What is virtual or virtual reality? How does it work, how can it be used in classrooms and offices, and is virtual reality the future of education? To answer these questions, keep reading.
Education is the foundation of every civilized society, and knowledge transfer has been a top priority for civilizations from the very beginning. Imagine a world without computers and smartphones. Difficult, isn’t it? If we had not started thinking about computers in the nineteenth century and passed this idea and acquired knowledge to the next generation, the picture of today’s world would be completely different.
However, development has now led us to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and augmented reality (XR).
Why is it time for different ways to learn?
Older generations are sure to wonder what’s wrong with classic and classroom learning. In their time, television was the pinnacle of technology and yet they learned everything they needed to work and live. What escaped their memory was that they acquired most of their useful knowledge after school or in the practical parts of school. The past and present method of learning have one major drawback, as learning methods are based on the assimilation of facts. Too much information received in a short period of time can easily become unmanageable for most students.
Virtual reality encourages interactive and visual learning, critical thinking and collaboration among students. It is a well known fact that people learn best by doing. However, if you look at modern education, you will notice the lack of practical learning there.
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Oculus Quest 2 -
HTC Vive Pro 2
VR glasses are the best way to create virtual spaces
The virtual reality experience takes place in a virtual world separated from the real world with the help of virtual reality devices such as Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, Pico Neo, HP Reverb and the like. Baltix has been interested in creating Slovenian virtual environments. You can see their virtual reality devices on the website www.balix.si. You may have heard of VR glasses before, if not certainly elsewhere in the house when your child enthusiastically described his virtual adventure.
Among the best and most affordable VR glasses are the Oculus Quest 2 VR glasses, which do not require a powerful computer to create a virtual experience.
Where can we use virtual reality in education?
Virtual reality technology has almost no limits. Virtual spaces are so advanced that they easily confuse users’ senses. This means that users in the virtual space behave the same way they do in real life, and the experience is very realistic. Virtual reality allows students to experience what they have read in books. Imagine being able to visit ancient Greece or climb Ethno and take virtual samples right from the core of the volcano. Virtual reality is already being used to gain technical knowledge in various fields such as design, programming, military or medical industry. Medical students can use Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality glasses to “enter” the human body and learn about the workings of human anatomy in detail. In the Czech Republic, redesigned Oculus Rift VR glasses have been used to explore the human eye. Designers and architects can create a virtual home that clients can walk through and simulate real-world interaction.
What did you want to become when you grew up? Pilot, soldier, policeman, astronaut? With virtual reality, you can put yourself in the shoes of your chosen profession and spend the day as an astronaut, firefighter, programmer or something similar. Virtual reality also opens the door to new opportunities for collaboration and distance learning. Students and teachers can come together in a virtual environment and simulate a real learning experience.
Virtual reality technology is an innovation that will exceed all expectations with further development. Already, eye tracking technology, which is present in virtual reality devices, is used for various purposes. Eye tracking provides valuable information on user behavior to help developers understand how their apps are used. What do users focus on? What details cause a positive reaction and any negative reaction? In the future, the technology will be used to improve biometric security. Thanks to her, virtual interactions are already more natural and intuitive.
Balix has the largest selection of VR glasses for educational and entertainment purposes. Visit them at www.balix.si.