Effectiveness of Virtual Learning:

The Research

“There is evidence that VR can address the above educational challenges in the experience age (Dalgarno and Lee, 2010; Psotka, 2013; Bailenson et al., 2008). In particular, VR can: lead to increased student engagement; provide active, constructivist learning; increase frequency of authentic learning experiences; allow for empathetic experiences; enable students to exercise creativity; and provide an arena for visualizing abstract concepts concretely.”

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Virtual Reality in Education: A Tool for Learning in the Experience Age

Elliot Hu-Au* and Joey J. Lee, Columbia University, 2017

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Recently there has been as explosion in global research exploring the benefits and applications of virtual reality in education.  The massive potential of VR in educational applications has spurred the research.  VR has been described as "the learning aid of the 21st century" (Rogers, 2019).  Studies suggest that students retain more information and can better apply what they had learned after participating in VR exercises (Krokos, Plaisant, & Varshney, 2019).  Considering the potential learning enhancement of VR, it is understandable why researchers, organizations, and educators today analyze and probe these technologies intensively, seeking to add an extra dimension to the classroom.

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Studies on virtual learning are emerging from universities in every continent around the world because educational systems are looking for ways to use emerging technology to enhance learning outcomes.  Many researchers believe they have found the ideal learning vehicle in VR.

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Researchers have focused on focus on the use of VR in education to answer the following questions:

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• How are VR technologies embedded into education?

• How do 3D technologies enable active and experiential learning?

• How do 3D technologies encourage learning in wide range of learning goals across a wide range of disciplines?

• What design elements and learning contents support VR-based learning?

• What learning theories have been applied to guide VR application design and development for education?

• What types of uses of 3D technologies hold the greatest potential for learning and research outcomes?

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The numerous studies of VRs use in education yielded near universal positive findings, ranging from increased time-on-task (Huang, Rauch & Liaw, 2010; Johnson et al., 1998), to enjoyment (Apostolellis & Bowman, 2014; Ferracani, Pezzatini & Del Bimbo, 2014), motivation (Cheung et al., 2013; Jacobson et al., 2005; Sharma, Agada & Ruffin, 2013), to deeper learning and long-term retention (Huang et al., 2010; Rizzo et al., 2006).

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We invite you to examine the research from our library below, and learn for yourself exactly how a child can learn anything.