VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 1

Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Nick Barrett & Jessica Wertz

EDUC 605

Towson University 
 VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 2

Research Question: What are the benefits and challenges of using virtual and/or augmented in a classroom
setting?
Abstract
Thesis Statement: The use of virtual and/or augmented realities in a classroom setting bring many benefits
Write
to students your
that far own abstract
outweigh the fewof the Literature
challenges Review
of using Here
these technologies.

Virtual and/or Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Benefits Adverse Effects

Mobile Augment Reality (MAR) increases Prolonged use of virtual reality

academic achievement of students (Kececi, headsets could cause motion
Yildirim & Zengin, 2021). sickness in some (Allcoat et al,
Augmented reality can increase 2021).
independence for students with disabilities Technical issues can easily arise
(Carreon, Smith, & Rowland, 2020). and cause students’ frustration
Tablet based AR can help math students (Sprenger & Schwaninger, 2021).
with higher order concepts (Cai et al, 2019). Virtual reality headsets would
Immersive Virtual Reality can motivate be a pricey investment for schools
students in middle school and high school (Fransson, Holmberg, & Westelius,
science (Makransky, Petersen, & 2020).
Klingenberg, 2020). There is a lack of available
Augmented reality engages student interest content to use as a complement to
in real world problems (Petersen et al, 2020). curriculum (most content is for
VR promotes collaboration with the casual use outside of school). This
potential for it to be worldwide (Cooper et could be costly to develop and
al, 2019).

Integration of Virtual and/or Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Promotes Learning
Offers Unique Educational Increases Student Engagement
Experience

Allows students to Students are more VR makes learning more

actively participate with engaged when virtual experience based
different scenarios realities are (Fransson, Holmberg, &
anytime/anywhere (Liu incorporated in the Westelius, 2020).
et al, 2020). classroom as opposed VR increases learning
Allows students to to traditional learning outcomes (Sprenger &
explore inaccessible (lectures) only (Allcoat Schwaninger, 2021).
places/travel to places et al, 2021). Students can reach a
they may never see in Motivates reluctant higher level of academic
real life (Cooper et al, students to engage in achievement compared to
2019). learning (Cooper et al, those who engage in a
Virtual reality allows for 2019). traditional learning
unique collaboration that Photomath is an AR environment (Liu et al,
augments learning at the that helps engage 2020).
collegiate level students in mathematics Increases problem solving
and was rated fondly by skills (Cooper et al, 2019).
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 3

Abstract

One challenge in education being faced by teachers is getting students engaged in the

curriculum while also supporting their understanding of the content. As technology changes, it is

our belief that education should change as well. The research shows that both Augmented

Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) can engage students while increasing academic

achievement and offering students a unique educational experience. These technologies serve as

computer-generated real-time generations of either real or imaginary realities to allow users to

explore a new world. These tools have profound positive implications that can prepare learners

for the diverse jobs in their future. The benefits of this technology far outweigh the few

challenges of integrating these technologies in curriculum. Some challenges like motion

sickness, cost, technical issues, and lack of available curriculum with VR and AR will be

evaluated in this paper as well as the many benefits. These benefits can include the motivation in

learning, further content understanding, and lastly giving students an experience they might not

be able to see in real life. Our vision of change is if technology is coupled with a professional

development for teachers to explore, VR and AR can be used with success in the classroom.  
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Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom

A lack of engagement in elementary and middle school students in America is something

that almost every educator has most likely come across in their experience. It can have a negative

impact not just on students' attitudes toward the subject but also a negative impact on their

academic achievement. Student attention is already greatly wrapped up in the technology that

many have at home or even in their pockets at school. This technology allows students' attention

spans to be held for hours at a time. This problem in lack of engagement can be helped mitigated

with augmented and virtual reality in the classroom. What are the benefits and challenges of

using virtual and/or augmented in a classroom setting? 

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality or (VR) is a digital experience that allows users to view a virtual world

through a screen that reacts in real-time with the user's head movement. Some VR experiences

allow users to interact with the virtual world through hand controllers. VR has hundreds of topics

that are encompassed like various video game types, news, simulations, field trips, scientific

models, meeting platforms, treating mental disorders, enhancing amusement park rides, and

much more that has yet to be created (Cipresso, Giglioli, Raya, & Riva, 2018). 

VR is placed in three different categories: Non-Immersive, Semi-Immersive, and Fully

Immersive. Each of these categories of VR has different applications that can be used in

elementary and middle school. Non-immersive virtual reality involves a digital screen that gives

the user an experience. This can be as simple as something like Google Maps in Google 3D or

even an interactive game. Semi-Immersive virtual reality includes high powered LCD screens for
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projectors. Lastly, full immersive virtual reality (IVR) is achieved with a head mounted display

(HMD) that allows for more of the users’ field of vision that extends at least 60 degrees past the

normal field of vision being 180 degrees (Concannon, Esmail, & Roberts, 2019). Through IVF,

students can feel as though they are transported to a new reality with a HMD that allows them to

see the entirety of this world by moving their head around. With this technology, the possibilities

in education become limitless. 

Virtual reality provides students with an unforgettable learning experience, but there are

some challenges that come with the use of this technology. One main challenge is that virtual

reality headsets would be a pricey investment for schools if they chose to get enough headsets for

each student (Fransson, Holmberg, & Westelius, 2020). This challenge could be overcome

though by schools only buying enough headsets to make a class set for teachers to rent out for

their class to use when needed. Another challenge of VR is that there is a lack of content

currently available for teachers to use as a complement to curriculum since most content is for

casual use outside of school. It would be costly for more curriculum appropriate VR content to

be developed and purchased for use in classrooms (Cooper et al, 2019). One last challenge of

virtual reality is prolonged use of the headsets could cause motion sickness in some people

(Allcoat et al, 2021). This challenge could be overcome by having students use the equipment for

a short duration of time. 

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is technology that incorporates both real and digital objects in

real time that also allow both real and digital objects to interact with each other. There are

several examples that students interact with on a daily basis like Snapchat filters and the Measure
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app on the iPhone. These examples allow users to interact with digital overlays within the real

world. The requirements of an AR system is a camera that can track objects and can process and

merge the digital and real-world data (Cipresso, Giglioli, Raya, & Riva, 2018). Augmented

reality can be incorporated into many classrooms from science classrooms using virtual models,

to social studies with augmented paper timelines, to various video filters in an ELA class, or

even an application called Photomath to help students in mathematics.  

Both AR and VR technology can help to solve the issue of disengagement in school. The

use of virtual and/or augmented realities in a classroom setting bring many benefits to students

that far outweigh the few challenges of using these technologies. There are numerous benefits in

utilizing AR in education that span from visualizing concepts that would otherwise be

impossible, to providing student engagement and increasing academic achievement. 

In the framework SAMR model, first developed by Ruben P. Peuntedure, technological

tools provide a structure for enhancing education through technology. SAMR stands for

Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. In this model, Substitution is the

most basic and lowest enhancement and Redefinition is the most enhanced use of the technology

(Romrell, Kidder, & Wood, 2014). Augmented reality is a prime example of Redefinition

according to this framework since it creates an environment that is not possible without the

technology. This is a strong benefit to this technology because it opens the possibility of this

applying to any class to completely change assignments, projects, classwork etc. 

In Maryam Abdinejad, Borzu Talaie, Hossain S. Qorbani, and Shadi Dalili’s study, they

used augmented reality to help chemistry students visualize molecular structures that are usually

shown as a 2D structure. The technology helped to redefine traditional molecular models that
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consist of wooden balls and sticks (Abdinejad, Talaie, Qorbani, Dalili, 2020). While the students

in this story were in organic chemistry, similar software could be developed for use in middle

school to help to model molecules and compounds for students. In fact, one study specifically

looked at Mobile Augmented Reality’s (MAR) effect on middle school students. 

In Gonca Kececi, Pelin Yildirim & Fikriye Kirbag Zengin’s study, secondary students

used a mobile application called Anatomy 4D to visualize anatomical structures to get a better

understanding of anatomy. Compared to the control group of students who received the

traditional textbook curriculum with 2D pictures to visualize anatomy, the students who used the

MAR program had a higher academic achievement and also motivation towards STEM (Kececi,

Yildirim, & Zengin, 2021). This program allowed students to be able to utilize technology to

enhance the curriculum that traditional textbooks could not allow for. It also showed the students

were highly engaged with the technology and even allowed “a flexible teaching process and

environment for students by enabling them to control their own teaching processes and provide

an effective teaching environment to diversify and enrich education” (Kececi, Yildirim, &

Zengin, p. 137, 2021).

The challenge with AR includes a lightning issue that could impact the ability of a

camera to be able to track objects (Kotzageorgiou et al., 2018). The other issue involves the

implementation of AR if there is not software available for a particular topic or class. There is a

large effort that is required to develop the software, and some might not be willing to take on this

great effort (Cipresso, Giglioli, Raya, & Riva 2018).  While the hardware has become quite

affordable over recent years, the software to create AR remains a challenge that needs to be

evaluated. The lighting issue can be fixed easily by simply providing professional development
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 8

to educators to help to facilitate environments that allow for AR to be successful. In regard to the

software issue, that could limit this technology at present. 

Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Benefits

Augmented and Virtual Reality have significant benefits in the classroom. These benefits

include: offering unique educational experiences, increasing student engagement, and promoting

learning. 

When technology allows students to do things that were previously thought to be

inconceivable, the technology completely enhances the curriculum for students. Both AR and

VR allow students to have these unique experiences. Fully immersive virtual reality can allow

students to take virtual field trips that enable them to interact with various scenarios across the

world at any time (Liu et al, 2020). These field trips allow students to see places that they might

not be able to visit right from the comfort of a classroom. Not only does this cut down on the

costs of field trips but it also allows students to spend more time in these places and explore

details that you might not get if you were actually there (Cooper et al, 2019). Augmented reality

also allows students to have these unique experiences by utilizing models in a 3D space that

interact with their real-world experiences. Lastly, both VR and AR allow students to collaborate

in ways not thought of before. This collaboration is slightly limited with augmented reality but

utilizing the technology could allow students to work together with the AR to learn the concepts.

In VR, one study showed that at the college level VR was used to have virtual meetings that
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helped students work collaboratively even when they weren’t in the same room and work with

aviators and virtual meeting spaces to better understand curriculum (O’Connor, 2018). 

Another large benefit of VR and AR technology is that both technologies are highly

motivational to getting students to ‘buy-in’ to the curriculum. In numerous studies when students

were surveyed about the technologies they responded positively. Photomath, which is an AR

application that uses 2D data from equations that are written to show solutions and do simple

math, was rated by more than half of middle school students in one study as an interesting

method to learning how to solve an algebraic equation (Saundarajan, Osman, Daud, Abu, Pairan

& Kumar, 2020). 

The last benefit of VR and AR is the promotion of learning. Students who used AR in the

Anatomy 4D study showed an increase in their academic scores and understanding of concepts.

It was noted that there was a limited increase in academic achievement when correlated to

socioeconomic level in two different schools. The authors stated more research needed to be

done to test these theories. However, overall, the academic scores did increase with AR (Kececi,

Yildirim, & Zengin, 2021).   

Adverse Effects

Inventions sometimes have adverse effects that need to be addressed and discussed in

order to decide if the risks outweigh the benefits or the other way around. It was made clear that

both AR and VR do both have challenges in developing new curriculum. The cost and time to

develop these resources can be steep. However, the hardware has become much more affordable.
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The software issue can be a limitation for educators implementing this technology. However,

with time this can be overcome. 

Both VR and AR can have technology issues that could result. AR applications can be

disrupted with poor lighting and also could be impacted if the computer is overwhelmed or not

compatible. Virtual reality can also have its share of technology issues that could be in the HMD

or computer processor itself. These technology issues can cause student frustration and an

aversion to the technology in certain circumstances (Sprenger & Schwaninger, 2021).

The last adverse effect that is specifically associated with VR is the possibility of motion

sickness from the HMD in individuals who are susceptible to motion sickness (Allcoat et al,

2021). This adverse effect could potentially be relieved by having students only use the

equipment for a short period of time. 

Integration of Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Offers Unique Educational Experience

Virtual and augmented reality help bring a unique educational experience to students that

cannot be provided through a traditional learning approach (lectures, research, etc.). VR and AR

allow students to actively participate with different scenarios anytime and anywhere (Liu et al,

2020). These realities allow students to explore inaccessible places and travel to places they may

never see in real life. One participant in Cooper, Park, Nasr, Thong, and Johnson’s study shared

that students could potentially learn about the Great Pyramids by walking around them and

exploring them using virtual reality. This would provide a much more meaningful learning

experience to students than reading about the Great Pyramids in a textbook would (2019). 
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 11

Another positive to the incorporation of VR and AR in the classroom is the collaborative

aspect students can immerse themselves in with it. The uniqueness of VR and AR offers its users

the opportunity to collaborate with people worldwide which would be nearly impossible without

the use of these technologies (Cooper, et al, 2019). O’Connor has also discussed VR’s ability to

offer collaboration and saw how beneficial it was with her study on the role of virtual, video, and

interactive approaches to community building with K12 science teachers (2018).   

Increases Student Engagement

As research shows, it is undeniable that virtual and augmented reality help increase

student engagement in the classroom. In Liu, Lei, Wang, and Ren’s study, they found their sixth-

grade participants were excited and highly interested in the 3D immersive experience they would

be thrown into to learn science topics (2020). Allcoat, Hatchard, Azmat, Stansfield, Watson, and

von Muhlenen discovered the same findings in their study of virtual reality vs. traditional

learning with college students. In their study, students filled out a questionnaire and ranked how

engaged they were with the lesson when virtual reality was incorporated vs. how engaged they

were when only traditional teaching methods (lectures) were used. Results showed students who

learned material using virtual reality were far more engaged than students who only participated

in lecture learning (Allcoat et al, 2021). 

These technologies could be the motivation reluctant students need to participate in and

enjoy learning (Cooper et al, 2019). VR and AR allow learners to be active participants instead

of observers which makes learning using these technologies so appealing (Liu et al, 2020).

Middle school students in Saundarajan, Osman, Daud, Abu, Pairan, and Kumar’s study were

extremely attracted to Photomath, an AR app, that helped them better understand how to solve
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM 12

algebraic equations (2020). Since studies have shown virtual reality to be so motivating for

students, the amount of time students spend on learning tasks would increase which in turn

would allow them to learn even more (Cooper et al, 2019).

Promotes Learning

The use of VR and AR in educational settings has been shown to promote learning with

students. Virtual reality makes learning more experience based rather than just rote

memorization. Through the virtual reality experience, students are able to latch on to higher

order thinking and decision-making skills more easily (Fransson, Holmberg, & Westelius, 2020).

Since students are so engaged in the learning material when VR and/or AR is used, it has been

shown a higher level of academic achievement is reached compared to those who only engage in

a traditional learning environment (Liu et al, 2020). Learning outcomes have been shown to

increase when virtual reality is integrated into the learning process especially when it comes to

individual gameplay tasks (Sprenger & Schwaninger, 2021). One last way VR and AR have been

shown to promote learning is through an increase of problem-solving skills among users. Virtual

reality can provide the opportunity for students to collaborate with others to problem solve.

Using virtual reality in this way would allow students to further develop their problem-solving

skills (Cooper et al, 2019).  

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