Virtual Reality (VR) in 21st. Century Education: The Opportunities and Challenges of Digital Learning in Classroom

The education sector has changed over the years; however digital technology has fully transformed the method students learn in the classroom within the last few decades. Today, virtual reality (VR) technologies are being applied in various educational disciplines. VR transform the way educational content delivered. Students have an opportunity to use technology to enable better learning in the digital age. Unfortunately, students continue to be educated in the same way as they were in the past, being taught a standardized and one-size-fits-all pace. Fundamentally, a 21st century education is about giving students the skills and digital integration in developing learning, literacy and life skills. The learning was hands-on and experiential. Since the learning process can be set within an experiential context, VR can help students gain interest and motivation while still effectively facilitating knowledge transfer. However, the potential of VR in education is still not fully being explored. Education faces challenges in adapting VR technology as part of its curriculum and delivery. It is also important to note that while the advantages are enormous, VR’s disempowering consequences should not be overlooked as well. Thus, this paper examines the opportunities and challenges of using VR in classroom.