make close-to-perfect evaluations of the skills and knowledge of a learner. 

Recently, StudioKrew worked on an assessment game for an international Pharmaceutical Company to evaluate a candidate at the time of application submission. The solution involved a real-world challenge played as a game while the backend performed evaluation based on various essential psychometric parameters. Then, the hiring team just had to select the assessment scales and get a list of base-level shortlisted candidates.

  1. Deeply Engaging Gamification

Noticing the impact of AR/VR technologies in games, it can be said outright, “AR/ VR are the future of gamification”. Virtual rewards are already there in modern gamified solutions, but learners can’t hold them. But, AR/ VR is striving to change the scenario by making the incentives real, so they are motivated to accomplish their best. Leaderboards, tangible badges, and other advanced gamification elements will take gamified education to the next level. 

VR Educational Game development agency StudioKrew

Top Factors To Keep In Mind While Planning and Developing AR/VR- Based eLearning Games

Augmented and virtual reality in educational games breaks the fourth wall that holds us from having life-like experiences with the subject matter. However, to keep it as impactful as it should be, there are certain factors you must keep in mind while planning AR/ VR eLearning games. 

  • Platform End Target & Story: Identify your end target and know them inside out, for e.g., about their economic strata, job, interests, etc. To stay relevant, a company building an app must have an understanding of the needs and goals of consumers. Furthermore, to maximize the experience an app offers, you need to consider the storyline. With rich animations, an intuitive interface, interaction options, responsiveness, etc., an application can come to be responsive and user-friendly. 
  • Test Cases & Real Model: Considering test cases & real models at the same time helps determine whether the application is performing as expected and complies with guidelines, end target needs, and standards. Furthermore, it will also manifest defects or errors that might be hiding from sight. To ensure the quality and smooth functioning of the application testing is a step that can’t be ignored. 
  • Robust Platform Architecture: Having a clear and robust application architecture is of immense importance which determines how every unit of the app is related and interacts with each other. A seamless architecture is crucial for a seamless transition, scalability, and a user-friendly experience. While designing a solid app architecture, it is important to consider certain elements like device size, connectivity or bandwidth status, proper UI, real-time updates and push notifications. 
  • End Target Platforms & Hardware: You need to take into consideration the prominent device size and hardware utilized by the end target. Furthermore, understanding the availability, bandwidth, and connectivity are other elements that require attention. The data access system must be created such that it can withstand dwindling network conditions. 
  • Feasibility of Accessibility: Make sure your end target can access the platform and its content with ease. It must be compatible with their screen size, storage, bandwidth, and device specifications.  Moreover, take care of compatibility as it ensures the user is not facing issues while accessing the platform and its content in the virtual classroom. If the platform is incompatible, it would come out too problematic which will only avert users from the platform.
  • UX/UI: AR/VR technologies in education aim to make learning immersive, not boring. Thus, it is crucial to plan a world that students find attractive and functional such that they begin to absorb the concepts effectively and easily. An engrossing VR environment will encourage learners to come back to the virtual world more often and for longer durations. Once the environment is in place, it’s time to do the rest of the design. To make the virtual classroom more engaging and interactive rich graphics, text, sound, video, and animation should be incorporated. Furthermore, features allowing students to engage with other learners globally always pay off. 
  • Evaluation Parameters For Assessment Platform: While striving to make the application reliable, non-discriminatory, and predictive, it is important to ensure the app doesn’t include too many evaluation parameters. The best practice suggests one to include a limited number of assessment criteria per assessment cycle. That’s because having too many of them could lead to the application becoming less user-friendly, poorly interactive, and not much feasible. 

To get further acquainted with what it takes to build marvellous AR/VR eLearning applications, you can get in touch with Top AR VR eLearning Game Development company business teams like KrewGames

A Quick Wrap-Up

So, you saw how AR and VR technologies can make your LMS or eLearning project more functional, engaging, and effective. We discussed how AR and VR could be used in education, their limitations, and so on. 

While the solutions ensure immersive learning experiences and better understanding, they do come with certain dampers which we discussed above. 

Nonetheless, ongoing advancements in the field are continuously targeted at making things better, effective, and accessible. Companies like StudioKrew, which is a leading game development company based in UAE and the USA have already taken big steps to craft fun, productive solutions like eLearning games and LMS systems in the fields of education, healthcare, finance, gaming, and so on. 

Have you got any app or game ideas? Come to us and we will help you turn it into a remarkable reality. If you want to outsource any of the game development tasks, we offer the best professionals who are ever passionate about taking up challenging and innovative projects.