Chapter 1 – Introduction

The needs of the different stakeholders in the education sector have evolved rapidly
in the 21st century. These evolving needs call for an evolution in the teaching
methodology and the adoption of newer and more effective methods. However, the
teaching methods around the world, and especially in Pakistan are old and deeply
rooted in the methods adopted in the 20th-century factory model of schooling. These
methods don’t align with the needs and preferences of contemporary students.
These students have grown up in a world dominated by digital technologies. Their
learning behaviors and cognitive patterns are very different from the previous
generation of students and thus, the conventional educational system is becoming
more and more ineffective.
This chapter delves deeper into the contemporary issues faced by the students in
the current educational framework and then introduces a solution based on modern
technologies to provide dynamic and visually rich educational content with an
element of interaction in it. This content will grab the interest of modern minds more
effectively than printed materials and textbooks.
Recognizing this need, I have started a new venture named XRStudyFlix that aims to
bridge the gap between students’ preferences and current teaching methodologies
through immersive technologies, especially virtual reality.
Before diving deeper into the solutions, let’s discuss the problems faced by students
in the current educational framework.

1.1 Contemporary Problems Faced by the Current Generation of Students

Student engagement in the subject matter and classroom activities is the most
fundamental causative variable in the success of their academic careers
(Derakhshan, 2021; Xerri, Radford, & Shacklock, 2018). Yin, 2018 links engagement
to these critical factors: intelligence, interest, motivation, and pleasure associated
with learning. Therefore, it can be concluded that engagement and motivation are
interlinked in the context of student’s learning outcomes. It’s been observed that the
more demotivated a student becomes, the more behavioral problems he or she
demonstrates in the classroom, and generally the rate of academic success of such
students drops down significantly (Churchill et al., 2022).
The traditional school system of mass education is analogous to the system of
factory mass production, both of which originated in the early 1900s after the
Industrial Revolution. In this system, the children are equivalent to raw materials in
factories, which are to be processed by teachers just like workers process raw
materials in the factories (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). The technological
revolution has impacted human behavior and shaped it in different ways. This has
implications for the learner’s motivation to gain knowledge and thus the traditional
system of mass education is no longer producing the desired results. This is evident
from an observation made by Churchill et al., 2022. They observed that in Australia,
the current generation of students was often labeled by the local media as deficient,
disengaged, more interested in absenteeism from classrooms, and having
disciplinary issues. The authors argue that this is the result of an egoistic view that
the current generation should learn in the same manner as previous generations.
However, research suggests that the current generation of students is both
quantifiably and qualitatively different from the previous generation of students.
Furthermore, the relationship of the current generation of students with information
and learning is fundamentally different from that of previous generations (Churchill et
al., 2022).
Students currently enrolled in schools have never seen the world before computers,
television, the internet, and smartphones. Prensky, 2001 termed them ‘digital
natives’, and from now onwards this will be the term used in this report to describe
this generation of students.
Digital natives experience the world in a fundamentally different way. They rarely
read books or go to conventional libraries. Instead, they rely heavily on search
engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu; video sharing and streaming services
like YouTube, Dailymotion, and TikTok; large language models like ChatGPT, Llama,
Gemini, Gemma, and Lambda; alongside other online resources. A study conducted
in 2021 revealed that in Pakistan, 39.3 % of the students agreed with the statement
that “they search for information using smartphones” and a further 48% strongly
agreed with the same statement. The same study also indicates that around 45% of
students use smartphones to take tests, 54% use them to submit assignments, 61%
even use smartphones to write assignments, 46% use them to prepare presentation
slides, 63.3% use them to register for online courses, and 23.6% of the students use
smartphones to access e-libraries (Shakoor, Fakhar, & Abbas, 2021).
Communication is another interesting aspect that has been impacted by modern
technology. Digital natives have developed a new language system for
communication. They barely tolerate printed text (which is old school and boring to
them) and prefer to get online and communicate through visual media, emojis, audio
media, abbreviations (internet slang), and other graphics. For example, for them the
emojis ☺️and 😔 are much more meaningful than any word in the dictionary to
describe these emotions (Derakhshan, A., 2021).
Thus, textbooks, traditional teaching methods, and the factory model of schooling
are no longer working for digital natives who have their own communication system,
a new view of what is useful and informational, and a new system of searching and
filtering knowledge.

Impact of Technology on the Organization of Brain Cells (Neuroplasticity)

Experiences heavily influence cognitive processes like logical and analytical

reasoning, memory, and perception. However, their influence is not only limited to
cognition. They directly change the very arrangement of brain cells or neurons i.e.,
the neural architecture of an individual’s brain (Churchill et al., 2022). Back in 2009,
research conducted by psychiatrists shook the community of psychiatrists and
psychologists around the globe. It was found that the regions of the brain responsible
for decision-making and logical and analytical reasoning become hyperactive in
internet-savvy individuals when they are exposed to the internet and show twice as
much activity as compared to internet-naive individuals. Thus, for internet-savvy
people, internet reading simulates more brain cells and activates more regions of the
brain as compared to printed text (Small et al., 2009).
Simply put, the very reason that digital natives are uninterested in textbooks, depict a
lack of motivation and engagement and have behavioral issues is embedded in their
neural architecture and the way modern brains function as compared to that of
previous generations. It can be concluded that this new arrangement of brain cells
has implications in these three areas: perception, cognition, and communication.
Modern minds are ‘Hyperlinked’ and are integrated and connected with their
surroundings and virtual worlds where success and failure can happen immediately
(Churchill et al., 2022); thus, textbooks, good grades, and other rewards are too
slow, dull, boring, and meaningless for them.

Teaching Science to Digital Natives

Science is based on observation, experimentation, and testing. Therefore, the

scientific method is very practice-oriented. This practical nature of scientific concepts
demands that students develop practical skills and critical thinking abilities. The lack
of engagement and no motivation to study science, coupled with the fact that modern
minds despise text and textbooks makes it even harder for the students to make
sense of science subjects. That’s why I have started my startup as a company solely
targeting science subjects at least for the starting years of the new venture. Let’s
now discuss the proposed solution in depth.

1.2 Proposed Solution

I propose a transformative solution specifically designed to address the difficulties of

SSC and HSSC students studying science subjects. I have developed a suite of
web-based VR simulations, games, and scenes (animations). The goal is to shift
away from traditional teaching methods and not only embrace the technological
preferences of digital natives but also teach abstract and three-dimensional science
concepts in three dimensions to make them more intuitive and understandable.
This will also add an element of fun and entertainment in the scientific education
which will make it more interesting. Furthermore, real interaction with scientific
concepts gives students the idea and intuition of their usage in the real world.
Science, especially mathematics has a reputation for irrelevancy to real-world
problems. Famous physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson says: “People think that when
they take Maths at school, there is a common response that I will never need to use
this for the rest of my life (Further – Learn From Internet, 2021)”. Further elaborating
on this problem, Richard Dawkins once said: “There is a sort of unwarranted pride in
being bad at mathematics. You’ll never hear anybody saying how proud they are of
being ignorant of Shakespeare. But plenty of people would say they’re proud of
being ignorant of both mathematics (Cosmology Today, 2015)”. In VR, practical
applications of mathematics and other science subjects can be easily explained and
taught much more easily than on a traditional two-dimensional white or blackboard. I
have developed several simulations that simulate the practical applications of
mathematical concepts like differentiation and integration in modern engineering
practices.
The company is named XRStudyFlix. The flagship product of the company is a web-
based, VR environment that offers a deep and immersive learning environment
where students can interact and play around in a 3D virtual space. Thus, abstract
concepts will be transformed into real experiences which will make it easier for the
students to grasp the complexities of scientific concepts. For example, instead of
reading about molecular structures, students explore and manipulate these
structures in a virtual environment/ virtual lab.
Besides that, we also train teachers in the effective usage of VR-medium and the
pedagogy of VR-based education.

1.3 Product Description

Innovative web-based VR simulations, games, and scenes are developed using

cutting-edge VR development frameworks like WebXR and A-frame coupled with 3D
animation JavaScript libraries like three.js and GSAP.
The product offerings of XRStudyFlix have the following key features:
1. Versatile 3D and VR Simulations
The simulations cover a wide range of topics that allow the students to
simulate a wide range of natural physical, biological, and chemical
phenomena and mathematical equations.
2. Engaging VR Games
Gamification introduces the element of interactivity and allows students to
learn by doing things. This also makes science education enjoyable, which
ultimately increases student’s interest and motivation.
3. Dynamic VR Scenes
These scenes are documentary-based and animated. They provide students
with visually rich and captivating educational content. Currently, we have
created these scenes in Urdu. However, we do plan to include English and
regional languages later on.
4. Accessibility and Wider Compatibility
This is a standout feature of our product and a lot of research and technical
analysis has been done to design the product in an accessible and compatible
way. Using WebXR and A-frame, we have made our product such that it can
be accessed using VR headsets, smartphones, and desktop computers.
Thus, both immersive and non-immersive VR can be experienced depending
on budgetary constraints. We used to demand schools to set up VR labs to
offer their students this interactive experience. However, we no longer do that.
 And all our VR-based products are available even without VR headsets on
flatscreens.
This has transformed our VR system from an expensive solution to the most
cost-effective solution to teach science through experimental and immersive
learning.

1.4 Target Market

The target market is private schools and colleges, especially high-end and elite
institutes that are far more likely to adopt new technologies and methods as
compared to government-owned and low-end private schools and colleges.
Currently, we are offering our services to schools and colleges directly. However, we
plan to operate in a hybrid B2B and B2C model in the future.

1.5 Competitive Landscape and Differentiation

XRStudyFlix is a first-mover in the market and no other competitor exists yet in the
local industry. There is a startup named Orbit Ed., that initially tried to offer VR and
AR-based services to academic institutes, especially schools. However, the startup
has since pivoted to offer corporate training and has developed a VR and AI-based
customized engine for it. The reasons for its pivot and differentiation will be
discussed in depth later in the chapter on competitor analysis.
The following are the major differentiating factors of XRStudyFlix:
1. Focus on HSSC and SSC curriculum.
2. Focus on science subjects.
3. Web-based VR that can be accommodated in both immersive and non-
immersive settings.
4. Low-cost as compared to other VR-based systems. The technical details for
the low cost will be discussed later.
Next, let’s see how the system is currently implemented and the scale of its
implementation.

1.6 Current Implementation

XRStudyFlix is currently serving the students at The Smart School, Gulzar-e-Qaid

Campus, located in the Airport Housing Society. Here, we are currently delivering
physics and chemistry lessons using VR-based web applications. Before expanding
to other schools and campuses, we plan to implement certain modules for
mathematics, biology, and computer science on the current campus. The response is
overwhelmingly positive, and we continuously improve upon our products based on
the user’s feedback.
We are charging our customers based on per-minute usage once the user logs in to
the portal. This is far more convenient for the schools instead of a fixed subscription
fee which the schools were unwilling to pay.

References

Derakhshan, A. (2021). The predictability of Turkman students’ academic

engagement through Persian language teachers’ nonverbal immediacy and
credibility. Journal of Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages, 10(1), 3-24.
Xerri, M. J., Radford, K., & Shacklock, K. (2018). Student engagement in academic
activities: A social support perspective. Higher Education, 75(4), 589–605.
Churchill, R., Apps, T., Batt, J., Beckman, K., Grainger, P., Keddie, A., ... & Shaw, K.
(2022). Teaching: Making a difference. John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Yin, H. (2018). What motivates Chinese undergraduates to engage in learning?
Insights from a psychological approach to student engagement research. Higher
Education, 76(5), 827–847
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain,
mind, experience, and school: Expanded edition. National Academy Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 2: Do they really think
differently? On the horizon, 9(6), 1-6.
Junco, R. (2012). In-class multitasking and academic performance. Computers in
Human Behavior, 28(6), 2236–2243
Shakoor, F., Fakhar, A., & Abbas, J. (2021). Impact of smartphone usage on the
learning behavior and academic performance of students: empirical evidence from
Pakistan. Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci, 11(2), 862-81.
Small, G. W., Moody, T. D., Siddarth, P., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2009). Your brain on
Google: patterns of cerebral activation during internet searching. The American
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(2), 116-126.
Cosmology Today (2015, December 24). Why most people are bad at mathematics -
Neil deGrasse Tyson asks Richard Dawkins [Video]. YouTube.
Further – Learn From Internet (2021, March 22). Neil deGrasse Tyson explains
PERFECTLY why MATH is useful! [Video]. YouTube.