Potential Barriers to Using VR in Schools

Unfortunately, despite all of the positive aspects of implementing VR in schools, there are a number of concerns that make it quite difficult to navigate at times. I wanted to briefly explore these barriers:

1. High Cost: Unfortunately VR is not cheap, and most simply lack the funding to make VR headsets a core part of the learning experience. Furthermore, even if schools do gain access to VR headsets, the games and resources that teachers would want to explore with students often cost even more on top of that purchase. I think something that teachers may not initially think about is the cost of VR over time too, since there could be additional expenses over time for subscriptions, maintenance, or replacements that will need to be made.
2. Accessibility: In some ways, VR makes learning a lot more accessible, but this isn’t always the case. Prolonged use of VR can lead to eye strain, dizziness, issues with sound sensitivity, and discomfort. Where some neurodivergent students may find the experience immersive, others may find it overwhelming. There is also the risk of furthering the divide between students who are capable of affording VR and those who can’t.
3. Health and Safety: There are significant physical risks associated with VR. For example, many new users feel an urge to move or run in VR rather than using the controllers to move as they should. This can result in tripping or falling, or potentially running into their surroundings. Children should be closely supervised.
4. Data Privacy and Ethical Concerns: Many VR tools and games collect user data, including movement and reaction times, gaze tracking, and patterns, and even going as far as collecting personal information. There are also significant concerns about the level of appropriate immersion that students can experience while in VR.
5. Infrastructure and Space: VR requires a lot of external infrastructure and space to used appropriately. For example, it typically requires a connection to a decently powerful PC unless it uses an Android processor such as with the Quest headset. Further, it typically requires a very strong internet connection which isn’t always available at public schools, and even then it requires lots of physical space to accommodate the play area.

For all of these reasons, VR may not be a magic fix or perfect solution for classrooms, but despite all of these issues I think it is still well worth exploring VR as a powerful tool to include in lessons. Perhaps we are not yet at a point to fully embrace VR in every lesson and classroom, but I think it can be an incredibly valuable asset for learning.