
Volume 16, Issue 3 December 2020, pp. 167–180
Forum
Virtual reality in education: The promise, progress, and challenge
Ryan Lege 1, Euan Bonner
2
1 Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
2 Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v16n3.388
Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has made significant inroads into both the consumer and professional sectors. As VR has matured as a technology, its overall practicality for use in education has also increased. However, due to the rapid evolution of the technology, the educational field struggles to stay informed of the latest advancements, changing affordances, and pedagogical applications. Even the authors’ own 2018 work that categorized VR technology for different educational applications, is no longer completely applicable to the current educational landscape. Though education struggles to keep up with technological developments, both researchers and practitioners have been contributing to a growing body of knowledge and experience. Accordingly, this article explores the progress of VR in educational research and classroom practice through three key questions: (1) What benefits does VR offer for education?, (2) What are the challenges to applying VR in an educational context?, and (3) Has VR matured to a point where it is useful for a wide range of educational purposes? Through a review of literature published from 2017-2020, the authors explore these questions to provide a snapshot of how VR is being used in classrooms and educational research. The authors conclude with predictions for the future and suggestions for future research.
Copyright
© Ryan Lege, Euan Bonner
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Suggested citation
Lege, R., & Bonner, E. (2020). Virtual reality in education: The promise, progress, and challenge . The JALT CALL Journal, 16(3), 167–180. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v16n3.388
Related Articles:
Intercultural education in times of restricted travel: Lessons from the Gaza Strip
Maria Grazia Imperiale
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 19 April, 2021, Volume 4(1), 22–38.
"I don't want to be stereotypical, but..."
Norwegian EFL learners' awareness of and willingness to challenge visual stereotypes
Cecilie Waallann Brown
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 20 December, 2019, Volume 2(3), 120–141.
"Writing like a health scientist": A translingual approach to teaching text structure in a diverse Australian classroom
Sue Ollerhead, Isobel Crealy, Rebecca Kirk
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 30 April, 2020, Volume 3(1), 77–90.
(Re)imagining a course in language and intercultural communication for the 21st century
Adriana Raquel Diaz, Paul J. Moore
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 29 December, 2018, Volume 1(3), 83–99.
A day in the life: Mapping international students' language learning environments in multilingual Sydney
Phil Benson, Philip Chappell, Lynda Yates
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 1 April, 2018, Volume 1(1), 20–32.
A developmental framework for online language teaching skills
Ursula Stickler, Regine Hampel, Martina Emke
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 30 April, 2020, Volume 3(1), 133–151.
A systematic review of written corrective feedback research in ESL/EFL contexts
Sin Wang Chong
Language Education & Assessment Published: 31 August, 2019, Volume 2(2), 57–69.
Adopting a dual focus to drive forward the fields of language education and language assessment
Heng-Tsung Danny Huang
Language Education & Assessment Published: 25 July, 2018, Volume 1(1), 1–2.
Advancing intercultural learning in world language education: Recent developments in pre-service teacher education in the U.S.
Paula Garrett-Rucks
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 29 December, 2018, Volume 1(3), 110–122.
An essay on internationalism in foreign language education
Michael Byram
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 22 August, 2018, Volume 1(2), 64–82.