Abstract:

The rapid development and widespread of some information and communication technologies has changed and transformed some of our habits, communication styles and the way that such devices are used and embedded in many facets of our personal and professional lives, including educational and some professional training environments. Thus for example the virtual, augmented and mixed reality (VRAM) are embedded in education, cultural heritages, games and entertainments medical, health and rehabilitation applications and industrial, safety and military applications. Thus, although some topics regarding the use of ICT may repeatedly appear there are some trends, challenges, and technology developments which evolves over time, offering fresh perspectives and new dimensions to be explored. Technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are gaining a prominent role and are forecasted to doing it as emergent technologies at XXI century. They offer a potential relevance for teaching, learning and creative inquiry in education.

Thus for example, augmented reality could enhance learning experiences attractively by introducing interactive and immersive properties in some fields such as Chemistry (moving from molecular 2D models to 3D immersive and “touching” models for the study of complex stereoisomers), Biology (modeling supramolecular contacts in a 3D interactive-way or in-situ visualization of human body), Physics (investigations on Newtonian forces and motions), Mathematics (surfaces of revolution) and so on.

The use of VR and AR technologies for educational environments holds great promises and opportunities but at the same time are aligned with many challenges. Some authors have presented some alignments of instructional approaches, affordances and notions of using VRAM in education but also there is a general feeling and some concerns about the requirement of more empirical evidences about the effectiveness of these technologies regarding education settings.

This paper presents some preliminary results from a review of research about how education in general and specially STEAM education has adopted virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) within different subjects and reported as good-practices. Some pedagogical guidelines (based on a meta-analysis of reviews) for the use of VRAM will be presented and discussed.

Keywords:

Virtual reality, augmented reality, STEAM education, Educational Technology.