Study of augmented reality and virtual reality in online education: Application and use cases

Covid-19 pandemic engulfed the world at the beginning of 2020, which impacted the Education Sector around the world. Institutions worldwide had to migrate from the supervised classroom training method to the unsupervised online training method. However, did the online training method have a similar impact compared to the classroom training method? This paper aims to study the application of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the education sector as well as their impact on the learning process. The study aims to substantiate the inoculation of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the Ed-Tech sector. An Ed-Tech giant like Interplay Learning which has made a Virtual Reality and 3-D gaming platform for an interactive learning experience has received $18 million in Series-B funding; similarly, Byju’s has acquired Osmo, an American start-up that gives an interactive learning experience using AR/VR technology, which signifies the scope of AR/VR learning experience. Due to the Sars-Covid-19 pandemic, students worldwide relied on online video calling/conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom Call, Webex Meet, Skype, Google meet, etc., which gave them a temporary relief to their learning process and did not waste their academic year. However, the question remains, "How to enhance the learning experience on online platforms?" The answer for the present situation is inculcating AR/VR in the learning experience. AR/VR provides a better interactive learning experience by creating a stimulative environment similar to an offline classroom environment. The paper will discuss various research and findings of the past and provide substantive evidence for the implementation of AR/VR in the ed-tech sector.