The Future Of Edtech And Learning In India From An AR/VR Lens

Technology is taking over education in universities, real-world technical training and schools. A recent article by Meha Agarwal looks at what roles augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) play in education technology, or EdTech.

In the 21st century, technology is taking over education — be it skill-building programmes in universities, real-world technical training and learning of abstract concepts in schools. The shift from conventional means to experiential methods of transacting learning has seen new-age technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality — a combination of AR/VR — have been playing a key role in driving learning and edtech engagement.

Educators around the globe today have realised that AR/VR are big breakthroughs when it comes to learning — for a method as well as outcomes. As Ankur Aggarwal, founder of VR-based edtech startup Veative told us the enduring objective of edtech is to improve the yearning to learn and AR/VR helps implement it in a spectacular manner.

“AR/VR has great potential in democratising the educational process and making it a personalised learning experience for learners of all stripes. AR/VR is not a gimmick when deployed correctly. They allow learners to explore abstract concepts in a distraction-free environment and allow them to connect with the concept,” Aggarwal added.

And that is not a lone opinion. Vivek Goyal, cofounder of AR edtech startup Playshifu, emphasises that learning today means much more than just remembering the facts. Anumukonda Ramesh, country manager for the Indian subcontinent, Unity Technologies, one of the biggest gaming engines in the world, also ascertains that the Indian education system needs to leverage new technologies in order to stay relevant in an ever-changing world.  

(The original full article examines differences between AR and VR before looking at what future AR and R has in Edtech.

As PlayShifu’s Goyal explains, we can broadly divide formal education into three segments — early, secondary and tertiary learning (higher education). For early learners, playing is the way to learn and AR/VR can make a significant impact as it enhances any play experience 10x. Learning about core fundamental skills like alphabets, numbers, logical reasoning can be made so much more fun and engaging with AR-enabled gameplay.

“For more advanced ages, we are already seeing a lot of hardware development being done in terms of AR glasses. These will enable grasping and practicing concepts more profoundly with the help of life-size 3D animated content that students can manipulate and observe in their learning space,” Goyal added.

Here are the primary reasons why AR/VR are believed to be the future of learning and education.

  1. Boosts Learning Retention
  2. Personalised Learning Experiences
  3. Increases Possibilities Of Experimentation
  4. Reduces Reliance On Learning By Rote
  5. Empowering Educators And Learners
  6. Encouraging Active Learning

The founders the authors spoke to believe that AR and VR technology can have an impact not just for young ages but also for reskilling, corporate learning, industrial applications and more.  Each is examined in depth in theoriginal article The Future Of Edtech And Learning In India From An AR/VR Lens.

 

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