5 Ways to Achieve Personalized Learning with AR/VR

Once upon a time, there was a 4th Grade student who talked a lot in class, distracted other students, and had difficulty focusing. This young student was sent to a special cubby at the back of the class to work on homework after the lesson, so as not to distract others. She felt isolated and cast aside, and cried nearly every morning because she (naturally) grew to hate school.

The following year, her new teacher helped to discover her severe ADHD and realized she needed more opportunities to move, be around other students, and learn how to interact without being distracting. This teacher started emphasizing more group work, and gave the student guidance on interaction as well as a large ball to sit on to enjoy some movement while seated.

End result? Personalized learning for this student in 5th Grade not only improved her outlook on school and performance, its positive impact has echoed throughout the course of her entire life.

Catch this student's full story in Lessons from Fish: How Schools Flourish with Personalized Learning.

Not every student learns the same way, and personalized learning in STEM programs using Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) is helping to cater to each individual student's needs. Below are five ways AR/VR is helping educators personalize learning for their students:

1. Removes barriers between students and content. Students interact directly with content by extracting virtual objects from a display, viewing them up close and in detail, and manipulating them using a stylus pen. This inspires curiosity and allows them to "steer their own ship".
2. Incorporates multi-sensory elements. Using 3D glasses and a handheld stylus with haptic feedback adds visual, audial, tactile, and kinesthetic elements to immersive learning experiences, benefiting students who rely on one sense over others to stay engaged.
3. Promotes creativity and critical thinking. A safe environment encourages students to take risks, learn from mistakes, and think outside the box to find solutions. Research has shown that students who engage with lifelike AR/VR content tend to ask higher level questions that help to deepen their understanding of abstract concepts.
4. Builds confidence. A setting where students are free to make mistakes boosts not only their confidence, but also their self-esteem and eagerness to go "above and beyond" in their learning, rather than stick to the bare minimum. Students who are risk-averse especially thrive in this type of environment enabled by AR/VR.
5. Creates a collaborative classroom. Because activities are problem-based, students are encouraged to work together in pairs or teams and find solutions. This collaboration helps the students build off one another's ideas, exposes them to alternate views and facts, and allows the social butterflies of the class to simply be themselves.

"If I like you, I'll teach you what to learn. If I love you, I'll teach you HOW to learn." ~ Kevin Honeycutt

Whether your students have a condition that can make learning challenging (e.g., ADHD), struggle with traditional learning methods (e.g., textbook), or prefer a certain learning style (e.g., tactile vs. visual), personalized learning through AR/VR is a powerful way to boost their engagement, allow them to learn the way they learn best, and help them pave the way towards success academically and ultimately in life. Schedule an on-site demo of AR/VR for personalized learning today!