AUGMENTED VIRTUAL REALITY: HOW TO IMPROVE EDUCATION

SYSTEMS

Abstract

This report presents and discusses the developing role of virtual and
augmented reality technologies in education. Addressing the
challenges in adapting such technologies to focus on improving
students’ learning outcomes, the author discusses the inclusion of
experiential modes as a vehicle for improving students’ knowledge
acquisition. Stakeholders in the educational role of technology include
students, faculty members, institutions, and manufacturers. While the
benefits of such technologies are still under investigation, the
technology landscape offers opportunities to enhance face-to-face and
online teaching, including contributions in the understanding of
abstract concepts and training in real environments and situations.
Barriers to technology use involve limited adoption of augmented and
virtual reality technologies, and, more directly, necessary training of
teachers in using such technologies within meaningful educational
contexts. The author proposes a six-step methodology to aid adoption
of these technologies as basic elements within the regular education:
training teachers; developing conceptual prototypes; teamwork
involving the teacher, a technical programmer, and an educational
architect; and producing the experience, which then provides results in
the subsequent two phases wherein teachers are trained to apply
augmented- and virtual-reality solutions within their teaching
methodology using an available subject-specific experience and then
finally implementing the use of the experience in a regular subject
with students. The essay concludes with discussion of the business
opportunities facing virtual reality in face-to-face education as well as
augmented and virtual reality in online education.

1.0 Introduction

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are not new, but recent advances in
computational power, storage, graphics processing, and high-resolution displays have
helped overcome some of the constraints that have stood in the way of the widespread
use of these immersive technologies. Virtual and augmented reality technologies have
made their appearance within the education sector. The challenges to be addressed are
mainly focused on improving students’ learning outcomes. The educational element
they have put in motion has been experience as a vehicle to get the student to acquire
specific knowledge. Many are the stakeholders who will be part of this process, all
with equal importance to the success of the initiatives. First are students as recipients
and digital natives—individuals that embrace the use of new technologies, influenced
by the technological progress of society; customers, and as such, very demanding in
their requests, thinking that technologies like these should be readily available in the
existing portfolio. Second are the faculty members: academic professionals who have
to be trained to introduce these innovations into their teaching methodologies. Success
will require involving them as participants in the creation of such solutions. There is
no one better than faculty members to know in what areas a student will need more
help, and therefore, what parts of the subject will be best suited to and best
complemented by these educational experiences. Third are the institutions. They have
to bet on these types of technologies, conceiving them within their models of
educational innovation.

It is not enough to have some trial devices available for users; instead, the
greatest effort of institutions will focus on providing products and training that will
raise their educational quality to the highest level. Last but not least, are the
manufacturers, influencing through their devices, applications, and events; all of
which are fundamental elements and, obviously, pillars to the expansion of these new
tools. Without a doubt, the most important element to highlight around virtual and
augmented reality is neither the potential nor the devices, nor even the existing
applications. The most important concept to understand is that these are tools. The
ultimate goal focuses on the improvement of student outcomes throughout the
educational process in which they are involved. Increasing the number of students
who manage to acquire the minimum knowledge demanded by an expanding
competitive market is the only mission of these tools. Millions of professionals in
thousands of institutions work every day to achieve this goal. Today people speak of
virtual and augmented reality, but tomorrow they may talk about holography or any
other outstanding technology. In the end, these are tools, and the increase of student
knowledge will continue to be the common and constant goal in this sector throughout
all time.
 2.0 Augmented and Virtual Reality Definitions

2.1 Virtual Reality Definition

Taking a common definition per the American Heritage Dictionary, virtual (n.d.)
means "existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or
name." Also, it can mean "created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer or
computer network" (“virtual,” 2005) Other definitions can be found in the scientific
literature to complement the dictionary, such as “the action to induce a targeted
behavior in an organism by using artificial sensory stimulation, while the organism
has little or no awareness of the interference” (LaValle, 2017). Another interesting
definition for virtual reality is an interactive computer simulation which transfers
sensory information to a user who perceives it as substituted or augmented (Abari,
Bharadia, Duffield, & Katabi, 2017). Therefore, virtual reality could be defined as an
environment created by a computer system that simulates a real situation.

Starting with the resulting description, it can be said that this technology provides
the user with the opportunity to be immersed in a programmed environment that
simulates a reality. Currently individuals can be immersed within these realities
through the sense of sight, by using visualization goggles; through touch, by wearing
haptic gloves; and finally, through hearing by using headphones. The technology that
makes it possible is based on software developments that use peripherals to interact
with them. There are two types of applications. On the one hand, those that need
powerful processors to use. On the other hand and in parallel, the complete offerings
available on the market via a multitude of applications that can run with the processor
of a smartphone in order to increase the channels of access to this technology. The
video game industry has been the main sponsor for the development of this
technology (Prieto, 2017). This sector has a critical mass of users willing to invest
capital in order to improve the quality of ludic experiences. Once their capabilities
have been proven, other sectors, such as communication, advertising, and marketing,
have discovered that such technology can be a differential element within their
business.
2.2 Augmented Reality Definition

Many people think that augmented reality is the evolution of virtual reality.
Today it is clear that they are two technologies with different R&D paths and usages.
Augmented reality technology integrates digital information with real environments in
which people live. Everything is processed and produced in real time. This is one of
the main differences with virtual reality, which uses artificial environments.
Augmented reality uses the real world and completes it with digital information.
Basically, it increases the amount of information that a human can take from the
environment (Curcio, Dipace, & Norlund, 2016). Additionally and previously, Azuma
(1997) defined augmented reality by three main characteristics. Firstly, the
combination between real and virtual, secondly, the interaction in real time, and
thirdly, the registration in 3D. All systems that develop an activity under these three
characteristics are considered augmented reality systems. Other authors have gone
deeper and have introduced into the definition some clarifications, such as “an
augmented reality system does not consider necessarily a headset for viewing images”
(Schmalstieg & Höllerer, 2016). This technology is less developed largely due to the
fact that it needs even more processing power. It must interpret the real world and
adhere to it all the digital information available to the system in question. This means
processing a reality with infinite variables that change without a closed argument.
While in virtual reality the environment is completely programmed, in this technology
the environment is alive and behaves unpredictably. Narrowing the potential values of
the multiple variables becomes the main challenge.

Initially the main applications that have shown the technology’s potential have
been interior designs, video conferences, visits to malls, browsers, etc. All of these
possess a low level of development when taking into account the forecasts made
about what one could get in the system. Many of the major technology multinationals
have already presented their first prototypes, placing augmented reality as the tangible
element that can achieve products only seen in fiction so far. In any case, this
technology is just a visualization tool. Adjacent technologies, such as artificial
intelligence or the interpretation and extraction of value of big data, will be the ones
that give content and meaning to a type of technology like this (Olshannikova,
Ometov, & Koucheryavy, 2014).
2.3 Virtual Reality Versus. Augmented Reality

Following the previous deep definitions, some comparisons are exposed: • Virtual
reality runs over new environments completely computer generated. All that user can
take, touch, or interact with is virtual. Augmented reality uses virtual elements only to
enhance the real world and the user’s experience. Virtual reality replaces the physical
world. However, augmented reality does not do so. • The level of immersion of virtual
reality is 100%. Users are fully detached from the real/physical world. Users are fully
connected with the physical world through augmented reality. Users are fully aware
of their surroundings and can perceive, touch, and interact with the real world helped
by all the digital information the application provides. • Virtual reality needs a very
powerful processor. New applications are being launched using mobile phone
processors, but they are very limited. Quality is substantively different from dedicated
devices such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Augmented reality is able to offer
interesting services through tablets or mobile phones. It is necessary to take into
account that augmented reality is not only Microsoft HoloLens or Meta 2, dedicated
devices which are highly demanding. Other augmented reality applications run over
mobile phones with a full range of features. • Finally, virtual reality is 10% real and
90% virtual. Augmented reality is 75% real and 25% virtual. Obviously, the
percentages depend on the application. They are general estimations based on current
market applications.

3.0 Virtual Reality in Education

Virtual reality has found in education a new area in which to display its full potential.
Education has all the elements in which this technology cannot only bring value, but it
also becomes an extreme differential value (Kumar, 2017). The learning
methodologies with the greatest impact in current educational systems are those that
confront students with a real situation that they have to solve using acquired
theoretical knowledge, or by making the students enhance capacities that until that
moment are nonexistent or underdeveloped. Until now, the situation was described
through text or, in exceptional cases, an audio with or without video. Through virtual
reality technology, the particular situation can be programmed with several variables
and environments on which the student can act. Applications can be completely
customized for each subject, area of knowledge, population segment, or geography. It
will be possible to transfer the message to all students, matching messages to the case
described (Falloon, 2010). Thanks to these kinds of technologies, access to knowledge
will be more democratic. Students who struggle to achieve some learning goals with a
low rate of success will now be able to achieve the goals successfully. There is a
rationale behind this claim. These technologies will contribute to making tangible
many abstract concepts that these students should build within their minds. Since not
all students have these kinds of skills, these technologies will support this exercise,
thus increasing the rate of success.

Another major area where virtual reality is providing a more than significant
value is in the representation of abstract concepts (Curcio, Dipace, & Norlund, 2016),
such as applications that are able to represent complex mathematical functions in
space: solutions that allow the use of digital resources to represent artistic works in
any of the branches that can define them (painting, music, or sculpting), and products
that allow walking across architectural structures facilitating access to all the layers
that compose the structure (wiring, conduits, and any type of existing material).

Virtual reality also offers significant opportunity in the area of simulation.

Laboratories completely simulated through this technology allow interaction between
the student and the devices (Hoffmann, Meisen, & Jeschke, 2014). Obvious direct
benefits include that measuring devices would be updated with only a new version of
the environment. Students would have the opportunity to work with the latest
technology without having to have the physical elements that would clearly represent
a higher investment for the institutions. Taking this analysis further, the cost savings
in spaces would be huge. The underutilized spaces within the centers would be
significantly reduced and would be replaced by "multi-laboratory" rooms in which,
according to the subject, one laboratory or another could be accessed (Lindgren,
Tscholl, Wang, & Johnson, 2016). These products are already becoming available on
the market. The development of these products, as it cannot be otherwise, will depend
on the commitment that the traditional education sector makes for them.

The number of applications with potential in the education sector extends as

much as imagination or ability to adapt materials in traditional format allows. Today,
many examples can be found on the market such as ThingLink (www.thinglink.com/),
a collection of interactive images and videos on a variety of topics including science,
language, and arts. Another choice is Unimersiv (unimersiv.com), a bundle of
educational virtual reality apps, including three educational experiences at launch: (1)
the discovery of the International Space Station, (2) human anatomy, and (3) travel to
Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, as it was 5000 years ago. Yet another choice from
Unimersiv, MoleculE VR, is a virtual reality app introducing some basic concepts
about cell communication. One more is InMind (luden.io/inmind/),a scientific game
for virtual reality. In Mind allows the player to experience a journey into the patient’s
brain in search of the neurons that cause mental disorder. Many and many
applications can be found around educational area. The main problem lies in the
education sector itself. It is a segment in which it is common to have individual
institutions that cover a small geography.

On the other hand, the manufacturers that are dedicated to these technologies
have a global geographic scope of business. They need global partners in the
education sector with which to test solutions before launching products into an
international market. Unfortunately, there are very few options. This undoubtedly
hurts development, although it does not eliminate it; it simply slows it down. Given
this opportunity, a multitude of small companies are being born that are able to
integrate technological solutions from major manufacturers and sign agreements with
a relevant number of small institutions to have the flexibility that a large multinational
lacks. The results are already beginning to stand out. It is important to emphasize the
fact that the agreement between a large manufacturer and a global educational partner,
without a doubt, is a great opportunity to explore.

3.1 Augmented Reality in Education

Augmented reality, in a degree of development still smaller than virtual reality,

has been working in the education sector since the beginning. Start-ups such as
MetaVisión, which have raised a lot of investment capital, have launched applications
pending verification around education on different areas of knowledge such as health
or engineering (Villarán, Ibañez, & Delgado Kloos, 2015). In other areas, such as
design, augmented reality is presented as the fundamental tool that will establish
prototypes generated digitally based on the reality in which the physical elements will
be manufactured. Within educational processes, augmented reality will allow students
to work by increasing their creativity without fear of manufacturing risks and costs
(Di Serio, Ibáñez, & Delgado Kloos, 2013). The inexperience risk that significantly
increased the difficulty of carrying out projects with all kinds of implications could be
reduced substantially. Through this technology, a student can display an image of a
final result over a real space, without the need to complete a physical manufacturing
process. Similarly, sessions around health and engineering areas (Boletsis &
McCallum, 2013) will enable the teacher to share knowledge with students using
images superimposed on the reality of their classrooms.

Through the model of a digital human body shown in the three dimensions of
space, the teacher can access any type of information about its elements, separate each
of its parts to show details, or even have students interacting with the model at will to
develop any type of activity. Moving this initiative to engineering, teachers would
have a digital model of an engine, printed circuits, or even an architectural structure.
All of these models would allow interaction from the students, but would also take
into account the social factor of sharing the experience in real time with real
individuals: their classmates (Ibáñez, Di Serio, Villarán, & Delgado Kloos, 2014).
Many examples on the market show the power of this technology. For instance,
Amikasa (www.amikasa.com), which helps users to style one room and figure out
their desired layout before ever buying a piece of furniture. Imagine this opportunity
for students of design. Another interesting example is AR Liver Viewer from ISO-
FORM (www.iso-form.com/apps/ARLiver/). This is a real-time, 3D medical
education and patient communication tool, featuring incredibly detailed anatomical
models. 4D Anatomy (www.4danatomy.com/) is another very good solution using
augmented reality in the health area. More examples are found in other interesting
educational areas, such as aeronautical engineering. HoloFlight
(http://www.valorem.com/) allows users to visualize real flight data in 3D as
holograms. Finally, one more example is HoloStudy (www.holo.study/), which
offers a series of geology, physics, chemistry, and biology
lessons.Undoubtedly these applications are created to disrupt the
paradigm of education.

There are great possibilities. The current challenge is to identify which

technology is most appropriate for each subject area. This is a developing
process and is not yet fully defined or contrasted. With certainty, the
availability of applications on the market will refine the balance in these
first moments, but it is essential to expose empirical results that support
the different
proposals of the developers