What do these have in common: artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality? Over the years, there have been many technological advancements, and these examples that I listed are just a few of many. In regards to education, there have been many wonders and curiosities about the influence of virtual reality on student’s ability to learn and retain information. As such, I will explore deeper into this concept to provide an overall consensus of what I believe is the impact that virtual reality has on education. 

Let’s first consider the negative aspects of virtual reality and its impact on education. For many schools and districts, owning one VR headset is difficult, let alone many. For instance, VR headsets cost nearly $300 (depending on the store and type), causing investment difficulties as prices are too expensive. The process to obtain these goods and instruct teachers with how to use these technological devices may take quite a bit of time. As such, an opportunity cost of spending time to educate teachers and buy these high-quality goods is the lost free time that teachers could have or the school being able to buy other necessities vital for students. Furthermore, when school districts are on a budget, a limited amount of VR headsets could create inequality in accessing the headset. For instance, if a student ends up using the VR headset five times versus another student using it one time, is this actually fair? 

Despite the cons attributed to buying VR headsets like the hefty cost and the inequality attributed to it, the pros seem to outweigh the negative aspects of having this advanced technology in school. For instance, it provides students with an unforgettable learning experience, where students can actually visualize and see what they are learning about. For many students, visuals may be the best way to learn, especially when the topic is extremely difficult to understand. As such, by having a VR headset, students would be able to not feel as overwhelmed with  a heavier topic because they are able to engage in the content. In other words, having VR headsets can allow students to feel more motivated and work harder in school — possibly as a positive reinforcement. For instance, schools could implement a small guideline for using such VR headsets, like limiting their use to a certain day of the week or using it as a way to encourage students to work hard in school, which definitely is much needed in a school environment despite the fact that costs may be a little on the higher end of the school’s budget. However, a school’s goal is to help improve the studies provided to their students, and in this case, this is one of the best investments to help advance this goal. 

Alongside these benefits, there are also real-world applicable benefits, like improving students’ communication and creativity. Examples include being able to talk about the content that the students see through the VR headsets in order to create more imaginative class materials/discussions. Similarly, it can help students to think in a different way, especially since VR headsets are really interesting and unique. For instance, it definitely can be a way to get students interested in technology itself and how these advanced technological equipment were created. More importantly, they get to comprehend the impact that it has on themselves, but also on other students. 

In many ways, VR headsets are definitely becoming more popular in our society today, but to what extent do we want them to be a part of our education system, if any at all? Through my analysis, I attempt to uncover some of the negative aspects of VR in school, such as the cost and inequality factors that may in return hinder schools from investing in such technological equipment. Despite costs being a heavy consideration, especially since it may hinder the ability to expand other parts/aspects of the school and learning environment, VR headsets are definitely extremely beneficial for students’ creativity and communicating well with their peers. One can say that VR headsets are expensive and a waste of money; however, data shows that they are more beneficial than harmful. Besides the extreme cost of this equipment, why wouldn’t schools invest in it?