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Instead of going on language learning trips to other countries, why not order an espresso in an Italian cafe while sitting at home on the couch?
What sounds a bit like science fiction is possible with the help of virtual reality (VR). “In virtual environments, learners can actively act and communicate, regardless of location,” says educator Timo Ahlers, who researches VR at the University of Potsdam in Germany.
What is VR? “It’s a computer-generated, purely digital environment in which you can move virtually in real time,” Ahlers explains.
This environment can be experienced through a head-mounted display, better known as a VR headset. “This means that my seeing and hearing are virtually linked to the virtual environment,” he says.

Simulating a visit to a cafe or a doctor, solving puzzles in a labyrinth, playing a basketball game or having a conversation around a virtual campfire: VR makes many things possible.
What makes it special is that language training can be combined with virtual visits to places. “With VR headsets you can put yourself in an extremely realistic situation,” Ahlers says.
His team has researched game-based language learning in virtual environments. One of the research results they found is that VR can be useful to improve communication skills when learning languages.
“When you take self-study courses, you rarely get to speak and listen. Oral skills are currently being trained in VR applications,” Ahlers says.
Exploring a virtual environment or solving tasks provide incentives to converse. Being able to start flexibly without being tied to specific course offerings or times is another advantage of virtual learning worlds.
In preparation for a real situation, it can be useful to have already mastered a task virtually
Timo Ahlers, VR researcher at the University of Potsdam
More educational content is being conveyed through VR, according to Sabrina Basler from the German Adult Education Association. This includes virtual excursions, city tours or museum visits as well as professional training.
VR can also help with teaching complex work steps. Train drivers can learn to operate new trains in a virtual environment, and medical students can simulate operations before operating on a real patient.
“In preparation for a real situation, it can be useful to have already mastered a task virtually,” Ahlers says. “I always see a benefit where VR is more effective or cheaper.”
In adult education courses, the aim is to use VR to visualise learning objects and make them tangible.

“Far-away learning or experience spaces can also be made accessible to people who, for social or age reasons, would not have regular access to these experiences, such as virtual excursions as a replacement for real trips,” Basler says.
VR can also be used in schools: for example, a journey through time to antiquity in history lessons, walking through the human body in biology or an expedition to Earth’s core in geography.
However, this kind of learning “is not suitable for use by students under the age of 13 because their visual development is not yet complete”, Ahlers says.
The use of VR in the education sector is still rare, mainly because of high costs. “The apps are often still demos or smaller, very partial applications. There are hardly any very large learning applications because the development effort is currently still relatively high,” according to the VR expert.
Added to this is the cost of the equipment. You can currently get cheap headsets for around €300 (US$320), Ahlers says. There are also rental options and headsets without a display into which a smartphone is inserted. These can be had for around €100 but don’t work so well, he adds.

So what is the future of VR in the education sector? “In terms of breadth, gaming is currently clearly ahead,” Ahlers says.
Despite the benefits, he does not see VR applications as an alternative to conventional learning methods: “I think the expectation that the virtual world will function as a mirror image of the real world is a little exaggerated.”
There is also still scepticism at adult education centres as to whether and to what extent VR will become established on a large scale.
“It is unclear as to whether VR can produce a genuine didactic benefit in practice or whether the wow effect of the technology will wear off quickly,” Basler says.


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Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR)

A woman wears a virtual reality headset. VR headsets are widespread among gamers but can also be used to learn. A VR researcher and an education expert talk about the technology’s potential. Photo: Shutterstock

A child explores a virtual world wearing a VR headset. They make learning languages and other subjects in virtual environments possible. Photo: Shutterstock

Construction workers wear VR headsets during equipment training. As well as helping people learn languages, VR can be used to train people to operate machinery in a safe way. Photo: Shutterstock

A builder operates a virtual construction machine. The use of virtual reality in the education sector is still rare because of high costs and other factors. Photo: Shutterstock

AR glasses that can tell names and addresses of people you meet expose huge privacy risks

Imagine a pair of glasses that could tell you the name and address of anyone you met. Harvard students Caine Ardayfio and AnhPhu Nguyen made them a reality in just four days. The students adapted Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and computer software to create spectacles utilising existing face recognition technology to identify people in real time, underscoring the potential for augmented reality (AR) in future. Photo: X/ AnhPhuNguyen1

The Harvard students’ adapted Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses identify people in real-time using existing facial recognition technology, and can even provide their home addresses if they are listed in public records. Photo: X/AnhPhuNguyen1

The glasses were able to deliver someone’s name in just under two minutes. Photo: X/AnhPhuNguyen1

The students said that if they had full control of the tech stack, including the camera feed or a database of information, recognition would take 10 seconds. Photo: X/AnhPhuNguyen1

Anhphu Nguyen says the aim was to raise awareness and that they had no plans to commercialise their project. Photo: X/AnhPhuNguyen1

Can playing video games be good for your child? An expert weighs the pros and cons

A boy plays a video game in a dark bedroom. An expert explains what sorts of video games preschoolers can play, which genres are off-limits, what gaming addiction looks like and what games can teach. Photo: Shutterstock

A child plays with a smartphone. Frenetic games with rapidly changing images are unsuitable for children under five or six years of age, says one expert. Photo: Shutterstock

Two girls playing a video game. In many digital games, children and adolescents can exchange ideas with other players. Photo: Shutterstock

What Google Maps’ new AI features are and how they will help you get the most from a place

Starting this week, US users of Google Maps will be able to ask for tips on things to do around specific spots in a neighbourhood or city. They will receive lists of restaurants, bars and other nearby attractions that include reviews that have been compiled through the years. Photo: Shutterstock

One of the cars that Google uses to periodically photograph the millions of destinations covered in its digital maps is shown during a pit stop at its “Street View Garage” in Palo Alto, California, on October 30, 2024. Photo: AP

Shenzhen travel guide: how to get a visa on arrival, which apps to download and cashless payment in the Chinese city

To get to places in Shenzhen like Dongmen Pedestrian Street (above), Hong Kong residents without the right visa can apply for one on arrival. That’s not all you need to know - we break down the essentials for your trip from Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

WeChat is useful for electronic payments and for its mini-programs – apps within the app. Photo: Shutterstock

The simplest option within Hong Kong to reach Shenzhen is to take the MTR East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau stations. Photo: Erika Na

Shenzhen taxis can be ordered via Didi Chuxing, the Chinese equivalent of Uber. Photo: Shutterstock

Alipay accepts foreign-issued credit cards and can be used to make e-payments in Shenzhen. Photo: Shutterstock

Baidu Maps is more accurate than Google Maps in Shenzhen. Photo: Shutterstock

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Virtual reality headsets can help to teach languages and train workers. Do they have a bright future in schools? Experts weigh in


Virtual reality headsets can help to teach languages and train workers. Do they have a bright future in schools? Experts weigh in.


Education