The Impact of Immersive Learning on Neurodiverse Children

INTRODUCTION

It has been claimed that 'Immersive Learning' through the use of AR and VR technology heralds a new dawn in the delivery of education to students who are 'neurodiverse'. As an experienced Teacher of many neurodiverse children for over 20 years, I wholeheartedly agree.

Immersive Education offers the possibility of the creation of a more inclusive world where all children will feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential.

Many neurodiverse students struggle, are frequently left behind and even written off during their journey through traditional education systems.

Traditional education systems and methods are outdated. Education delivery remains fundamentally unchanged from its more 'chalk and talk' origins.

However, we are on the brink of two massive technological revolutions that will fundamentally change education delivery. Immersive learning and AI. The effects Immersive Learning on Neurodiverse Children are showing exciting potential.

This article also seeks to show some of the rationale and research supporting the use case for Immersive Learning for the neurodivergent student.

I also have featured Robert Keanalley (CEO Salty Sharks) a Visionary and Leader in the Immersive Learning space, who provides an inspirational case study of how his Saltyverse Educational platform had a profound impact on a child with autism.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF AI

AI has burst onto the scene like a hurricane in 2023 and 2024. It continues to flourish and is a true revolution which continues to get better and better, influencing every corner of our lives. However it is worth highlighting that AI was first concieved in the 1950's. Therefore it has taken some seventy years for AI to mature to its current hugely impressive iterations that we now see.

Where are the harsh critics of AI now? The "It will never work brigade" are beating a hasty retreat with mouths hanging open in a state of disbelief.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY

Like A.I. Immersive technology has its roots in the 1950's and is only now coming to maturity.

Perhaps the first modern microchip attempt at Immersive Tech came in the1990's when Sega lauched its VR (Virtual Reality) headset with limited success.

In the 1990s, Louis Rosenberg developed 'Virtual Fixtures,' the first fully immersive AR system for the Air Force. The NFL later became the first to use AR (Augmented Reality) in live broadcasts, introducing the virtual yellow line for the line of scrimmage.

Oculus released its first headset in 2012. Oculus was quickly acquired by Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. Google also planned an AR headset, Google Glass, but the project was paused due to privacy concerns.

Pokemon Go (Augmented Reality Game) was launched by Nintento in 2016 and was beyond sensational. This app was accessible on mobile devices. To date it has earned over ten billion USD in revenue.

Interestingly, immersive technology is maturing rapidly and is set to become as prominent as AI. Price Waterhouse Coopers (the Worlds Second largest Accountancy and Finance Firm) predicts it will boost the global economy by $1.4 trillion by 2030. Many major companies are backing immersive tech, just as they have with A.I.

WHAT IS IMMERSIVE LEARNING?

Immersive Learning happens when the student interacts with a virtual 3D environment. This interaction can happen on phone, tablet, desktop or VR googles.

Experiential learning, which offers realistic and sensory-rich environments that stimulate senses and encourage the students to be active participants in learning, rather than passive recipients

This is a tool which has the potential to transform education. It offers a radical new method in the delivery of learning experiences for those who may need more stimulation, guidance and support in the learning process.

The student is free to explore the virtual space and talk to the other students who are present or indeed the student may interact with his or her tutor, or indeed an AI Avatar.

The audio and visual interactions are live and so this further strengthens the sense of immersion and so the sense of engagement is heightened still further.

Students can explore diverse environments, from art galleries and museums to outer space and the ocean. They can visit rainforests, travel back in time, and conduct risky science experiments, all virtually.

THE PROBLEM WITH TRADITIONAL EDUCATION AND ADHD/ASD

Traditional classrooms, with their social, visual and auditory stimuli, can overwhelm students with ADHD or ASD. This sensory overload may lead to distraction, anxiety, and hinder learning.

In my 20+ years of teaching, I've observed that many students, perhaps sometimes more than half of some classes, exhibit varying degrees of inattention, distractibility, and hyperactivity, potentially indicating some degree of neurodivergence in many students. It is my observation that it is these students who are often the ones who miss out on a lot and underperform academically. They face many other challenges both in and out of school and indeed later in life.

SOME STATISTICS ON THE PREVALENCE OF ADHD

ADHD rates vary significantly across countries: UK (5%), Australia (8%), US (14.5%). Diagnostic rates will no doubt vary. Surveillance for neurodivergent conditions and diagnostic criteria are not universal standards applied globally.

It is suspected that neurodivergence is under-diagnosed due to the individuality of each student, some being more obvious than others. So many may not exhibit symptoms that catch the attention of their Teachers.

The Teachers themselves will have a variation in expertise and knowledge of neurodivergence thus compounding the issue further. To put it another way, there is variation in the 'index of suspicion' for neurodivergent traits among educators who are usually the first line of surveilenace for these conditions.

I certainly feel from my own expereince that many students, often quieter students with milder impairments in attention and learning ability often 'fly beneath the radar' throughout their school life.

MODERN EDUCATION FAILS TO ACCOMMODATE FOR ALL

Traditional education's "one-size-fits-all" approach often fails to accommodate the needs of neurodivergent students. The more neurodivergent a student is, the less likely they are to benefit from traditional learning methods, leading to struggles and falling behind their peers.

Schools should be a 'safe and empowering place' for all students, but many of these students have to navigate many challenges daily in this setting and it becomes a huge struggle for them, their Teachers and parents, who just dont have the adequate resources or support to help them.

THE EFFECT ON THE STUDENT

Negative school experiences can have a profound, lasting impact on students' mental health, wellbeing, social and occupational outcomes. This can lead to poor academic performance, affecting not only the individual student but also their family and society.

While success stories like Richard Branson and Thomas Edison (to name only a few) showcase the potential of neurodivergent individuals who struggle in traditional education, but are infact superbly talented and their level of adaption to their envirmoment (Business World) is in the elite class. However these examples are often the exception.

For many, the outcome is less favourable, leading to limitation in opportunities and, in extreme cases, social, educational, and post school occupational dysfunction. These students can develop negative self-perceptions and struggle to find their place in the world, ultimately facing poorer outcomes in society.

NEURODIVERSITY

It's the natural variation in how brains work. Traditional education struggles to accommodate those students on the extreme ends of this spectrum, who often have difficulties with attention, motivation, social skills, and executive function.

ADHD

Students with ADHD struggle with traditional learning methods, finding it hard to pay attention, stay focused,and filter distractions. This can lead to exhaustion, overwhelm, and disruptive behavior, often misconstrued as intentional.

AUTISM

Students with Autism can experience sensory overload in stimulating environments like classrooms. The amplified input from sounds, lights, and other stimuli can lead to anxiety, panic, and meltdowns.

As a Teacher I witness these behaviours quite regularly in classrooms.

SO WHAT ABOUT IMMERSIVE LEARNING AND NEURODIVERGENCE?

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have emerged as powerful tools to support neurodiverse individuals. In fact eg Autism therapists and researchers started to use VR for autism in the mid-1990s.

More and more evidence continues to emerge that supports the use of immersive technology in neurodivergent students. This rationale is as follows.

The educational environment can overstimulate students with ADHD/ASD who can become distracted by sights, sounds, and textures. Overstimulation can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and anxiety can occur. Students may then be caught in an place of ongoing struggle.

It then follows that management and control of sensory inputs can help ameliorate the effects of overstimulation leading to more receptive mental states, thus aiding more effective learning.

RESEARCH

Giuliana Guazzaoni (2019)

Immersive Learning was implemented with students with ASD and ADHD. The results positively indicated

"the use case for Immersive Technology as an effective learning modality in ASD/ADHD students".

Dr Rajesh Nadkarni - (Newcaslte University 2019)

This study looked at the “Blue Room” treatment for autism. Dr Nadkarni, said:

"We are proud to be a partner of the Newcastle Blue Room Treatment which is helping people with autism to manage their anxiety.

He went on :“we welcome this new research demonstrating the positive effects of this highly innovative treatment."

BMC PSychiatry 2020

Saeideh Goharinejad et al. Conducted a comprehensive overview which evaluated the studies on the use of VR, AR, and MR technologies for children with ADHD and concluded that

"These technologies seem to be promising tools for improving the diagnosis and management of ADHD in this population".

IMMERSIVE LEARNING - A POWERFUL TOOL

VR/AR are powerful tools that can teach students how to interact with the world .

Realistic simulations can allow students to experience what might otherwise be inaccessible. VR/AR can create environments where sensory inputs are controlled and limited to combat over stimulation. The immersion does the rest, engaging the student into a world that captivates and engages their minds.

THE SALTY SHARKS - MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY STUDENTS

I recently had first hand experience of Immersive Learning technology in a classroom and it was extremely positive. I witnessed children from a Year 4 class experiencing Immersive learning for the first time using the Salty Sharks platform on standard classroom laptops.

This is the world's first interactive education resource that brings an Aquarium visit into the classroom or home. Science education and marine conservation resources that really supercharge student's learning, retention and engagement.

It was so refreshing to see the excitement and joy on the faces of the children when they plugged into this platform. So enthusiastic and happy to learn again. They couldn't wait to tell their friends and commented how much more exciting it was than just learning from text books and even videos online in class.

I could now see firsthand the power of this immersive technology and how it has the potential to transform the teaching and learning exprience. I hadn't experienced this level of excitement in children in the classroom for quite some time.

THE SALTY SHARKS - AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY THAT PROVES THE CONCEPT

The founder and CEO of Salty Sharks Robert Keanalley recently told me about an incredible awe inspiring experience he had witnessing a child with special needs experience this platform. He said it was truly moving!

"We had an amazing interaction at the World Science Festival (Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia) on the School student day where, in the afternoon when home school students were coming through the science event, it was late in the day, and a young boy came to try the VR immersive experience inside our virtual aquariums".

"Once he put the headset on, he started to describe the experience, what he was seeing and experiencing. It was at that point, that his Mother started to cry and knelt down beside him gently".

"When I asked what had just happened, she explained that he was a special needs student who was non-verbal. They had been at the science event all day, and this was the first time, late in the day, that he had uttered a word. And, it was clear that being immersed in the virtual aquarium had taken him to a comfortable place and he was speaking like any other child. She began filming it and stated that she wanted to show this to his speech therapist".

"The coordinator of the Home School Network in Toowoomba (Queensland, Australia) was present at the time and this particular experience was shared with the Heads of the Queensland Museum at their next board meeting, so moved were they by this experience with the young boy."

Robert Keanalley CEO Salty Sharks

AUTISM AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

Autistic students face challenges with day to day interactions. Responding to social cues is a daily minefield for those with Autism. Social skills training maybe be practiced in the immersive space safely and in a tailored manner.

Immersive learning can captivate and focus the attention increasing engagement from the student to the learning which becomes more memorable and enjoyable. Retention of information and understanding of the content is increased.

IMPLEMENTATION OF IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY

It goes without saying that the learning experiences must be measured to the individual to some degree. Teachers who oversee curriculums would be required to work with therapists and software developers to make any adjustments that are needed. The response to Immersive Learning should be monitored to allow for changes to be made. The Teacher, far from being replaced by this tech is vital to its implementation. Teacher and tech go hand in hand in a synergistic and symbiotic realtionship.

CONCLUSION

Immersive learning technology is teaching us much about the Neurodivergent brain. It’s teaching us that poor outcomes with ‘Neurodivergent’ students may not as much be about the individuals failure to fit into the traditional education mould, but rather a failure of traditional education to adequately accommodate diversity within the students.

Life can be very challenging for these students, their parents, Teachers and caregivers, but Immersive technnologies have the potential to revolutionise the support and inclusion of students with ADHD and ASD.

Immersive tech can allow for a more customised and controlled delivery of sensory input that is much more conducive to increased engagement.

If lack of control of sensory inputs are indeed the main impediment in neurodivergent students , then nothing comes close to Immersive Learning to control these inputs and thus place the student in calm and safe receptive state for learning.

Perhaps one of the most striking ramifications about Immersive Tech is that, if it can improve learning outcomes for Neurodivergent students then it follows that all other students will also gain stand to gain a levelling up in the quality of their learning. Indeed there is plentiful evidence that supports the use of Immersive technology in students who are not neurodivergent.

It's time to embrace this innovative technology and continue to learn more about how we can utilise it to the best of our ability, so that we can support and empower our students to reach their full potential and create a more inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

REFERENCES

https://fxmweb.com/insights/effective-adhd-teaching-strategies-with-vr-ar.html

https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/about/about-adhd/#:~:text=ADHD

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db499.htm#:~:text=Key

https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2019/2/e14429/pdf 

https://www.irma-international.org/viewtitle/215829/?isxn=9781522571681 

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-(ASD)-and-Hyperactivity-Guazzaroni/e5e3a5cafe9af19fa56a2e805def81b1ac767769

https://www.immersivereality.co.uk/immersive-space-benefits-sen/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190214191939.htm

https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-021-03632-1

https://www.saltysharks.io/the-saltyverse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_artificial_intelligence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_(virtual_reality)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2019/04/03/how-virtual-reality-can-help-those-with-autism/