What is virtual reality?

What is virtual reality (VR) and can it really help children learn? This is a question many parents ask themselves. Virtual reality (VR) has indeed recently become a tool for teaching and entertaining children. With this exciting technology, children can learn in a completely different way than usual. For example, children can explore their surroundings, interact with objects and people, and even travel through time using VR.

As technology continues to evolve, educators and parents alike are increasingly turning their attention to the possibilities of virtual reality for children’s learning. Many believe that virtual reality is the future of education, as it will significantly increase children’s engagement and offer immersive learning experiences. From virtual tours to video game-like simulations, VR offers new and exciting ways to educate and engage children of all ages.

What is virtual reality?

Virtual reality is an artificial environment that can be explored and interacted with through a computer-generated simulation. By wearing special VR goggles and motion-sensing controllers connected to the goggles, you can experience the simulated environment as if you were actually there. VR technology is advancing rapidly, with a variety of VR devices available for different applications. While the functions of these devices differ, they all allow users to enter a simulated environment that is as real as the real world.

Virtual reality for children allows time travel and virtual excursions

VR devices are used in a wide range of industries such as medicine, tourism, education, computer games and science. VR glasses are equipped with a screen in front of your eyes to create an immersive environment. The devices also track the user’s head movements to adjust the image according to the direction of gaze. This allows the user to experience the simulated environment as if they were actually there.

What is the difference between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)?

In the past, the terms virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) were used to mean essentially the same thing, but in reality they are very different concepts. Augmented reality is not a completely computer-generated experience – it is a real representation of the real world, transformed by computer graphics. Virtual reality” is a completely computer-generated experience designed to replace reality entirely.

In other words, VR is focused on creating a completely artificial experience, while AR is more about augmenting the real world by adding digital elements. Because of these different objectives, VR and AR are often used for very different purposes, even though both technologies can be used to create immersive and engaging experiences.

The benefits of VR for children

VR is a very engaging way of using simulated reality technology to get children more involved in learning. This is very important, as engagement is often the key factor in how well a child will absorb and retain information. Involvement also plays a key role in how much time and effort children put into their education – the more involved a child is in an activity, the more likely they are to spend time on it outside school.

High-achieving children can learn through VR from a young age

VR can be used to simulate real-life experiences for children that are otherwise not very engaging. For example, virtual tours, simulations of historical events and VR video games will be very good ways to engage children in learning through VR.

Good examples of CoR in education

Virtual reality can be used for more than just entertainment. Thanks to the ability to create fully simulated environments, VR can be used to simulate a variety of real-life situations, from sightseeing to time travel.

For example, VR can be used to simulate excursions, allowing children to explore different places as if they were actually there. This allows children to explore the inside of a volcano or the bottom of a lake. VR can also be used to simulate historical events, allowing children to learn about what happened in the past in a more engaging way. For example, children could explore how the Titanic sank, or experience the bombing of Pearl Harbor as if they had been there.

VR takes children back in time, allowing them to explore life in the past. This could include the opportunity for children to find out what it was like to live in World War I, or even explore life in Ancient Rome. Students can use VR in a wide range of fields, such as performing virtual surgery in medicine, improving communication skills through teamwork, piloting a virtual plane and so on.

Many universities are already using VR technologies for teaching

Applications of VR technology in different industries

VR has applications ranging from healthcare, education, lifestyle, travel, marketing and sports to computer gaming. Here are some examples of what virtual reality can achieve:

  • can help patients with anxiety, pain and mental health problems. VR can also be used to provide physical therapy for children with disabilities or injuries, helping them to improve their mobility and coordination
  • interactive and engaging lessons that allow pupils to explore their environment and the world around them
  • turn your home into an immersive entertainment hub by playing VR computer games with friends or alone
  • explore new places without leaving home
  • Marketing can create immersive brand experiences, allowing users to interact with products like never before
  • create realistic sports simulations and immersive gaming experiences
  • create virtual art studios or galleries where children can experiment with different artistic styles and techniques
  • creating a virtual environment where children can practice social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and conflict resolution

VR devices on the rise

Meta Quest 3 VR glasses

Big tech companies are trying to make VR a “mainstream” technology by investing heavily in VR technology and content development. As VR has caught the attention of tech giants, it is expected to become more popular in the coming years. Facebook, for example, has already done so in 2014. acquired Oculus for USD 2 billion in 2010 and have now released several generations of VR goggles, the latest being Meta Quest 3. This is the model we’ve chosen for Dateks Gaming School as the best choice for children’s first exposure to VR and AR – with reduced weight, high-resolution screens, and the ability to adjust lens width and optical parameters. Apple has recently released its Vision Pro glasses, Amazon is working on its own VR content and Google has partnered with various brands to create VR content.

What can we conclude?

Virtual reality is a technology that has been around for years, but has only recently become available to the masses. VR has a bright future in education and has the potential to become the future of education, enabling children to engage more deeply in the classroom. Virtual reality allows people of all ages to interact with computer-generated worlds and environments that they would otherwise not be able to interact with in real life.

With the growing popularity of VR, major technology companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon have started to invest heavily in developing content for VR users. This means that in the future, professions related to VR content development will be in high demand.

Children can learn 3D game development and explore the world of virtual reality through Dateks Gaming School. I think this could be a great opportunity for your children to learn new skills, have fun and experience the exciting possibilities of VR.