Transforming Affordable Virtual Reality Headsets into Effective Learning Environments

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing educational experiences by providing simulated environments that overcome physical limitations. This paper explores the transformation of affordable Virtual Reality technology, specifically the Meta Quest 2 headset, into an inclusive standalone learning environment. The official Meta store currently lacks popular 2D apps and Google Play services, while existing 3D apps are mostly game-focused or task-specific. Switching between 3D apps and keyboard navigation is complex. Leveraging and integrating tools like SideQuest, Termux, VS Code Server, and PRoot-based Linux distributions, we overcome these limitations, crafting a dedicated learning-friendly VR environment on the standalone Meta Quest 2 headset. We adopt a user personabased scenario approach to identify potential use cases and VR requirements in the educational context. We then devise an experimental setup through thorough experimentation with the technologies mentioned earlier. We also conduct testing on our experimental setup and collect feedback from participants to examine the efficiency and usability of our standalone VR learning environment. The findings of this study contribute to the evolution of VR-based educational systems, enhancing learning experiences and broadening the scope of students' educational journeys. Although our research is based on qualitative results from a small group of participants, we believe that our study design, methodologies, tools, and deployment are significant for future related studies. Therefore we invite educators and researchers to replicate or modify our experiment in their classroom settings and engage in a scientific dialogue with us, further driving the development and refinement of affordable and inclusive VR-based education.