As educational game developers, VR and AR are two types of technology that fascinate us. This month on the blog, we set out to uncover all of the different ways VR and AR have potential, are emerging, or are already in use in educational and professional settings. Here’s what we found!
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In this blog, we explore how VR interacts with social-emotional learning (SEL), which involves critical life skills such as empathy and collaboration. Traditional SEL teaching methods, such as discussions and role-playing, sometimes fall short of feeling immersive and real to students. VR offers a solution, as it has a unique ability to cultivate empathy by letting individuals experience different perspectives and emotions directly.
Throughout this article, we cite research that shows that VR learners feel significantly more emotionally connected to the content compared to traditional methods. For example, experiments at Stanford University and in middle schools using VR for mindfulness and empathy have found that VR increases students’ emotional connection to their learning. Read the full blog to learn more about these experiments, as well as all of the ways VR is giving SEL education a boost!
We can’t help showing off our projects – we’re so proud of them! This blog showcases our VR and AR games for education. Check out the full article to learn more about Breaking Boundaries in Science, a VR experience celebrating the achievements of women scientists, VR Explorations, which combines physical books with VR experiences to offer immersive learning, and Mindful Market, an experience that aids cognitive recovery in patients through VR therapy. We didn’t forget about AR! Discover Origami Crafting is an AR book set we created with our friends at Capstone Publishing, that teaches users how to make origami crafts, complete with video tutorials. At Filament, we believe that pairing learning objectives with the right game mechanics results in the best educational experiences – and sometimes, these experiences take place in VR or AR.
Throughout this month, we continued to dig deep into specific areas where VR and AR make a difference in education. The particular blog investigates how VR and AR can supplement and enhance art and design education. For example, art students can interact with their creations in 3D using tools like Tilt Brush and Panoform. AR has the power to seamlessly blend digital elements with the real world!
We also touch on how VR and AR bring history, culture, and art to life for students. AR, for instance, can make art history more engaging by animating famous artworks, providing students with a deeper appreciation of art’s evolution. VR immerses students in the past, recreating archaeological sites and offering historical context for art, fostering a stronger connection to history. Find out all of the ways immersive technologies are reshaping art and design education by reading the full blog for yourself!
Focusing on yet another specific academic area, this blog article examines the role of VR and AR in STEM education, and how these immersive technologies have the potential to make STEM more engaging, accessible, and effective. In this article, we discuss how VR and AR can bridge the gap between theory and practice in STEM subjects, drawing on real-life examples from the University of Rochester, VR tools utilized in medical education, and more.
We also consider how VR and AR can help educators and learners overcome physical constraints in STEM education, because these technologies offer virtual environments where students can conduct experiments, manipulate objects, and solve problems without the need for expensive equipment or physical laboratories. We also cover how VR and AR can help prepare students for the STEM careers of the future by fostering essential 21st century skills. Get all of the details in the full writeup!
We finished this month by spotlighting various recent studies on the impact of VR and AR in educational and training contexts. Uncover how VR and AR are making a positive impact in all sorts of fields – from improving astronauts’ mental health to giving ophthalmology students a new way to train for surgery. And that’s not all – VR and AR are improving fields like construction management, engineering, astronomy, and more. Overall, these studies demonstrate that the role of AR and VR in education and training is growing significantly, offering new approaches to learning. Don’t miss out on the miraculous findings from these studies. Check out the full blog and find out more!
From nurturing empathy and social-emotional skills to breaking down the walls of traditional classrooms and enriching our understanding of art, history, and science, VR and AR are poised to take on an important role in education. They promise to empower learners of all ages, making education more engaging, accessible, and effective, while also preparing us for the challenges and wonders of tomorrow’s world.
As creators of educational experiences that improve people’s lives, we’re looking forward to the endless horizons of discovery, growth, and shared knowledge that VR and AR will bring to educational gaming. Do you want to make a difference with a VR or AR project? We have 18 years of industry experience to help you bring your vision to life. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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