Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: An effective tool for Sustainable Education in India

Abstract

Environmental degradation has come to be accepted as one of the paramount global issues; hence, public awareness regarding environmental sustainability is crucial. While school curricula have long served as a medium for imparting environmental education to children in India, conventional techniques have sometimes shown inadequacy in elevating students and their communities to a more creative and exciting level. Immersive learning through the medium of interactive and immersive media, such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, can create a really interesting environment for learning in the context of environmental education in India. The unique advantage of immersion media under an educational application will further enhance the in-depth understanding of environmental issues on the part of the learners. This paper discusses the current application of media-related immersive technologies in environmental education across the world, analyses their application in the Indian context, and opens up challenges and opportunities, especially focusing on such technologies and their application in environmental education in India. It examines media more as an interface tool for environmental education, the psychological influence of immersion of media on learners, and how interactive tools can trigger behaviour change.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP. 9788198156426.2025.26-39