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In-person education during COVID-19 was severely impacted due to lockdown restrictions. The only saving grace that let institutions run with a semblance of normalcy was their ability to offer remote lectures, courses, and examinations.
The natural evolution of such frameworks is the inclusion of the virtual learning into the mix. With virtual spaces already being used for various types of educational training programs and traditional classes, how may this improve and change education in the future? And, what is it doing right now?
The Online World and Education: Going Hand-in-Hand
The online world primarily provides an avenue wherein physical borders and restrictions pay no heed to one’s eventual goal. In this case, it provides an enriching educational experience to students regardless of their geophysical location.
For instance, students are now able to tune into virtual classrooms and receive the same level and quality of education they would if they were present in person. This allows for two distinct advantages:
- Inclusivity: Students who may not be able to traditionally reach a classroom due to physical or fiscal reasons can now gain education in a relatively cheaper program due to its virtual nature.
- Interactivity: Educators can come up with unique methods and frameworks to provide a more hands-on experience with conceptual learning and understanding, most of which is impossible in real life.
While the advantage of inclusivity is self-explanatory and is already being practiced to quite a large extent, interactivity remains an integral factor to which educational institutions are increasingly integrating virtual learning tools into day-to-day academia.
Think about it this way, students can take a virtual tour of all of Jupiter’s moons, design their own electric circuits without worrying about safety hazards, and let their imagination run wild in creative virtual spaces that let them draw and sculpt to their heart’s content.
Therefore, a virtual education doesn’t aim to disregard the importance of physical interaction. Instead, it acts in a supplementary nature with its primary motive being to enhance the educational experience a student can receive at a relatively menial cost.
Moreover, these programs are easily scalable and retain their cost-effective nature as they don’t require multi-million dollar grants since there’s no physical investment per se.
Roblox and Fortnite: Leading the Charge
Roblox and Fortnite are both examples of sandbox environments where children and teens (even adults in some cases!) can let their imaginations run wild.
Fortnite’s Creative and its subsequent curated lessons allow students to learn code, build a Wonder of the World, and learn important lessons in STEM including but not limited to architecture, engineering, and even biology.
On the other hand, the plethora of Experiences on Roblox allows children to learn everything from how to manage their finances, learn natural progression, integrate puzzle solving, socially interact with peers, enhance their motor and cognition skills and improve their artistic and creative abilities.
In essence, the possibilities within immersive online platforms with like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft are endless. And, with developers placing special importance on creating a child-friendly environment within these spaces, it is of no one’s surprise that we’re seeing year-on-year growth for educational experiences being offered in Roblox and other games.