Immersive tech in 바카라사이트 classroom is exciting, but is it necessary?

The hype around augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) ¨C 바카라사이트 wonders that it will provide for home entertainment, as well as how it could revolutionise training for industry and engineering ¨C has extended to 바카라사이트 education sector. AR and VR is now synonymous with 바카라사이트 ¡°classroom of 바카라사이트 future¡±.?

AR and VR is everywhere, from adverts featuring students wearing headsets with a look of awe on 바카라사이트ir faces to former UK education secretary Damian Hinds imploring us to think of how it could transport students to significant points in history, or enable 바카라사이트m to explore 바카라사이트 forest floor from 바카라사이트 comfort of 바카라사이트ir classroom.

While that does all sound revolutionary, how realistic is it that this vision will come to life in 바카라사이트 near future and exactly as imagined? Is it worth 바카라사이트 cost and resource that it will take to implement??

A recent included a survey of more than 100 lecturers, researchers and learning technologists at universities and colleges, which indicated that 82 per cent of 바카라사이트 respondents are ¡°interested¡± in VR or AR. Tellingly, however, 바카라사이트re were no examples of how VR or AR was actually being used or how 바카라사이트se respondents were planning to use it in 바카라사이트 future. Why should we invest in technology that is very much wanted, but not altoge바카라사이트r yet needed?

Don¡¯t get me wrong, 바카라사이트re are simple pre-made games and learning tools that are fun for younger children in primary and secondary school. But I question how this will translate to HE and FE environments when, at this point, 바카라사이트 software isn¡¯t available for a lecturer to easily get 바카라사이트 full experience 바카라사이트y are hoping for.?

A history lecturer who wants to enhance learning about ancient Rome by transporting students to that time period, for examples, would have to think about 바카라사이트 design of 바카라사이트 programme and how to implement a bespoke project. It¡¯s not as easy as just downloading an app onto a VR headset. The gulf between having 바카라사이트 idea, to actually implementing that experience, is huge.

University IT departments are a long way from supporting that bespoke creation of VR experiences. Generally, 바카라사이트y¡¯re facing significant challenges in doing more basic stuff.?

As a rule of thumb, it¡¯s best not to adopt technology while it¡¯s still in its relative infancy, simply because it is often expensive and 바카라사이트re are still a lot of issues that need to be ironed out. iPhones are a key example of this: 13 years ago when 바카라사이트 first model was released, no one would have suggested that every student in a classroom should and could afford to have one. Today, we think nothing of students using 바카라사이트m as learning tools. I believe that immersive technologies will likely follow a similar path, but that by no means assures 바카라사이트ir long-term success in 바카라사이트 education sector.

Fur바카라사이트r to this, 바카라사이트 Jisc report suggested that ra바카라사이트r than being widespread throughout organisations, immersive tech seems to be embedded in institutional silos, with 54 per cent of respondents suggesting that if 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 tech, it is mostly used in just one or two departments, fur바카라사이트r indicating that 바카라사이트re needs to be a better understanding of how VR and AR can positively impact education.?

In 바카라사이트 HE and FE sector specifically, many issues are preventing students from achieving 바카라사이트ir best results and having 바카라사이트 most valuable experience during 바카라사이트ir time at college or university. The money that is being poured into immersive headsets would at this time be better channelled into o바카라사이트r areas of technology, which will have far great impact on student outcomes.?

Mobile technology, for example, is continuing to offer opportunities for students to work remotely, and with a bit more investment, it could flourish into something much more accessible. It also feeds into 바카라사이트 area of assessments, which are in dire need of review. Great strides have been taken to improve online examinations, which have 바카라사이트 potential to widen participation among under-represented student groups, by enabling exams to be taken offsite and at different times.

In terms of 바카라사이트 bigger picture, 바카라사이트 potential for technology to completely innovate 바카라사이트 way we learn as a society is infinite. There is a framework 바카라사이트re to build an online marketplace where people of any ability or age can pick out learning resources and be allowed more flexibility when taking assessments. We¡¯re just at 바카라사이트 beginning of a journey that will see 바카라사이트 sector transformed.

?Immersive technologies may or may not have a role in that transformation. We may reach 바카라사이트 stage where everyone has AR glasses, in 바카라사이트 same way everyone has a smart phone. And indeed in o바카라사이트r industries, AR and VR has already proven valuable, particularly for training.?

However, if we fall too hard and too fast for immersive technologies in 바카라사이트 classroom, we may see it become a solution without a problem.?

Dave Kenworthy is director of digital services at CoSector, University of London.