“Technology can become the ‘wings’ that will allow the educational world to fly farther and faster than ever before – if we allow it.” – Jenny Arledge.
As highlighted by this American scholar, technology has great potential to enhance the teaching–learning process. At present, educational institutions have adopted most emerging technologies, such as VR and AR (Jumani et al., 2022), to deliver more interactive lessons.
Evidently, the process of using VR/AR into the education has sped up after the Covid 19 pandemic. The new developments in VR/AR technology & hardware and cost-effective usefulness in teaching- learning, have supported the regular use in classrooms of some of the universities in the USA and Europe recently. For instance, the Westminster Business-School, UK has embedded the VR based teaching methods into their curriculum recently as a success story[1]. Such initiatives are evident, as VR is highly regarded for its ability to offer a virtual first-hand experience of the subject matter and environment by immersing users in a simulated, three-dimensional, computer-generated world that can mimic real-life settings, creating a sense of presence that is not achievable through other teaching and learning methods (Asad et al., 2021).
South Asia and use of AR and VR in Education
This raises an important question: Is South Asia also ready and capable of welcoming this new teaching mode effectively? This question is valid since South Asian countries face issues such as socio-economic disparities, poor educational infrastructure, and limited public or private finance for education compared to developed countries. However, it is essential to provide unparalleled education opportunities to South Asian children, to moving with other similar groups. This Think Piece aims to unveil the factors about VR and AR-based teaching suitability, probable issues, and the supportive facts for the applications in South Asia.
A Glimpse of South Asia’s Use of VR and AR
VR/AR-based teaching is crucial for South Asia as it can address regional disparities in education, improve interaction, and provide real-time practical exposure while fostering the development of 21st-century skills in the long run. It is a perfect fit over other conventional teaching modes since it can effectively stimulate various learning styles and preferences, making interactive learning more accessible and convenient. This will help reduce dropout rates, increase learning outcomes, and address issues caused by the lack of engagement in education and inefficient teaching methods. Although this is currently an expensive and high-end solution, we can expect significant changes and greater affordability as the number of users and solution providers increases, a common trend in technical products and services. However, implementing these systems presents unique challenges, and assessing South Asia’s readiness to adopt VR and AR in education is essential.
VR/AR technology is not new to South Asia, with its popularity growing alongside the mobile phone industry. Leading digital infrastructure manufacturers like BBK group (which owns Oppo, Vivo, Realme, OnePlus, and iQoo mobile brands) and Samsung have established facilities in the region, particularly in India, quickly bringing the latest technological updates to market. This suggests that VR/AR devices may become more widely available at competitive prices in the future. In South Asia, mobile internet connectivity has risen significantly, with 33% of the population now connected, a number which has almost doubled since 2014[2]. Due to intense competition among tech companies, including EdTech firms, the private sector is leading the adoption of new technologies, reducing the need for government-led promotion. For instance, according to Enayet Kabir from Technopak, the Indian market for digitized school products in private schools is experiencing a compound annual growth rate of 20% [3]. This trend may support the eventual integration of VR/AR in education as it gains popularity and becomes available at competitive prices in various options.
South Asia’s competitive private education sector often adopts cutting-edge technologies to enhance educational quality, making AR/VR a likely future trend. For instance, computer-based education solutions in India are led by EdTech institutes like Everonn Education, NIIT, Core Education & Technologies, IL&FS, and Compucom, which have been dominant players from the beginning. New entrants like HCL Infosystems, Learn Next, Tata Interactive Systems, Mexus Education, S. Chand Harcourt (India), and iDiscoveri Education have since joined the market. These institutes initially focused on private sector educational institutions and later expanded their efforts to include public sector institutions[4]. While government budgets are generally tight, there is growing interest in integrating advanced technologies into education. Recent policy frameworks in the region indicate a push towards incorporating digital innovations into teaching and learning processes, despite limited coverage and budget constraints. This insight has embedded in the policy frameworks that suggested for the South Asia[5] by institutes like the World Bank.
NGOs and multinational grants are crucial for funding digital infrastructure in South Asia. Recent initiatives, such as the AHEAD[6] project in Sri Lanka funded by the World Bank, have enhanced digital resources and established SMART classrooms, covering the entire public university system. These efforts lay the groundwork for future VR and AR implementation in the region and gradually reduce disparities. They will help prevent delays in adopting VR and AR-based teaching and learning compared to developed countries and current trends at least into some extent. Equity issues in quality education have been observed in the region, particularly with the introduction of high-quality private education, leading to disparities. Therefore, it is necessary to implement measures to address these challenges when promoting VR and AR-based teaching, including gradual improvements across all regions in the countries and strict monitoring to ensure inclusivity.
What is Happening in South Asia on a Small Scale, from Researchers’ Point of View
Researchers have begun to explore the potentials, needs, and challenges of AR/VR through prototype studies, which are essential for assessing ground-level realities, readiness, and bottlenecks. For instance, a study in Vellore District in Tamil Nadu, India, revealed that students were satisfied with VR due to its ease of use and ability to meet all their learning needs. The study had conducted an experimental design with 330 students from grades 8 to 10 across seven different schools. A VR environment had been introduced during six online classes using the EonXR platform, incorporating interactive exercises such as locating, identifying, building, and quizzes to enhance engagement. Lessons had covered topics like fractional distillation in chemistry, earthquakes in geography, the Pythagorean theorem in mathematics, and the digestive system in biology during class sessions (Raja and Lakshmi, 2021). Another study, conducted with 301 students and teachers from three girls’ schools (up to Class X) in the Malda district of West Bengal, India, had found the potential for mobile applications in rural Indian schools (Chatterjee et al., 2020). A study in Bangladesh found that VR, AR, and AI enhance self-learning and are well-received by learners when used through mobile apps or web portals (Khan et al., 2021). But in rural areas, a lack of expertise hinders AR adoption. However, increased access to AR applications through 4G smart devices offers opportunities for educational use in Bangladesh (Sharif et al., 2018). A case study in Pakistan demonstrated that AR-embedded teaching on renewable energy significantly improved learning outcomes (Danish et al., 2023). A VR-based application for practicing nasogastric intubation has been developed and evaluated for use in nursing education in Sri Lanka as a successful model (Aluthge et al., 2022). The practical use of VR and AR in public sector and primary schools has been critically examined by researchers in the Sri Lankan context to facilitate future implementations (Sahana and Dissanayake, 2024). As a successful example, the use of an interactive AR-based learning tool in Environmental Studies led to improvements in the learning curve of primary students in Sri Lanka. The study had conducted at a primary school in Colombo, involving 100 female Grade 3 students from a school with a medium socio-economic background. The same questionnaire had been used to assess the students’ prior understanding of environmental concepts related to trees and animals, after they had used an AR application developed with Unity3D and Vuforia to measure their learning progress (Wickramapala et al., 2019).
In Nepal, university teachers use 21st-century skills at a moderate level in their pedagogical activities. Therefore, the need for continuous professional development and institutional support, including necessary digital tools at both individual and institutional levels, has been identified to help overcome barriers and support teachers in effectively using 21st-century skills (Joshi et al., 2024), which has a potential use of AR and VR. A study conducted in Bhutan with respect to biology teaching, using AR based app had realized that, both the teachers and students have overwhelming support-positive attitude towards the use of AR in the classroom teaching and learning (Lham, Jurmey and Tshering, 2020).
In the Maldives, while teachers are generally willing to integrate ICT into their teaching, challenges such as slow internet speeds, high costs, lack of digital education policy, insufficient teacher training, and limited awareness among students and parents hinder progress (Mariyam and Saeed, 2021). Therefore, the effective use of AR and VR in education is seen as a collaborative process that requires involvement from all stakeholders. Researchers have highlighted the need to reduce digital infrastructure gaps, improve internet connectivity, and optimize digital platforms to ensure equitable access to educational resources for all students in Afghanistan’s universities (Shahzad et al., 2024). Thus, it can assume AR and VR based teaching and learning promotion seems more challengeable in the country with these notable gaps.
Conclusion
South Asia shows potential for integrating VR and AR based teaching modes into educational curriculums, but significant challenges remain. While private sector initiatives, increased mobile internet penetration, and the presence of technological firms in the region indicate readiness, socio-economic disparities, limited digital infrastructure, and lack of policy support hinder widespread adoption. Recent research highlights the benefits of VR/AR in enhancing learning outcomes across South Asian countries, yet also underscores the need for continuous professional development, better internet connectivity, and comprehensive digital strategies. For South Asia to fully embrace VR/AR in education, a collaborative effort involving governments, private sectors, NGOs, and international support is essential. By addressing these challenges, South Asia can leverage emerging technologies to provide equitable and high-quality education, bridging the gap between traditional learning environments and the demands of the 21st century.
References
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Asad, M.M., Naz, A., Churi, P. and Tahanzadeh, M.M., 2021. Virtual reality as pedagogical tool to enhance experiential learning: a systematic literature review. Education Research International, 2021(1), p.7061623.
Chatterjee, S., Majumdar, D., Misra, S. and Damaševičius, R., 2020. Adoption of mobile applications for teaching-learning process in rural girls’ schools in India: an empirical study. Education and Information Technologies, 25, pp.4057-4076.
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Author Bio:
Kapila Chinthaka Premarathne is Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Economics in the Department of Agricultural Systems, Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (RUSL), Mihintale. His key research areas are the economics of climate change, sustainable development and rural development.
[1] https://www.westminster.ac.uk/news/westminster-business-school-becomes-first-in-uk-to-embed-virtual-reality-into-curriculum
[2] https://www.geopoll.com/blog/mobile-penetration-asia-south-asia-southeast-asia/
[3] 4
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/indias-education-sector-moving-toward-a-digital-future/
[5] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099230004062228270/pdf/P1723000e5e0d20908c790a5ffdda147f1.pdf
[6] https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/412911486473597625/environmental-and-social-systems-assessment