VR finds new home in the classroom thanks to 'gamification' of education

Tech

Published: 25 Aug. 2022, 18:41

VR finds new home in the classroom thanks to 'gamification' of education

Kim Jin-ah, country director of Facebook Korea, speaks during a press event held at Josun Palace in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [FACEBOOK KOREA]

Cube-shaped drops of blood spilled from a surgical wound on the monitor, while in the real world a right hand holding a controller sliced through the empty air. The virtual surgery session took place during a press briefing held by Meta.

After two long years of the pandemic, the metaverse has reached classrooms in a bid to forge a new way of learning and teaching.

Meta, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, held a press event on Thursday to demonstrate the application of virtual reality (VR) technology in education at Josun Palace in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. Meta’s Reality Labs, rebranded from Oculus after being acquired by Meta, sells VR gadgets such as Meta Quest headsets and controllers.

“I believe VR technologies can be a tool to open up new opportunities for students,” said Lee Sang-geun, a middle school technology teacher in Seoul during the event.

Immersive experience using VR gadgets makes learning more efficient, said Lee. Citing his experience of teaching students about cars using a motion chair and car racing software, Lee emphasized that “an experience is worth a thousand pictures.”

“Many classes are adopting the so-called ‘gamification’ method these days because games make people immerse themselves in it,” explained Lee. “We are interested in making students immerse themselves into learning, and I think that VR technology is a nice tool to help implement the gamification method in teaching.”

During the press briefing, reporters had a chance to try on the Meta Quest 2 headsets and experience VR education programs firsthand.

A surgery simulation program displayed a step-by-step guide for heart transplant surgery. The simulation was developed by VRisVR, a local VR education company.

VRisVR offers portable classrooms via trucks and buses equipped with VR equipment for VR learning sessions, such as wheelchair maintenance education for people with developmental disorders. More than 30,000 students have participated in VR sessions held by the company over the past three years, according to VRisVR CEO Kwon Jong-soo.

“The best education should be done on-site, and I believe metaverse education is the closest we have to experience such on-site teaching,” said Kwon.

Airpass, another “edutech” company based in Hanam, Gyeonggi, developed VR sports programs in 2016 and has provided them to over 450 education facilities since then.

People experience Airpass' metaverse education programs using Meta Quest 2 headsets. [FACEBOOK KOREA]

“Children nowadays have been holding tablet devices since they were born, and smartphones are part of their lives, but the current education environment remains analog,” said Jeong Yun-kang, head of VR sports business at Airpass. “We need a new educational environment that matches students’ standard.”

Airpass’ VR program includes a chemical laboratory safety education session.

In the experience zone, reporters could conduct a virtual chemistry experiment to make aspirin crystals. The program has been used by university students at Pohang University of Science and Technology after the pandemic outbreak, according to Airpass.

“I’d define metaverse as the next-generation internet,” said Kim Jin-ah, Country Director of Facebook Korea. “I expect the metaverse will change the way of being connected with each other and also offer a new opportunity in education.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]