Biology is an important subject for school students. Biology is the science of studying life forms. It gives an understanding of our world and its inhabitants. It teaches students how different species have evolved and function, their co-dependencies, and how they interact with each other in the same habitats. The study of biology has led to progress in human and other life forms. This is because an understanding of biology facilitates advances in medicine, agriculture, the ecosystem, the environment, food science, biotechnology and many others. However, at times, learning the tenets of biology as a school subject can be challenging. Students face learning difficulties on account of an extensive curriculum, difficult terminologies, lack of conceptual understanding inadequacy in the traditional style of teaching, and a student lack of interest in learning about the subject.
The metaverse for education can be a solution to these challenges and reinvent the study of biology for the current generation of learners. With the help of VR Labs in the metaverse, students can have an engaging and exploratory experience. This allows them to witness and experience the beauty and the preciseness of the natural world of living organisms.
Virtual Reality in Education
The essential features of VR include presence and immersion. VR creates an alternate computer-generated environment that is persistent and multisensory. This means that the created environment engages the human sensory and motor systems to create a sense of psychological presence in that environment. The environment is not physically real and is caused by the help of immersive technology. Hence it is referred to as a simulated environment.
VR has grown in the last decade or so and is recognized as an educational aid that spans across subjects and grades. The deployment of VR in learning enhances learning capabilities by improving engagement and which leads to better spatial and visual memory retention. It is also helpful in helping special needs children learn by offering a stress-free and positive experience. Since it is a controlled environment, mistakes have no consequence except for the learning aspect. This allows for better emotional judgments in stressful conditions. Hence Virtual Reality has the potential to become a creative educational tool in learning and teaching that fosters an innovative and inclusive education.
Benefits of Studying Biology in VR Labs
Virtual reality offers various benefits to education. It offers an interactive and enjoyable environment to learn in. VR offers a 360 degree, 3D view, making visualization easier and fostering better learning. Students can enter a biology class in the metaverse as avatars and enter the human body to observe the function of the heart in live. Or students could be taken on virtual expeditions anywhere in the world, to observe plants and animals which they otherwise would not be able to in real life. In VR labs, students could dissect any plant or animal species virtually to gain a better understanding. This can be complemented with trips to different ecosystems to understand the connection between habitat and native species.
In VR labs, students don’t need a physical lab or microscope to study blood cells. Moreover, with limited resources of physical labs, students get minimal time to understand any concept in detail. With VR, students can use 3D models to study plant cells or watch photosynthesis or cellular respiration functions. The 3D models allow students to interact with the models and observe and learn repetitively if required. From plants to animals to anatomy to genetics, students can undertake various learning activities in biology class. Biology students can gain better conceptual insights into the subject once they understand how to enter the metaverse. They can dissect and manipulate virtual 3D biology models and view them as if they were holding them in their hands. Moreover, real-time feedback through game-based learning and interactive quizzes in the metaverse for education can boost their performance.
Wrapping Up
VR Labs for biology allows the students to avail of hands-on learning. VR is an innovative technology that facilitates interactive learning and students of biology can manipulate and turn 3D models of cell structures or human body organs to see them from all sides. VR labs are also effective training centres to train students for various biology-related careers. The metaverse will transform teaching and learning as we know it today. The future of schools will be in the metaverse. As we move towards a more digitalized work and education model, the metaverse will evolve to build curated solutions to meet future needs. VR Labs in the metaverse offer immersive and interactive deep learning. However, to leverage the potential, all educational stakeholders must come together to develop and build sustainable virtual curricula which are student-centric.
To know more about setting up VR labs for schools, connect with Edverse. Edverse builds metaverse learning spaces with 3D models, animations, and avatars that make learning and teaching visual and engaging.