One day, students will start a class by jumping into an avatar and strolling into a digital replica of their classroom. But we are not there yet.
The technological march can be rough terrain, and virtual reality is no exception.
Adam Blumenthal, the former virtual reality artist-in-residence at Brown University and founding member of Rhode Island Virtual Reality, says VR has fallen into what researchers have dubbed “the trough of disillusionment,” when the hard realities of cost and innovation stall widespread adoption of new technologies.
“We’ve seen this many times,” said Blumenthal, who has been researching VR since the 1990s. “The curve eventually continues on and eventually the technology becomes commonly used.”
Proponents still believe virtual reality’s promise as an educational and training tool, but high costs have made widespread adoption prohibitive, particularly at the K-12 level. A basic VR headset costs more than $400, not including upkeep and the software required.
In 2017, Blumenthal directed a project with 14 Brown undergraduates for Rhode Island middle and high school students that focused on the 1722 Gaspee Affair rebellion when colonists destroyed a British schooner on Narragansett Bay in retaliation for harassing local merchants.
Though Brown has significant financial resources, that project relied on the use of a 360-degree jump camera rig that was loaned by Google LLC.
“It’s not a mature space at all. There is limited educational content,” he said. “These things require custom platforms. Right now, we are not at a time when you can easily pull up a VR application. It’s still experimental at the moment.”
But at the university level and in corporate training offices across the country, VR can be a good alternative. One local example is The National Elevator Industry Educational Program, which has its national training center in Warwick. Apprentices learn advanced repair skills during eight semesters that include simulating work sites, Blumenthal says.
“You are doing the thing,” he said. “Using your hands and reaching out and grabbing things and putting things together.”
There is certainly a market appetite.
A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd. found that 40% of VR learners are more confident in applying what they’ve been taught and 150% were more engaged during classes. Another study by the International Society for Technology in Education found 77% of educators believed immersive technologies “ignite curiosity and improve engagement in class.”
Juan Rodriguez, a career and technical education teacher at The Met High School, founded the nonprofit Winner’s Circle XR Academy in 2019 and serves as its executive director.
Rodriguez launched the academy after he noticed his students were enthusiastic about the emerging technology, even if they were bored with history and mathematics. This was the catalyst for starting an after-school program that has since grown to a partnership with six local schools.
“It’s a revolutionary shift from century-old teaching methods,” Rodriguez said. “We strongly believe that students are more likely to be excited and engaged with new forms of interactive learning and we anticipate even more positive outcomes and behaviors.”
Data backs this up. In a randomized control study of a VR mathematics program, students using virtual reality scored 11% higher than those in the control group.
“It’s not about video games but creating content to supplement what students are already learning,” Rodriguez said. “If they are reading a book, let’s create an alternative ending in VR and see what that looks like. Or have students immerse themselves in particular moments in history. Or step into a science laboratory for safe experiments.”
Ron Blum, associate professor of hospitality at Johnson & Wales University, says the growth in modern applications has been mostly centered in aviation, law enforcement and the medical fields.
Preparation for an open-heart surgery training session or a cross-country flight costs time and resources, he says.
“Certain things you can’t do every day. This technology is becoming more lifelike and has lots of data analytics” that aren’t available in traditional instruction, he said. “We are definitely seeing a reemergence in interest.”
There has been industry adoption in the “travel tourism” sector, where would-be guests can take in a beach view and inspect their hotel rooms before driving to the airport. VR can also allow people with disabilities to visit places otherwise out of reach.
In 2023 a team of Johnson & Wales business students competed in the Northeast Intercollegiate Sales Competition at Bryant University that provides a “risk-free environment” for students to put their classroom knowledge to use. The team used a VR simulator to practice interactions in a high-stress sales environment.
But costs are still a challenge. Headsets are updated every couple of years. Winner’s Circle XR Academy relies heavily on outside grant funding.
Blumenthal predicts the curve of integration will spike once more as costs decrease and the technology becomes more accessible in the coming years.
“I have no doubt it’s going to move to the right again. We just need another evolution in the technology,” he said.
