What is Virtual Reality?
Did you know that Virtual Reality (VR) is a world that only exists in a computer system? It generates, in real-time, representations of reality. In other words, Virtual Reality is an interactive simulation generated by technology. The user (person using something) interacts with the artificial environment as if they were in the real environment.
The first prototypes were created, approximately, in the 1950s, with the invention of the first computers, and were only used for military training. To better understand, it is important to mention that simulation refers to the ability to represent something with characteristics similar to reality, governed by rules, although they are not always the same as those of the real world.
Objectives of Virtual Reality in Therapy
The main objective of Virtual Reality is to generate environments that cannot be differentiated from real life, but its use will depend on other factors. For example, it can be used in entertainment (video games), in the scientific field (space engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, etc.), as well as in healthcare (surgical techniques, neurology, psychology, neuropsychology). Additionally, it has recently been implemented in the educational field (teaching and learning process).
Regarding Virtual Reality in therapy, its use has been analyzed in people with central nervous system dysfunctions. Schulthesis et al. (200) mention that it is a tool that allows examining complex cognitive behaviors. Therefore, attentional, amnestic, executive, and visuospatial functions could be observed, analyzed, and evaluated. Through Virtual Reality, situations and spaces can be simulated, allowing patients to face frustrating situations and repeat them until they optimize their abilities.
Virtual Reality in Therapy: Effective Applications
Thus, for example, its effectiveness has been seen in phobia training, through exposure therapy, where patients learn to control their fears and reduce their anxiety. This is possible because patients are repeatedly exposed to stimuli that cause them fear (flying, spiders, heights, claustrophobia, etc.) until they habituate and are able to manage the situation; and thereby reduce their high levels of anxiety.
However, much remains to be investigated, and more studies are needed to conclusively accredit the use of Virtual Reality in different areas of psychology. Therefore, it is important to mention that today, Virtual Reality is simply a complement, as it does not replace traditional therapy.
Virtual Reality in the Educational Field
Something similar happens in the educational field; neither Virtual Reality nor any other type of technology can guarantee learning, but rather, it is another way of learning. As is known, society is constantly growing and changing, which is why various technologies have gradually been incorporated into education. With Virtual Reality, you don’t learn more, you learn differently.
Models and Theories of Virtual Reality in Education
This is a key point in the development of curricula and educational objectives. Now, there are models and theories that could support research in this area:
- Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by Davis.
- Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen.
- Self-Determination Theory by Deci and Ryan.
- Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology by Venkatesh, Morris, and Davis.
- Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy Model.
- Model of Virtual Reality incorporation as a support technique by Pantelidis.
Similarly, there are theories that explain that human capabilities, as well as learning, are better retained if experienced directly with practice and feedback (first-person learning). In contrast, the education most people have received is based on traditional methodologies, such as the expository method (third-person learning). However, in recent years, computer-assisted teaching and/or distance learning (remote teaching via chats, video conferences, emails, forums, etc., where collaborative work can be done without participants being in the same place) have been incorporated into the classroom.
While these are also forms of technology, and can be innovative, they are not entirely suitable for current generations. Another tool that has begun to be studied in the educational field is video games. “Video games are an opportunity for teaching and learning… potential principles: challenge, adaptation, immersion, authenticity, interaction with alternative rules and consequences, feedback and evaluation, socialization and collaboration, identity, practical reflection, among others.” (Gee, 2003).
The use of video games in educational practices provides opportunities to develop mathematical, creative, language, social skills, etc., since the student is part of an organized and coherent environment, directed towards an objective established by the game’s rules. For its part, Virtual Reality allows the student to be an active agent, as they learn by doing, interact, and perform actions that produce changes in the artificial world.
Better information assimilation is achieved, as users utilize almost all their senses. Marcelo, Yot, and Mayor-Ruiz (2015) consider virtual learning environments to be an instrument that allows for personalized education and motivates students… For example, in Virginia, USA, the Arlington Science School uses a Virtual Reality platform for students to take educational trips to places they could not visit due to distance and economy, such as studying the flora and fauna of the Amazon.
Challenges of Virtual Reality in the Educational Future
Virtual Reality is a technology that allows breaking temporal and spatial barriers. However, Virtual Reality requires extra materials such as: glasses, gloves, or helmets, for user movements to be captured.
Furthermore, most educational material is in English. Therefore, for this tool to work in the educational field, various investments are needed. First and foremost, economic investment, followed by the effort and creativity of individuals willing to create material in other languages. Finally, but most importantly from my point of view, educational policies must be redesigned, creating new educational actions that align with the demanding environment of current generations, and remembering that Virtual Reality is just one more instrument in the teaching and learning process.