AR/VR Technology in Education: Use Cases, Benefits & Challenges

Technological evolution and growing accessibility propel the adoption of augmented and virtual reality in eLearning – delivering educational content through electronic devices. 

Do you seek to realize the advantages of AR/VR in education to benefit schoolchildren, college students, professionals, customers, or the public? Looking for eLearning product ideas? Curious about the nuances, challenges, and limitations of VR and AR eLearning experiences? This post is for you!

Onix has broad experience in building web, mobile, AR, and VR eLearning apps. For example, our recent project facilitates training in the assembly/disassembly of an internal combustion engine. 

The engine disassembly concept created by Onix showcases key mechanics for using AR for educational purposes.

If you want to implement AR/VR technology in education or training programs, Onix can help! 

If you are not sure yet, let’s find out how AR/VR technologies impact eLearning.

The Benefits of Using Augmented Reality in eLearning

AR adds digital content to a live view that users see through the lenses of their smartphones or smart glasses.

 

Recognition-based AR uses ‘markers’ located in the real world, such as QR codes, to overlay digital objects on them. Markerless AR technology scans surfaces relative to which objects are positioned. Applications with AR geo-positioning use a combination of markerless technology and geospatial data.

 

The high applicability of augmented reality for eLearning primarily stems from mobile devices. With 95% of American teenagers owning smartphones, the opportunities for mobile AR eLearning apps are immense. 

 

AR educational apps can also run on mixed reality (MR) headsets like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3.

 

Read also: VisionOs App Development: Use Cases and Opportunities

 

 

The use of AR in education and training scenarios promises the following advantages:

More engaging eLearning

Modern students find it harder to pay attention to textbooks, blackboards, and paper handouts. Many spend much of their classroom time absorbed in their mobile devices.

 

If students can’t help but stare at their smartphones, educational organizations should leverage these gadgets and apps like Sonar Viewer, Onix’s solution for 3D model viewing in augmented reality, to make learning more diverse and thrilling. 

Just imagine the school kids’ excitement when they can use their phones in class to admire a U-boat above their heads or see Jane Austen’s characters introducing themselves while standing on book pages!

Read also: 3D Video Intro Development: Inspired by Bridgerton

Inadequate student engagement and participation are even more significant obstacles to remote learning. Organizations and businesses should employ augmented reality in online learning activation. For instance, online materials can be enhanced with amusing illustrations or gamified elements revealed in the AR mode.

 

Enhanced educational process

Lecturers, teachers, and instructors can use augmented reality in the classroom to visualize complex topics, objects, locations, etc., and to create vivid interactive experiences that combine real and virtual worlds. This makes explanation, understanding, and remembering things much easier. 

HoloKit XR experience that Onix helped develop vividly demonstrates this power of AR combined with MR headsets. 

The client wanted to create an official app with several activities for a low-cost MR solution. In a short time, Onix developed a version of MR for Android and iOS devices that allowed people to see virtual objects blended into the real world. 

The project involved creating an educational module featuring the solar system and presenting a new art form – drawing in 3D space with Tilt Brush – through some of that year’s best works.

Onix also worked on the profile system for the SDK the client required, the user interface, and the collaboration system. Our experts ensured a convenient AR/MR mode, control system, quick setup, and support for essential devices.

Promoting equal opportunities

AR applications, such as language learning programs or virtual teachers and instructors, can also be available remotely and accessible to nearly everyone due to the proliferation of smartphones.

Risk and cost reduction

AR offers opportunities for real-life, hands-on training without any risks. For users, this means simpler procedures and for companies – greater cost-effectiveness.

 

Leveraging the Benefits of Virtual Reality in Education

The suitability of VR technology for education and training directly stems from its principle of work. VR completely immerses a user in a computer-generated 3D world.

 

Users typically wear an opaque headset taking up their whole field of view, interacting with the virtual world via controllers, gloves, distance sensors, or other accessories.

 

Here are some of the possible advantages of VR in education contexts:

 

Higher learner engagement

Firstly, VR headgear eliminates all external audio and visual distractions. Then, a 3D computer-generated environment captures a person’s attention. This helps learners fully concentrate on the activity planned for them in the virtual environment.

 

This principle was used by the InnerVR app which Onix helped develop. Often, people who desperately need to learn mindfulness and meditation can’t do it because they have trouble focusing attention. Many fail to practice regularly because they find traditional sessions boring.

 

VR overcomes the challenges of learning meditation by

 

• focusing the learners’ attention on the present moment
• allowing them to attend to visual and auditory anchors of their choice
• reducing the scope of the content in their mind-wandering
• offering a new virtual place for each mindfulness session
• providing simulated activities like fishing or lighting lanterns to enhance the sense of presence

InnerVR, made by Onix, uses immersion and interactivity – two major advantages of virtual reality – in education; in this case, meditation learning.

 

Learn more: Virtual Reality Meditation App Development [Onix’s Guide 2025]

 

Educational institutions can use these benefits of virtual reality in classroom settings. Direct involvement in the learning process, albeit in a digital realm, is far more engaging than listening to a teacher, reading educational texts, or watching videos. Besides, when a teacher uses new technology in class, kids will want to participate.

 

With virtual reality, learning can also become an exciting game. For example, the InnerVR app includes collecting Mindful Energy and unlocking new Worlds. Gamification elements like these can prove especially valuable for engaging children and teenagers in VR-based eLearning.

 

The use of AR and VR in eLearning courses can make them more appealing to tech-savvy audiences, more engaging, and popular, and give the provider a competitive edge.

 
Read also: What Does It Take to Build an e-Learning Platform?

 

Greater efficiency

It is pretty difficult to explain or visualize molecular structures, anatomical concepts, space phenomena, historical events, or complex abstract topics in a textbook. Understanding and remembering their work principles, functions, and meaning may also be challenging. 

 

The presentation of information and concepts through vivid, realistic 3D models is one of the greatest virtual reality benefits in education. For example, one realistic animated 3D representation of the human brain saves a teacher a hundred questions and answers.

 

With VR, education in STEM and even computer science may be more stimulating. Memorable experiences are key to more effective learning. Realistic VR simulations can arouse visceral and emotional reactions that are a base for forming memories.

VR can transport students learning history or geography to locations that are remote or no longer exist. For instance, Timescope, developed by Onix, allows users to see countries, cities, events, and people as they would a hundred years ago.

 

The comprehensive VR solution houses hundreds of antique photos, multiple review modes, and educational and entertaining historical references. 

 

Traditional educational systems often focus more on theory than on practical approaches. The use of AR and VR in eLearning applications allows students to interact with content and practice in real-time conditions. 

 

One interactive lesson in the virtual world may replace dozens of standard ones, and hands-on experiences lead to better understanding and enhance knowledge recall.

Hands-on training is the best way to learn a skill. Lifelike scenarios and simulations in VR can facilitate both soft skills and technical training. Trainees will also be better prepared when they face similar scenarios in the real world.

VR apps can also measure learners’ performance and the time taken to complete tasks, flag mistakes directly to trainees, and funnel student data analytics to a teacher to better understand their progress and make corrections.

 

The software allows recording trainees’ sessions and tracking the results. Once done, they may be able to replay, see what they did wrong and how to do it correctly, and retake the assessment later.
 

Increasing accessibility

Technology also makes distance learning and language barriers less of a problem. For example, virtual reality education apps can provide built-in translations for international students.

The adoption of VR technology in education may reduce and occasionally eliminate the need to travel: instructors, lecturers, and their audiences can now meet in virtual spaces! (It’s even possible to work out in a virtual gym.)

Virtual classes, lecture rooms, and other virtual environments, such as metaverse spaces created by Onix, may be the future of eLearning.

 

People who are ill, disabled, incarcerated, or otherwise unable to attend classes may soon be able to put on a VR headset and access interactive visualizations of their curriculum.

With VR, science laboratories can be digitized to provide hundreds of experiments that will be affordable even for low-income communities.

 

VR also enables field trips to historic sites, museums, and educational and cultural events without leaving one’s living room, purchasing tickets, queues, and crowds.

Learn more: How Is Virtual Reality Used In Museum Experiences?

 

Cost-efficiency

Buying an affordable VR headset may save individuals the trouble and cost of travel or commuting to classes, but organizations and businesses probably benefit more from using VR in education scenarios.

The practical aspect of education often requires special equipment or conditions for learning. For example, students may need to mix volatile chemicals to see the reaction they study.

 

Ideal virtual learning environments, 3D models, and simulations eliminate the need to invest in training facilities, equipment, manuals, travel, instructors, etc. 

 

Onix has developed many such apps. For example, an internet services provider once ordered a VR simulation to teach employees how to set the necessary equipment at the fiber access point and arrange wireless mesh points. The application that Onix built covered a 12-step procedure for covering the whole building area with a quality signal level. 

 Onix helped a client use virtual reality for the education of ISP field engineers.

 

Higher safety

Immersive learning provides environments where users can learn and master skills safely. Students can explore virtual facilities and ecosystems, dissect an animal or a human, assemble and disassemble engines, and do much more without risks for themselves, others, or the environment.

Students, employees, consumers, and others can also acquire and perfect various skills in the total safety of virtual environments. 

For example, Onix’s virtual lab app facilitates hands-on lab safety training in simulated yet realistic laboratory conditions.

Onix’s lab training app exemplifies the safety benefits of VR in education.

 

Now, let’s see how you can use the benefits of AR and VR in education.

 

Top-3 Applications of Augmented Reality for eLearning Purposes

 

AR-based training experiences

Like VR eLearning apps, augmented reality can facilitate learning and training through simulations and interactions with 3D objects in augmented reality. 

This can redefine training in areas like engineering, police work, firefighting, safety classes, medical, paramedical, or ER scenarios that require as much experiential learning as possible.

For example, equipment need not be disassembled when presented virtually, as Onix’s engine disassembly concept does.

After placing the engine’s 3D model in their preferred space, users can rotate it using drag gestures, select specific components with their gaze, and remove them by tapping.

 

A virtual instruction panel displays the step-by-step assembly and disassembly process. As parts are removed, brief animations are played. Selected components are highlighted for clarity. The virtual engine features PBR materials and transparency effects, allowing users to visualize how parts fit together.

 

 

This project demonstrates

 

• Compact representation of virtual objects in augmented reality
• Intuitive control through gaze and gestures
• Visualization of complex, interconnected 3D objects
• Clear instructional guidance with textual duplication for easy understanding

 

“Onix’s solution is easily scalable with additional engine models, voice assistant integration, troubleshooting scenarios, and user performance assessment modules,” said Serhii Vitukhin, our Head of the Unity department.

 

Augmented educational experiences

AR apps can help kids practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a playful and interactive way. For example, a child can point their device at everyday objects, and labels in the target language will pop up to teach them new words as they explore their surroundings.
 

They can interact with virtual characters who guide them through language exercises, pronunciation practice, and even storytelling sessions in the target language.

Read also: Augmented Reality for Kids: Market Insights & Use Cases

 

In socially conservative countries, AR’s capability to “reveal” things hidden behind QR codes or markers may promote sex education at schools. The topic can be embarrassing even for many teachers, but AR-based games and printed materials enriched with information revealed only in AR can help overcome this.

 

Read also: How To Create an Augmented Reality App: Features & Cost

 

Enriching products and services with educational content

Businesses and organizations can deliver educational content in augmented reality to add a new dimension to product packaging, textbooks, web pages, and tours of museums, galleries, and outdoor locations.

For instance, AR can educate travelers about local ecosystems and promote responsible tourism practices. High-quality graphics, 360-degree videos, and informative audio guides create immersive educational environments. Detailed historical and cultural insights add depth to the experience, enhancing travelers’ understanding of the destination.

 

Now, let’s look into organizations and businesses using VR for education and training.

 

4 Best Use Cases for VR Technology in Education

 

Virtual environments for learning activities

Digitally created environments for online classes, workshops, training sessions, etc., may be the simplest application of virtual reality in online education.

 

Read also: 360° Video vs. 3D VR Environments for Training

 

Educational institutions and programs can provide students with virtual classrooms, labs, gyms, or entire university campuses so they can continue their classes remotely and interact with each other regardless of their physical location. Events like presentations, workshops, conferences, and even graduation ceremonies may also take place in the metaverse.

 

The Onix team can help you implement this type of virtual reality for education: we are experts in crafting immersive spatial realms. 

Spatio metaverse spaces created by Onix are an example of VR-based eLearning environments.
 

For example, for a Swiss digital agency specializing in metaverse production, Onix created several diverse and engaging immersive virtual environments leveraging the capabilities of the Spatial.io platform. These included:

 

• The Metaverse Academy Campus. The virtual educational universe was designed to introduce users to the metaverse concept and its significance. It features galleries, museums, and interactive spaces where users can learn about topics like NFT. Users can attend online conferences, view presentations, and engage in chat and voice discussions in a special area.

 

• Paper Location. In this immersive extension of an NFT Art Gallery, users can explore halls where each artwork tells its unique story, watch videos, and communicate with art enthusiasts.

 

The Onix team built visually stunning, immersive environments using advanced techniques, realistic graphics, and highly detailed 3D models.

Metaverse learning environments like this, designed by Onix, enhance user engagement and provide memorable experiences.

 

Our experts also ensured uninterrupted live streaming capabilities within the metaverse environments necessary for online events, conferences, and presentations.

 

The metaverse locations developed by Onix gained significant traction, collecting 16.2K views on the Spatial platform. “This demonstrates the effectiveness of our immersive environments in capturing an audience,” said Vasiliy Dyachenko, Head of the 3D art department at Onix.

 

Onix’s 3D Art VR Navigation Platform also seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with captivating aesthetics. Our expertise transforms navigation into an immersive journey and extraordinary visual spectacle. 

 

 

Read also: How Onix Team Created Its Digital Office Map

 

VR-assisted education

Virtual reality education apps have the potential to impact many professions. Firstly, students may use VR simulations to better understand what careers interest them.

Art, design, and architecture students can build and design their original constructs or recreate historic sites in virtual reality.

Learn more: 4 Best Ways to Benefit from VR in Construction

Instead of visiting museums or looking at pictures of famous sculptures, art students can observe these artworks in great detail by manipulating them around through VR apps.

Another possibility involves field trips to places difficult or costly to visit in person. The same goes for time travel back to significant historical events.

For example, instead of reading about foreign countries, students can see them using apps like TriptoVR, built by Onix. Using Meta Quest or any Cardboard VR or mobile VR viewer, users can experience the vibrancy of cities and landscapes brought to life with stunning realism and learn about history and modern culture.

 

It’s also helpful to incorporate virtual reality in education on socially important issues. For instance, one of our clients aims to change public views regarding animal protein consumption and promote more sustainable animal farming. They needed a means of visualizing their ideas and facts for the public and appealing to their minds and emotions to stimulate activism.

 

Onix created not only VR presentations about sustainable farming to show at a conference but also templates for the client to use for future educational immersive experiences.

 

 

Job and safety training in VR

Simulating things that are hard or dangerous to do in real life is another impressive use of virtual reality in education. Accurate virtual models facilitate the education and training of aviation, engineering, technical maintenance, military, and other specialists. 
 

VR systems empower corporations to train employees and customers in environments that would be too costly to recreate in the real world and avoid paying for their travel to physical sites.

 

Read also: Custom VR Training: The Guide to Create Your VR Simulation Solution

 

Interactive experiences, such as 360-degree virtual tours of manufacturing facilities and emergency scenarios, can develop both hard and soft skills.

VR can put people into environments that may be high-risk in real life, run compliance safety scenarios, and monitor the results, e.g., for industrial and aviation workers. 

For instance, Onix’s simulation for pipe inspectors facilitates training without exposing them to the hazards of actual underground sewage systems. Clear walkthrough instructions facilitate learning, while dynamic, real-world scenarios test the inspectors’ decisions and speed.

A pipe inspection simulation developed by Onix uses VR for safer employee training.

 

VR can also help crane operators, mechanics, and construction workers develop better spatial intelligence, balance, and control over the fear of heights.

For example, the Construction VR/MR that Onix developed for several VR/MR platforms has a game-like look and feel but still can be used to explain basic behavior and life safety fundamentals to construction workers.
 

It has built-in checklists, hints like ‘Don’t forget to put on your personal protective equipment,’ and tasks like ‘Use the elevator and go to the 30th floor’. 

In best-case scenarios, medical students may have the chance to practice surgeries once on a cadaver before performing actual surgery. Virtual medical manikins enable students to explore human anatomy, make mistakes, learn from them, and repeat procedures multiple times without using resources and endangering patients.

Moreover, VR can provide realistic simulations for many types of surgical procedures. Simulated training sessions allow for frequent and simultaneous participation without actual facilities, equipment, or instructors. 

VR can also simulate the stressful conditions of healthcare facilities and the emotional and psychological challenges of dealing with disturbing sights, death, worried relatives, or terminally ill patients so that interns can prepare for them.

These were our client’s goals when integrating VR into pilot programs for medical students and interns. The solution implemented by Onix immerses users in various thematic story simulations. At the designated points, they are asked about their further actions, and each answer determines the future scenario.

The medical training app built by Onix perfectly illustrates the use of virtual reality in education.
 

Detailed learning analytics integrated with such VR apps will help product creators enhance learning experiences to meet the learners’ expectations and achieve better ROI.

 

Extra educational content delivered in VR

Cultural institutions like libraries and museums should adopt VR technology for education both online and on their premises.

 

For example, Onix built a virtual tour for a museum at Banská Štiavnica. The uniquely preserved medieval town in Slovakia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our VR experts blended scanned museum exhibits with digital panoramas to give visitors the feeling of walking in the town centuries ago or witnessing the flooding of an ancient mine after an explosion.

We also created a quest VR game for Anija Mõis historic house in Estonia. The VR app educates younger visitors about local history while they play a series of fun games.

 

We ensured the experience is accessible for kids and adults alike in 5 languages spoken in the area. 360° photo panoramas accurately recreate the estate’s rooms to facilitate complete immersion in the museum’s atmosphere.

 

 

The Challenges and Restrictions for Adopting VR and AR in Education

Entrepreneurs and startups considering a VR or AR eLearning product need to be aware of the following factors:

 

1. The cost of development

An eLearning course with AR or VR features will take longer and cost more to design and build than a typical online course. Interactive content can be designed to run on head-mounted devices and on a tablet, phone, or laptop screen. Be ready to plan a budget for VR or AR app development.

 

 

2. High cost for the users

Funding is the primary barrier for massive adoption of AR/VR technology in education, due to the limited financial resources in many schools. Head-mounted gear and accessories provide the most immersive experience possible but are the most expensive when it comes to price and implementation.

 

Limited financial resources in many schools are the primary barrier to the mass adoption of AR/VR technology in education. Head-mounted gear and accessories provide the most immersive experience possible but are the most expensive in terms of price and implementation.

 

Mobile device-based solutions are more affordable but can’t ensure fully immersive experiences.

 

The price of the content, i.e., the software you are going to build, is also essential. It’s vital to research whether potential customers can afford your product or will be interested enough to pay the price.

 

3. Discomfort

AR and VR come with mobility restrictions. Many VR headsets are relatively heavy and still connected to desktops or laptops with long cables or wires.

 

4. Age- and health-related restrictions

Users sometimes complain about headaches, vertigo, nausea, eyestrain, or chafing caused by VR headsets, especially those using smartphones. The amount of time spent in virtual reality should be limited, and it’s recommended that children under 13 should not use VR devices. For example, Meta’s health and safety rules forbid children under 10 from using its products.

Children can enjoy AR earlier, but spending too much time in AR apps can also lead to problems like eye strain, tiredness, and feeling overwhelmed, especially for younger children.

Users wearing head-mounted devices or absorbed in their smartphones, especially kids, may also be injured or cause accidents.

“VR learning sessions should be planned in such a manner that each can be easily divided into short parts, and it is convenient for the user to take a break when they need and easily continue later,” recommends Serhii Vitukhin, Onix’s Head of the Unity department.

 

5. Content appropriateness

Some VR or AR content may be inappropriate for kids or other groups. To address these concerns, Onix recommends to:

 

• ensure that all content featured in the app is suitable for the intended users’ age and preferences
• provide clear labeling or filtering options within the app to identify and control the available content
• implement parental control features that allow parents to customize and restrict content based on a child’s age and preferences
• implement a feedback and reporting mechanism within the app, allowing users to report inappropriate content and allowing developers to address any issues promptly
   

6. Software and privacy issues

Many interoperability issues still need to be resolved. Privacy and data security issues persist in apps, putting the customers’ data at stake. 

 

AR apps often gather user data, including location details and personal preferences, raising concerns about storing, sharing, and safeguarding this information.
 

To address this concern, Serhii Vitukhin advises implementing robust data privacy measures and adhering to standards like GDPR. Apps should collect only data necessary for operation after obtaining explicit consent from adult users or kids’ parents. 
 

7. Effectiveness evaluation

It is crucial to track the learners’ performance with and without your product. Once a prototype is ready, conduct rigorous A/B testing to make sure the project will pay off.

 

It’s also worth noting that, however compelling and exciting the tools may seem, they should not be used alone. Positive results should be expected only from a blend of traditional teaching methods with AR or VR in eLearning.

 

8. Change resistance

Some organizations and individuals may be slower to see the advantages of virtual reality in education. Many people are used to the old ways and are skeptical of new and high-tech tools.

 

Conclusion

AR/VR technology’s role in education is likely to grow. The global VR and AR in education market, valued at USD 11.9 billion in 2023, is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 20.26% from 2024 to 2033. 

Source

 

New visualization and interaction tools are a natural fit in an ongoing quest to maintain students’ attention. Eventually, we may see VR used in education ecosystems from middle school through postgraduate research and AR as early as kindergarten. As gadget prices keep decreasing and the creation of quality content grows, AR and VR are set up to have a massive impact on the future of eLearning.

 

Those who come up with innovative ideas for using virtual and augmented reality in eLearning may become pioneers and reap big profits. But they need skilled and reliable technical partners!

 

Onix’s extended reality department specializes in building high-quality applications for different platforms. Our seasoned developers work with AR, VR, MR, web, games, and 2D/3D design and know how to develop engaging content. We deliver cost-effective, compelling solutions that can generate a competitive advantage and ROI.

 

Whatever your idea or choice of the platform, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Onix!

 

People Also Ask

 

How does AR- and VR-based eLearning work?

With virtual and augmented reality, absorbing and retaining complex information becomes easier and more efficient. Moreover, learners are more eager to do it.

 

Gamification makes  learning less laborious, especially for kids, and a positive learning environment promotes better achievements. Immersive technology also helps spark the learners’ curiosity and creativity.

 

How do businesses and organizations benefit from VR and AR eLearning?

AR and VR technologies enable real-life, hands-on employee training without risks to personnel, equipment, or the public, fostering safe and effective skill development. Ideal virtual learning environments, 3D models, and simulations help organizations avoid costly investments in training facilities, equipment, travel, and instructors.

 

Commercial AR and VR-assisted eLearning provides authentic learning experiences that enhance learner engagement and satisfaction, potentially boosting completion rates, customer retention, net promoter score, and other essential KPIs.

 

How to use VR in eLearning?

Here are the primary applications of virtual reality in eLearning:

 

• Virtual classrooms, labs, conference halls, campuses, and other virtual spaces
• Demonstrations of complex processes and phenomena using VR environments and 3D models
• Professional, safety, and soft skills training programs
• Supporting educational content

 

How much does it cost to create a VR-based training experience?

The cost depends on the complexity of the planned educational program, the chosen VR format, the required equipment, the trainees’ specific requirements, and, equally important, the location of the product development team.
 

For example, it took Onix only 40 hours to program a VR app for medical students and interns based on 360° videos. At Onix’s hourly rate of $35, that currently amounts to $1,400.
 

The full-VR 12-step training for ISP company field engineers totaled 156 hours to make and would cost $5,460 to develop with Onix now.
 

Can Onix create an AR or VR eLearning solution?  

Yes, we have extensive experience in producing AR and VR-based eLearning solutions from A to Z and can help you in several ways:
 

• writing documentation and designing scenarios, 3D models, and virtual learning environments
• providing experts in developing VR, mobile, and web educational applications
• connecting with partners who can help with shooting 360° videos for such apps