**4.3 Augmented reality (or) virtual reality in vocational education training**

The learning technology for vocational and technical education has grown to a more technologically development methods, by application of real-time learning using virtual experiential learning. This is made using application of more augmented reality, wherein the learner applies using joystick or mouse to experience the real life-learning virtually.

The author in a project funded by the United Kingdom India Education Research Initiative (UKIERI), a bilateral funding for education, TVET and skill development initiatives developed a model for learning and training the vocational trainers; that is, trade instructors and faculty of TVET providers (all beneficiaries were from the government-supported institutes and skill centres) in the welding technology and painting technology, using augmented extended reality models.

The extracts of the use of augmented reality learning contents are presented and discussed briefly, as a case study model. A survey of vocational and technical education trainers were interviewed regarding the use of modern teaching technologies. It was found that the majority of the trainers had access to the resource, however, could not find them relevant in the context of skill attainment; it was only after practical demonstration in the workshop, lab, the learners are able to respond, react and provide ideas on the learnings. Most of the vocational training providers in the government space also have lack of access to modern lab and demonstration equipment and devices. These vocational providers have limited access to updated/latest learning resources. Almost all vocational providers funded by the government at the local, regional and national levels have computing facilities with access to Internet sources. This allows trainers and learners the access to the world of Web resources. However, the access to such resources depends on the type of skill and vocational programmes available in the centre, extent of knowledge and skills of trainers for accessing such contents, etc.

It is in the context, the UKIERI-funded programme attempted to provide knowledge and information regarding the use of augmented extended reality in technical education and training relevant to certificate-level trades covering selected states in India. The extracts as figures of the extended virtual reality as an example for two trades covering welding technology and painting are shown under.

The present learning technology emulated by the several of the vocational content development service providers includes application of artificial intelligencebased extended virtual reality using machine learning processes. The process of artificial intelligence allows to have choice of certain commands that apply to the actual demonstration of experiments, lab techniques, etc. Hence, they allow learning with proper logical approach and sequencing. This allows learner a choice and level of learning in the vocational education training sector (**Figure 5**).

A typical model for a welding technology using augmented reality demonstrated during the training is illustrated in **Figure 6**. It may be seen the trainer using virtual models and joysticks for the welding trade.

In general, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning unit in a simulator is fed with a large amount of historical data dexterity information, technical field values, for example voltage, current flow rate for any typical engineering sector, and the unit is trained using supervised learning technique, past inputs and corresponding outputs used to create predictions. For example, in the case of welding training, for a given set of input hand movement, current, voltage and plate thickness and related demonstration parameters would be the welded joint defective, the defects

*Application of Augmented Reality in TVET, a Modern Teaching-Learning Technology DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99550*

#### **Figure 5.**

*Application of AR-VR with AI in TVET learning contents (project partnered with UKIERI, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2019). Source: Skillveri Training Solutions Private Limited, Chennai, India, 2020.*

#### **Figure 6.**

*Examples of extended virtual reality in welding technology relevant to skill qualifications for skill qualification framework levels 4 and 5. Source: Skillveri Training Solutions Private Limited, Chennai, India, 2020.*

reveal the demo and be able to predict and show the learners/trainers. This interface creates enhanced learning environment by developing links between the inputs and outputs and the impact of each input parameters on output.

Mixed reality is yet another new concept, where learners have the option to learn from the mixture of real objects and real working experiments with virtual models. The key aspect that is more relevant and appropriate is included for the engineering and manufacturing sectors. The learner thinking skills along with the real objects help them to conceptualize what shall work better in the given context and situation.

### **5. Conclusions and learnings**

With a wider option for the vocational and skill development, learners' aspirants and trainers, multiple options exist with the development of technology and customized development of such technology-enabled learning resources. Many a times, the modules are specific to discipline and skill trades. The trainers and learners can have choice from classroom lectures using books, textbooks, skill manuals/ guides, computer-aided learning resources, hand-held devices and a wider range of electronic appliance such as tablets, smartphones, short clippings from multimedia resources clubbed with any Web-enabled contents. There is now wide choice of knowledge resources, great deal of information, and hence, adopting to appropriate methods and application of type of resource is dependent on the learners' capability, type of discipline/trade and skill relevant to specific need and demand.

The advancement of learning in a virtual environment shall be largely based on the application of the augmented reality, virtual reality or extended virtual reality, which shall be one of the most advanced developments in vocational and skills training. The application of artificial intelligence will help suit the learners' mode in making the right choice of the content relevant to specific trade and learners' ability towards skills attainment.
