Trends in Adult Education

The article I have chosen is titled Is Virtual Reality the Future of Adult Education?

I have chosen this article because of previous course work in PIDP 3240 Media Enhanced Learning and a general interest which has now lead to a creativity and innovation project bringing VR into my classroom. I have also picked this topic because technology is not my strong suit and instead of shying away from it I have tried to embrace it and be a leader in our program/field/college. (social cognitive) I feel it is inevitable that it is coming, especially as prices are decreasing and more material is being made for the devices. I fell that this will greatly impact the learning and teaching experience. Where before you were limited by money, walls, time and environment - these devices can even the playing field and your only limitation will be your imagination.

What implications will this trend have for the way I will instruct over the coming years?
What will you need to do to prepare for such trends?

There are great implications that this trend will have on my teaching because I will have to keep up to date with all the technical changes that are occurring and be the expert with the material (devices). - a life long learner!(humanism)  The room I teach in might be completely different as it would need more space and might not have the traditional student desk. If VR is used, it may be a novelty item at first, or the excitement of using new technology may take away from the intended learning. This will mean that the lesson plan must be organized and explicit so that the outcome can be reached. This being new technology there may be issues with it so having resources for problems would be great. This technology may also be new to many students so there may be resistance to trying it.  I will also have to judge how the lesson is going and make adaptations so the intended learning outcome is met, such as time. The cost of the devices and material and students' inexperience with them may mean that more time is needed or not every student will be able to participate directly. The cost may also be a factor in using VR at all. There also most be more research to ensure VR is safe for developing minds. As the article mentioned there already seems to be research that shows greater empathy and learning occurs with VR. (cognitivism) What will I do for each individual to ensure that they are part of the lesson? I feel by incorporating this technology it will and can make me relate to the students better as well as making the educational experience more authentic. One of the biggest issues is whether or not their will be relevant material for these devices for my field. I might have to be the leader and create or find an expert who can create something and this might be the biggest hurdle I face. I need to make sure that the material is relevant to the outcome and not a gimmick. There must be purpose and value to using VR!  For example, out students are unable to go to an operating room setting in their first didactic term so we could use VR to bring this setting to them.