Educational institutions, now more than ever, need to employ technology. One technology in particular that is exceptionally well-suited to deliver in the time of COVID-19 is augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR). What curriculum would not benefit from being immersed in a full 3D treatment without having to worry about social distancing and wearing masks?
EON Reality, a supplier of AR and VR products, has partnered with the University of Siena to create academic AR and VR content with its AVR platform. EON Reality’s AVR platform allows educators to create interactive AR and VR online lessons without needing any coding or advanced technological knowledge.
“In this age of social distancing linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning and teaching technologies have been fundamental in allowing us to continue our academic activities without interruption—which has slowed down the urgency to physically return to the classroom,” said Professor Alessandro Innocenti, head of the Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Siena.
The University of Siena is not the only one taking advantage of the AVR platform to encourage teachers and students to embrace a more remote hands-on learning technique. Aldini Valeriani Institute and Kosovo’s University for Business and Technology recently added nearly 55,000 assets to the AVR platform.
“We’re always working to make sure that academic VR and AR solutions are accessible to as many people as possible,” said Dan Lejerskar, EON Reality founder. “I truly believe that this is the opportunity of our lifetimes to reform education and make hands-on learning and training a possibility for students all over the world, regardless of location.”
While the platform makes remote learning easier, it also helps students learn, train and perform more efficiently in class. Some faculty and students will be partaking in lesson and program design masterclasses through the new resource center.
This partnership is a part of the Global Emergency Initiative, which was launched to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. According to the company, it has helped “slow the immediate need to return to physical classrooms by providing an effective hands-on remote learning solution.”
Source: engineering
