How VR Transforms Education, Economy & Social Connections (PDF)

Title: How does VR transform education, the economy and social connections? Is VR the Jacob’s ladder? Specifically, can VR assist us? Virtual reality (VR), the head-mounted display (HMD) we spot in advertisements, revolutionizes our digital interactions by annexing another dimension to our comput...

Title: How does VR transform education, the economy and social connections? Is VR the Jacob’s ladder? Specifically, can VR assist us? Virtual reality (VR), the head-mounted display (HMD) we spot in advertisements, revolutionizes our digital interactions by annexing another dimension to our computerized experience.1 To elucidate, VR catalyzes vivid virtual environments which result in significant impacts on our society. Examining the impacts of VR, this essay analyzes how VR revamps and transforms learning, work and interaction in our lives. We step onto the ladder’s first rung where VR alters education by delivering engaging lessons. Previously, digital curricula were limited to images and words. Today, we can learn through the coalescence of stereoscopic screen views and haptic feedback that engages multiple senses concurrently and ultimately improves dynamic learning. Research from PwC corroborates that VR learners are 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the syllabus and 4 times faster to complete training compared to learners in traditional courses.2 By applying VR in education, we can absorb information more dexterously through hands-on experience and pattern recognition skills—vital for the intellectual development of this era. On the next step, VR diversifies economic opportunities by supporting tangible services that surpass texts, videos and images using telepresence and high-resolution monitors to exhibit realistic products. Additionally, the requisites for transportation and brick-and-mortar shops are eliminated; ergo, business with VR is sustainable and cost-effective. According to Grand View Research, the global VR market size was estimated at USD 59.96 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.5% from 2023 to 2030.3 This authoritative report demonstrates that we will not only partake in VR’s interactive experiences but also create ecological revenue sources as more industries utilize VR. In practice, the implication of VR is widely implemented among commerce including tourism, real estate, and marketing, demonstrated by virtual holidays from Thomas Cook, estate tours from Matterport, and virtual campus tours at Yale.4 Unequivocally, the virtual businesses are efficacious yet potent as it galvanizes more eco-friendly, solid business strategies. 1 H. E. Lowood. Virtual Reality (VR) | Definition, Development, Technology, Examples & Facts. 1997-1998. 20 Jul. 1998. [https://www.britannica.com/technology/virtual-reality last accessed: 8th September 2024] 2 Pricewaterhousecoopers. PwC’s Study into the Effectiveness of VR for Soft Skills Training. 2019-2020. n.d. [https://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/technology/immersive-technologies/study-into-vr-training-effectiveness.htm l#:~:text=At%20375%20learners%2C%20VR%20training,times%20faster%20than%20classroom%20train ing last accessed: 8th September 2024] 3 Grand View Research. Virtual Reality (VR) Market size and share report, 2030. 2018–2021. 19 Jul. 2023. [https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/virtual-reality-vr-market last accessed: 1st May 2024] 4 Rizawati Binti Rohizan, “Enhanced Visitor Experience Through Campus Virtual Tour”, IOP Publishing Ltd (2019): 2.  We climb to the third step where it is incontrovertible that VR can patently change the major sectors of our lives: entertainment and social.5 To illustrate, viral 360-degree videos posted on Youtube and the Metaverse immerse their users in hyper-realistic cyberspace using VR interaction paradigms and VR navigation. Through these arenas, VR connects global denizens as we expand our friend circles and tremendously deepen emotional bonds through intuitive experience and meaningful, tangible interaction.6 Many assert that VR causes loneliness 5 P. Brey, “Virtual Reality and Computer Simulation,” Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics, John Wiley & Sons (2008): 5. 6 Hari Gonaygunta, Sai Sravan Meduri, Srikar Podicheti and Geeta Sandeep Nadella, “The Impact of Virtual Reality on Social Interaction and Relationship via Statistical Analysis,” Dept of Information Technology, University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KY, USA and Department of Computer Science, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA (2023): 9. instead of solving it. De facto, with VR, we transcend the geographical chasm between two individuals, feeling the presence of our loved ones. Clearly, it is pioneering in both communication and entertainment to virtual forms as the endless laughter and joy we disseminate with others resonates. VR is harnessed in our learning, work and connections to accomplish the zenith in society—VR unarguably embodies the Jacob’s ladder in technology. As we ascend that ladder continuously, we are beginning to grasp the unforeseen advancement of VR in this surrealistic cyber world. References Brey, P. “Virtual Reality and Computer Simulation,” Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics, John Wiley & Sons (2008): 2–5. Gonaygunta, Hari, Sai Sravan Meduri, Srikar Podicheti and Geeta Sandeep Nadella, “The Impact of Virtual Reality on Social Interaction and Relationship via Statistical Analysis,” Dept of Information Technology, University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KY, USA and Department of Computer Science, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA (2023): 7-9. Grand View Research. Virtual Reality (VR) Market size and share report, 2030. 2018–2021. 19 Jul. 2023. [https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/virtual-reality-vr-market last accessed: 1st May 2024] Kavanagh, S., A. Luxton-Reilly, B. Wuensche, B. Plimmer, “A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality in Education.” Themes in Science & Technology Education (2017): 85–119. Lowood, H. E. Virtual Reality (VR) | Definition, Development, Technology, Examples & Facts. 1997-1998. 20 Jul. 1998. [https://www.britannica.com/technology/virtual-reality last accessed: 8th September 2024] Pricewaterhousecoopers. PwC’s Study into the Effectiveness of VR for Soft Skills Training. 2019-2020. n.d. [https://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/technology/immersive-technologies/study-into-vr-training-effectiveness.htm l#:~:text=At%20375%20learners%2C%20VR%20training,times%20faster%20than%20classroom%20train ing last accessed: 8th September 2024] Rohizan, Rizawati Binti, “Enhanced Visitor Experience Through Campus Virtual Tour”, IOP Publishing Ltd (2019): 1–3.