Trend Spotlight: Immersive Learning with AR/VR in the Classroom

What is it?

Immersive learning refers to using technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) to create learning experiences where students feel “inside” the content. Instead of reading about the Egyptian pyramids, students might virtually walk through one. Instead of seeing a flat diagram in a geometry lesson, they can interact with its 3D form.

Recent Trends

• A 2024 study called “Physics Playground” found that VR-based labs improve student satisfaction and confidence in physics, even if gains in content knowledge were similar to more traditional methods.

• In archaeology education, a pilot with VR tours of Mesopotamian sites showed that students had better recall of spatial layouts and enjoyed interacting with the sites more than in traditional lecture or slideshow formats. 

• In another example, high school geometry students using VR to learn geometry showed improved engagement and deeper understanding of spatial concepts.

These point to a growing trend that immersive AR/VR can support understanding of difficult spatial/visual concepts that are harder to grasp on a flat textbook page.

Examples

Here are a few ways VR/AR is being used in the classroom recently.

Grand Canyon Virtual Tour | VR 360° Travel Experience | Grand Canyon National Park | AZ

Google Expeditions / Virtual Field Trips

Allows students to go on 360° tours of historical sites, natural wonders, cultural landmarks. Use for history, geography or social studies units. For instance, a virtual visit to Pompeii or the Great Pyramids before or after reading.

 Merge Cube

A physical cube that, when viewed through a tablet or smartphone, shows holographic 3D models students can manipulate. Perfect for science (anatomy, cells, planets), also art or history—e.g. holding a statue or artifact virtually.

Inside The Pyramid 360° VR, Explore and Tour the Pyramid of Teti

 

Pros:

• Engagement: Students are more emotionally and intellectually involved; immersive experiences tend to captivate interest.

• Spatial Learning: Helps with understanding layouts, structures, anatomy, geography, architecture.

• Access: Allows students to experience places/situations they might never physically access (ancient ruins, remote sites, dangerous labs, outer space, etc.).

• Safety & Cost: Virtual labs remove risk, reduce cost of resources; VR field trips cost less than real travel.

Cons:

• Equipment Costs & Access: Headsets, AR/VR capable devices, or specialized hardware can be expensive.

• Teacher Training: Educators need time and support to learn to use the tech well, to design good lessons.

• Physical Comfort & Health Concerns: Motion sickness, fatigue, or discomfort if used too long; need to plan duration and breaks.

• Content Quality & Relevance: Not all VR/AR content is equally good; sometimes it’s gimmicky or not well-aligned with curricular goals.

• Equity: If some students have no access to devices at home or school, immersive tech can widen gaps.

What This Means for Education Now & in the Future

Increasing pilot programs in schools around the world are testing VR/AR labs for STEM, history, and language. Some cities are budgeting to add VR/AR labs to schools.

I expect more content-sharing repositories of 3D models (especially archaeological, historical, scientific) so teachers don’t always have to build from scratch. Standards like OpenXR making hardware/software more interoperable may help. Also, more emphasis on mixed reality (blending AR over the real world) rather than fully immersive VR, especially where device access is limited.

Call to Action

Have you ever tried VR or AR in a lesson? What was the biggest benefit and the toughest challenge? How might immersive learning experiences change the way your students see content?

If immersive AR/VR isn’t yet part of your teaching practice, think about one small step: 

Identify a single lesson where spatial understanding or visualization is a barrier (history, sciences, art). Then explore free or low-cost AR/VR tools for that lesson like Merge Cube or free 360° tours. 

Interesting Links if you would like to learn more:

• How to take a virtual field trip — Google Arts & Culture

• Physics Playground: Insights from a Qualitative Quantitative Study about VR-Based Learning by Elena Battipede, Antonella Giangualano, Paolo Boffi, Monica Clerici, Alessandro Calvi, Luca Cassenti, Roberto Cialini, Tristan Lieven Annemie Van Den Weghe, Loredana Addimando, Pier Luca Lanzi, and Alberto Gallace

• "Despite comparable perceived cognitive load, slideshow learning was slightly more effective in enhancing physics knowledge. However, both qualitative and quantitative results highlighted the immersive advantage of VR in enhancing user satisfaction. This approach pointed out limitations and advantages of VR-based learning, but more research is needed to understand how it can be implemented into broader teaching strategies."

• Immersing in Mesopotamia: Virtual Reality Site Tours in the Remote Classroom by Peter J. Cobb and Juuso H. Nieminen
• "This article presents a rapid exploratory pilot experiment that deployed virtual reality (VR) devices for remote group tours of sites within an introductory Mesopotamian archaeology university course."

• A classroom experience for teaching and learning of high school geometry through virtual reality by Belén Cristina Domínguez Vázquez and José Luis Díaz Palencia

• "This study explores the integration of virtual reality (VR) in geometry education and examines the immersive platform’s potential to enhance student engagement and understanding through a case report. While students appreciated the interactive and collaborative aspects of VR, they also faced challenges such as VR sickness and technical issues."

• zSpace is a company working on 3D interactive experiences without the use of a headset.

• VR use abroad