Imagine you are a student studying paleontology and instead of going to a dig somewhere in the hot dusty desert and sifting through clumps of dirt for the chance to discover some old bones, you could stay in the comfort of your home, donning a VR headset and experience walking among live dinosaurs. This is Jurassic World without the danger of becoming the lowest common denominator in the food chain. Extended Reality (XR) is a trend of placing the learner in a mixed reality environment of a virtual reality setting and allowing them to see up-close and interact with the subject of their studies (Integranxt, 2021). Then if XR gamified this learning asset this would motivate students to ‘study’ for hours while actively engaging in the virtual learning setting (Integranxt, 2021).
From a STEM perspective this type of innovative learning interaction offers boundless possibilities by creating a learning environment that engages the learner's senses and this helps them create memory of the lesson (Integranxt, 2021). XR can deliver the real-life experience for STEM students to visualize chemical reactions or walk among the dinosaurs in what would otherwise be impossible to experience in the real world (Integranxt, 2021).
For corporations XR can provide training modules for their employees that will save time and training costs. Walmart announced that they are using VR to train employees to deal with high demand sales days like Black Friday (PIXO VR, 2021). This type of training and development is exploding in various industries including, energy, healthcare, aerospace, construction, military, and manufacturing (PIXO VR, 2021).
It is my intent to pursue VR/XR as part of my PhD studies on developing virtual learning experiences for corporations that focus on technical applications.
Sources:
Integranxt. (2021, September 16). Extended Reality (XR) in STEM Learning. Integranxt. https://integranxt.com/xr-solutions/extended-reality-xr-in-stem-learning/
PIXO VR. (2021, July 30). What is XR training? Everything you need to know. PIXO VR. https://pixovr.com/what-is-xr/
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