All the major institutes like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Pennsylvania University are adopting VR technology into their curriculum. VR is not here to replace traditional engineering education. Instead, it will be a very powerful tool that would supplement the same. Here’s the question though- how exactly is it going to do so?
What is the reason most pupils these days prefer VR-based learning methods as compared to traditional ones? Let’s find out in this blog.
Benefits of VR Labs in Immersive Engineering Education
Let’s look at the various benefits of VR labs when it comes to immersive learning education.
Reduction of costs
Many educators believe that VR implementation at institutes incurs a huge amount of cost. While this might be true initially, VR does pay a lot in the long run. Let’s take an example of a jet engine. On any given day, the installation of a jet engine at a college would cost at least $50,000. Or, take the example of an industrial visit to a nuclear power plant. Such a trip would cost a huge amount of money.
With virtual labs in immersive engineering education, this cost is significantly reduced. The only prerequisites are a stable internet connection, a decent VR headset, and a trustworthy VR development firm to assist you.
The students can be taught with the help of VR headsets/There’s no cost for commuting or accommodating a large number of students. Hence, the cost is reduced significantly.
Real-world simulations:
With some concepts in the STEM domain, visualizing the content is very critical. For example in electrical engineering, it is crucial to visualize the circuit frameworks. In civil and architectural engineering, it is needed to visualize the design and layout of the structure beforehand.
In a traditional classroom, the academicians can only teach with the help of theoretical texts and 2D diagrams. While that has been working out quite well for decades now, it’s high time for a more innovative approach. With virtual lab civil engineering, for example, the students can visualize the upcoming projects and decide how to modify them. This prevents the need to rework on the projects again and again.
Safe learning environment
Science labs are often prone to accidents, For example in an electrical engineering lab, there might be electric shock incidents while experimenting with circuits. Even high-voltage situations can be fatal to both the students and the educators.
Immersive labs for universities bring the most cutting-edge, highly-developed technologies to the classroom. The immersive reality labs allow the students to visualize the most abstract concepts easily, and conduct science and engineering experiments without worrying about the consequences of real-life situations.
More engagement
In traditional classrooms these days, it is very difficult to hold the attention span of students for more than 30 minutes. This is because most of the lessons are not interactive. The students passively absorb the knowledge but fail to gain anything substantial out of it. Thai goes against the “active learning” principles propagated by the pillars of Education 4.0.
Many renowned educators like John Dewey and Maria Montessori have stressed on the importance of developing hands-on learning skills. This helps the students in learning how to tackle issues in the future, at their workplace.
VR is a very important tool that can help in this regard. With virtual reality labs, the students are totally immersed in the learning environment. Nowadays, with the introduction of technologies like haptic devices, students can even “experience’ concepts. For example, in areas like microsurgeries in medical training, haptic sensations can easily help train medical students better. This is happening in premier institutes like the Imperial College of London.
Conclusion
We know of the benefits of VR in teaching STEM concepts. We also know how and where these techniques can be implemented effectively. Now it is up to us, to encourage educators to warm up to the technologies. It is true that some academicians are apprehensive about modern technology replacing traditional classroom settings. However, we must remember that VR is a complementary tool to STEM education and not a substitute,
With the right implementation methodologies and trustworthy VR development firms like IXRlabs, learning outcomes can be enhanced easily.
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