Ethical issues of educational virtual reality

In response to the high demand for digital learning as a surrogate for physical experiences, virtual reality (VR) is positioning itself as a tool for creating educational virtual experiences. VR technology faces a number of ethical issues, including a reduction of users’ autonomy, health problems, and privacy concerns. The use of VR and realism in education can turn out to be a double-edged sword. While realistic visualizations can promote learning for some content domains, they can hinder comprehension in others. Furthermore, the effects of realism on learning also depend on learners’ spatial abilities. Letting young children and teenagers engage in virtual educational experiences can expose them to manipulation, could lead to health issues, and may infringe on their privacy. In short, realism and virtual experiences may severely limit learners’ autonomy in a number of ways. Based on a review of the literature and considerations of emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, this paper presents guidelines for the ethically sound utilization of VR and realism. By applying findings and conclusions established in the context of research on the ethics of VR to the educational utilization of this technology, I develop several suggestions that may help to avoid negative consequences of educational VR. These suggestions include the utilization of spatial ability testing, requiring virtual experiences to offer alternative paths to prevent manipulation, as well as using algorithms that deidentify the highly detailed developmental profiles that can be generated through educational VR use.