VR in Education: Addressing Challenges and Unlocking Possibilities

Virtual reality (VR) holds great promise as an educational tool, offering engaging immersive experiences that could revolutionize learning. By creating interactive, experiential environments, VR has the potential to make learning more personalized and impactful for all learners. However, despite this promise, adoption of VR in education remains limited. 

Educators may have apprehensions about implementing VR-based instructional systems, including concerns about the cost, time, and IT infrastructure required to deploy and support these systems. VR technology companies must prioritize stronger privacy protections, robust safety measures, and a seamless user experience to earn educators’ trust and drive meaningful adoption in learning environments. These are valid concerns, but they’re not insurmountable. The Skill Immersion Lab (SIL) is actively working to help educators overcome these challenges and unlock VR’s transformative potential.  

Established in 2021 with SAP and Jobs for the Future (JFF), SIL provides learners with opportunities to engage in simulated training exercises in virtual environments that will help them strengthen their uniquely human skills—skills that will be much in demand as artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies transform the workplace. And SIL works with educators to ease implementation with cost-effective solutions and professional development programs. 

Overcoming Common Concerns About VR in Education 

In response to common questions about cost and technical requirements of VR, we’re sharing some of the insights we gained from the learners and educators directly engaged in VR implementation through the Skill Immersion Lab.

Aren’t VR systems expensive? Will schools with limited financial resources be able to implement them effectively?

While VR systems can have a significant initial cost, Skill Immersion Lab programs have shown that schools can reduce financial burdens by taking advantage of grant opportunities and forging partnerships with tech companies and intermediary organizations, and may receive headset donations. Additionally, schools can maximize cost efficiency by implementing shared headset models, allowing multiple learners to benefit from a single device. Once purchased, these headsets unlock access to a diverse library of VR content that can enhance a wide range of learning experiences and programs.  

Aren’t VR systems challenging to use? How much training will teachers need?

Educators may be concerned about the time and expertise needed to integrate VR into their teaching practices. SIL addresses this by providing professional development and technical support that empower educators to incorporate VR into their classrooms confidently. Hands-on training is especially effective in helping educators gain the skills and confidence to use new tools.

Will VR experiences distract from traditional instruction and learning activities? 

Rather than competing with traditional methods, VR can complement them. SIL helps educators integrate VR as a powerful tool that enhances lessons, making them more engaging and impactful. Educators act as facilitators, empowering students to take charge of their learning and encouraging them to support one another. Beyond structured lessons, the flexibility of VR content enables educators to integrate immersive learning across multiple subjects, reinforcing traditional instruction with engaging, interactive experiences. 

Is there enough high-quality, curriculum-aligned VR content to make VR learning scalable? 

Through co-creation with educators and learners, SIL ensures that VR content aligns with classroom objectives and resonates with learners’ personal life experiences. This collaborative approach helps create meaningful, engaging content that enhances the educational experience. 

Isn’t VR isolating? It seems like it might reduce social interaction among learners. 

While VR activities can initially seem isolating, Skill Immersion Lab programs actually foster collaboration. They include shared VR experiences that help build community and create a sense of belonging among learners and educators. These collaborative opportunities help learners form meaningful connections as they engage with one another in new ways. 

Does wearing a VR headset lead to physical discomfort that could require limits on the length of learning sessions?

SIL takes comfort into account, selecting VR equipment that minimizes discomfort and offering flexible session lengths to accommodate individual needs. This ensures that VR sessions can be customized to enhance learning without causing physical strain. 

Aren’t hardware setup, updates, and troubleshooting significant barriers to implementing VR? 

SIL helps schools streamline these processes by offering clear guidelines and on-demand technical assistance. By collaborating and sharing resources, SIL reduces the barriers to managing VR infrastructure and helps schools focus on delivering high-quality educational experiences. 

Are schools and communities with limited resources at risk of missing out on the benefits of VR-based learning? 

SIL works to bridge socioeconomic gaps among communities by advocating for equal funding and resource allocation to ensure that all learners can access VR technology regardless of their school’s resources. Learners from low-income backgrounds have said that participating in SIL programs helped them imagine pursuing new possibilities beyond the limited opportunities traditionally facing members of communities with inadequate resources. 

Turning VR’s Promise Into Practice: Strengthening Career Readiness and Human Skills 

Through four years of hands-on classroom experience in SIL engagements, JFF has gathered compelling evidence that VR can be a powerful educational tool that benefits educators and learners everywhere. Immersive scenarios encourage users to step outside their comfort zones in a safe environment, helping them build confidence, embrace risk-taking, and adopt proactive learning approaches. These self-directed experiences ignite creativity, agency, and motivation, inspiring learners to develop resilience and plan for their futures.  

By actively participating in designing their educational experiences, learners report feeling a greater sense of ownership, building critical skills, and forging deeper connections with the material. This process fosters personal growth, helping learners manage emotions, embrace failure, and increase self-awareness.  

Additionally, VR provides hands-on opportunities to explore career paths, develop job-specific skills, and cultivate the confidence needed to thrive in an evolving workforce. The Skill Immersion Lab helps learners grow into leaders by strengthening their interpersonal and technical skills, preparing them to navigate real-world challenges and lead effectively.  

Looking Ahead 

Through continued innovation and collaboration, the Skill Immersion Lab is working to make VR more accessible and effective for all learners. By addressing adoption barriers, fostering social and emotional growth, and unlocking VR’s full potential, we are helping to shape a future where technology empowers students, educators, and communities. VR is not just a tool—it’s a way to inspire learners to thrive in school, at work, and in life.