A reflection based upon an articles by Guatam and Alhalabi:
The first article by Gautam served to introduce us to the idea of so-called “Mirror Worlds”, where augmentation meets reality and extends the world of possibility for the learner. According to Guatam, although there are several ethical concerns that may need to be navigated as we move further into the field of XR, they believe that the insight and potential that XR serves would far outweigh any concerns. The purpose would be to allow for learning on a deeper level, as the author states that humans are more likely to further understand what is being taught if we experience “full-bodied interfaces”, or interactive and realistic interfaces. The second article dealt with the implications of XR’s implementation within the field of engineering education. The author cited several studies where VR headsets were used to help with the physical understanding and visualization of the material that students were learning. Alhalabi cites several studies where anatomy was visualized using 3D modeling and VR headsets in order to allow students to better understand and visualize parts of the body. They share that throughout the studies that were done, students who were able to visualize the material through VR were better able to not only comprehend, but remember what each part’s function was.
I think that continuing to utilize XR for medical education is an incredible way to incorporate this technology. As Alhalabi touched on, for medical students it is necessary for them to be able to better understand anatomical features when they are able to visualize them and “see” them in real time. For this reason, I think that continuing to utilize XR features especially within the field of education is extremely important. I have even heard of doctors who utilize virtual reality headsets and augmented reality in order to practice surgeries that they have coming up. It is a great way to tangibly “get your reps in” as someone who works in a field as serious as the medical field.
As far as using XR in the education sphere, I think that some of the main concerns could be ethical concerns. The main ethical concern that I can think of would be utilizing AR, VR, and XR in classrooms with students who are too young to understand what the augmented reality realm truly is. I think that with younger students, particularly in elementary schools, virtual reality that is monitored and coached through, such as the Google Classroom Virtual Field Trips, would be a great way to allow them to get their feet wet in the world of A/V/XR. This way the educators would be able to walk them through the virtual-based reality while they were able to understand exactly what is going on. However, as you enter into older grades such as middle or high school, it would be neat to give students the reins in a sense, and offer them experiences that are more individualistic.
I really enjoyed the Google Virtual Field Trip assignment. As a potential future educator, I think that it is such an incredible tool to allow my students to really engage in the material that I am working through. It was great to be able to have an in-depth exploration of museums that were halfway across the world. The accessibility and flexibility of these virtual field trips are incredible, and I believe they will be wonderful tools for educators going forward.
References:
Alhalabi, W. (2016). Virtual reality systems enhance students’ achievements in engineering education.
Gautam, A., Williams, D., Terry, K., Robinson, K., & Newbill, P. (2018).