My fictional future research

A vision for my research path

This is a blog about a fictional PhD topic that I made up for a course at ETH Zürich.

Author

Sebastian Camilo Loos

Published

October 24, 2023

In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, the role of learners has shifted from passive observers to active, if not proactive, participants. This change in perspective has necessitated a transformation in the ways we impart knowledge and skills (Daniela 2020).

Emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (XR), hold immense potential in reshaping learning environments and facilitating effective training, transcending the limitations of traditional methods. A crucial dimension of this investigation lies in exploring the applicability of mixed reality in training programs, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

The focus lies on severe e-waste issues that ask for innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable training methods, given the environmental and health concerns associated with informal e-waste recycling practices (Forti et al. 2020). Analyses on the have underscored the effectiveness of XR technologies in training contexts, especially when traditional methods prove impractical due to factors like danger and cost (Kaplan et al. 2021; Xie et al. 2021).

The convergence of these insights underlines the pressing need to assess and harness mixed reality’s potential for training in resource-constrained settings, thereby addressing critical skill gaps, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating a brighter future for learners in resource-constrained settings.

References

Daniela, Linda. 2020. New Perspectives on Virtual and Augmented Reality: Finding New Ways to Teach in a Transformed Learning Environment. Routledge.
Forti, Vanessa, Cornelis Baldé, Ruediger Kuehr, and Garam Bel. 2020. The Global E-waste Monitor 2020. Quantities, Flows, and the Circular Economy Potential.
Kaplan, Alexandra D., Jessica Cruit, Mica Endsley, Suzanne M. Beers, Ben D. Sawyer, and P. A. Hancock. 2021. “The Effects of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality as Training Enhancement Methods: A Meta-Analysis.” Human Factors 63 (4): 706–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720820904229.
Xie, Biao, Huimin Liu, Rawan Alghofaili, Yongqi Zhang, Yeling Jiang, Flavio Destri Lobo, Changyang Li, et al. 2021. “A Review on Virtual Reality Skill Training Applications.” Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2.