Across the education sector, virtual reality has been put to use to aid the teaching of students from pre-school to higher education offering an imaginative and fulfilling way of learning new knowledge.
It is known that virtual reality is an inclusive software that can offer personalized learning experiences to each student based on their needs and abilities. In particular, children with dyslexia can benefit from the use of virtual reality in a school environment- a setting often very overwhelming to those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age.
In this article, we will explore what dyslexia is, how it impacts children, and how the use of virtual reality may impact those who have dyslexia.
At School for Modern Skills, we pride ourselves on an exceptional educational framework based on our deep-rooted values of innovation, creativity, and technology. Through the use of innovative technological software such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and robotics, our students benefit from an exciting way to achieve academic success.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is categorized as a learning disability that affects an individual’s language processing abilities, commonly resulting in difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling. In most cases, dyslexia is diagnosed at a young age, with the symptoms being recognized early on in a child’s school years.
For individuals who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, learning in a school environment can be difficult, however, with the correct adaptations and support, children can still benefit from a fruitful academic experience and success in later life.
A Visual Learning Experience
For those with dyslexia, a key symptom is a struggle with practical tasks such as reading and writing along with other types of phonetic task. Virtual reality offers the opportunity to learn in a revolutionary way where students can become immersed in specific environments which reinforce the requirement for visual learning.
It has been demonstrated that individuals with dyslexia have a keen ability to visualize and use their imagination, meaning the use of virtual reality can support this through its creative and immersive nature.
Moreover, dyslexic people often benefit from vivid pictures and animations which can help to reinforce new knowledge and improve the ability to retain knowledge effectively.
Auditory Support
Due to the fact that dyslexic individuals can struggle with the pronunciation and sounding of words and phrases, the auditory features of virtual reality can help to reinforce pronunciation and sounding through the repetitive hearing of words and phrases, often prompting children with dyslexia to repeat the words in the same way, therefore, improving speech and pronunciation.
Personalized Learning
It is apparent that each child will learn in a different way, whether it be in a visual or practical way. For those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, it is essential that the teaching method is adapted to their specific learning style in order for them to learn with ease.
Virtual reality demonstrates an ability to adapt itself to each child’s specific needs based on their personal situation and abilities. For example, children who struggle to read effectively may benefit from a visual and audio-based learning experience with visually appealing videos and informative audio snippets.
By personalizing the experience for those who have dyslexia, they can learn at their own pace with less pressure to excel at the same level as their peers. In summary, each child should be empowered to learn in their own way at a speed that suits their personal needs and abilities.
A personalized learning experience becomes challenging without the use of software such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, as teachers can only teach in one style at a time. By using advanced digital software, each student can learn simultaneously in their preferred style that as been adapted by the software.
Improving Mental Wellbeing
Dyslexia can become distressing for children, especially if they struggle in school. It can result in feeling isolated which can later contribute to anxiety and depression. Through the use of virtual reality, it promotes teamwork and collaboration through problem-solving. This allows children to socialize effectively with their peers and make friends.
Through socialization, a child’s mental well-being can be positively impacted, offering them confidence and belief in their abilities. As a result of this, children with dyslexia may feel more motivated to learn with their peers and feel less isolated.
Focus and Concentration
Virtual reality can help to effectively improve focus and concentration; something that is dramatically affected by dyslexia. Virtual reality offers complete immersion during use, meaning that there is less likelihood of becoming distracted by surroundings.
This level of immersion fully captures the child’s attention and creates an engaging environment where the child’s soul focus can be the subject matter they are being taught. These types of benefits can increase the level of concentration, as a result, giving the child more time to absorb the information and knowledge being presented to them.
What are the Benefits of Virtual Reality in the Classroom?
For those with dyslexia, there are a lot of benefits to using virtual reality as a method of learning, some of these benefits include:
- Increased knowledge retention
- Increased awareness of the subject
- Encouragement of teamwork
- Improved critical thinking skills
- Increased motivation
- Improved mental wellbeing
How is Dyslexia Diagnosed?
The diagnosis process for dyslexia will be dependent on each individual person. Once the symptoms are identified in a child, the parent or guardian of the child will typically reach out to a professional, such as a doctor, who will be able to advise of a referral for an assessment.
At the assessment, the individual displaying symptoms will be assessed on criteria and their ability to carry out certain cognitive tasks. Once the assessment is completed, it may be possible to diagnose dyslexia, however, in some cases, the assessment may not always indicate this.
If further investigation is required, the assessor may reach out to individuals such as family members and teachers who observe the child regularly to discuss the child’s behaviors and characteristics in more detail. From this, it may be possible to diagnose dyslexia.
Once a diagnosis has been given, it is important to be aware that there is no direct cure for dyslexia, however, with the correct support, a child can be empowered to improve on the cognitive skills they struggle with daily. Over time, the symptoms of dyslexia may ease with the correct support and intervention after a diagnosis has been given.
In Summary
Overall, it can be seen that the use of virtual reality can have a positive impact on children who have been diagnosed as dyslexic. Through continued use, the dyslexic child’s learning approach becomes enriched with personalized learning material and support where required for areas of weakness.
In many cases, children with dyslexia present as having a visual learning style. This can be facilitated well by virtual reality software through vibrant video and picture content to aid the learning of new subject matter. In addition, tailored audio content can work to improve sound recognition and the pronunciation of words and phrases.
School for Modern Skills
Based in Dubai, the School for Modern Skills is a hub for student-centered learning based on our deep-rooted values of technology, creativity, and innovation. In fact, we have received two awards from Edu Teach for our innovative way of teaching.
As well as winning awards for out dedication to our values we pride ourselves on our exceptional facilities which include sports, transportation, medical, and safety. We endeavor to make sure each pupil benefits from a wholesome learning journey which is why each student has access to our onsite IHub, robotics program, and the opportunity to learn more about the uses of artificial intelligence.
For more information on our school and what we do, get in contact with us today and take the first step toward academic success for your children.
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