Role of Virtual Reality in advancing education with sustainability and identification of Additive Manufacturing as its cost-effective enabler

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) revolutionises education, offering a uniquely immersive and engaging learning experience. It fosters personalised learning, ignites creativity, and enhances understanding through interactive 3D models. These models transport students into a virtual world, facilitating better comprehension and memory retention. VR also addresses crucial educational challenges, such as catering to students with special needs and enabling remote learning. Nevertheless, VR also faces challenges like high initial investment and, hence, has limited adoption in education. Thus, to overcome this challenge, Additive Manufacturing (AM) is identified as an emerging technology that complements VR in education. VR provides a digital model, whereas AM provides 3D physical models, enhancing understanding in students. These technologies reduce paperwork, promote a sustainable environment, and facilitate students to learn from their homes, reducing their travelling requirements. This paper highlights that using these technologies in education contributes to achieving many United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

This is a review-based research, where a scoping review has been presented, with articles and research papers from the relevant sources collected and analysed to address the well identified research objectives. It also compares traditional and VR-based teaching-learning, provides a broad classification for the different education segments targetable through VR, the economic impact of VR on education, and significant applications and advantages of VR in education. We also propose using AM as a cost-effective enabler for VR in education, facilitating sustainability by achieving many of the SDG goals. Further, limitations and VR's implications in academia are presented to show a way forward.