VR/AR

Virtual reality technology was on display during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s joint address last week. The broadcast from C-SPAN featured a clearer view of Yoon, interspersed with wide-framed shots of the chamber.

K-12 schools and universities in several states are using gamification to teach science through virtual experiments, simulators and LMS integrations like those offered by the global ed-tech company Labster.

Adjunct professor Russell Crispell at Niagara County Community College in New York uses VR headsets and 360-degree YouTube videos to immerse students in different scenarios requiring first aid training.

Over the past three years, Ed Farm has opened K-12 learning spaces to train students in STEM, created specialized training to empower STEM teachers and provided virtual resources and tech internships at the university level.

The Kansas police department has plans to test a virtual reality training simulator and a new taser. The training software has the potential to make the training process more efficient.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers has released a resource offering state governments guidance on metaverse technologies, including potential applications for public-sector use.

A Texas college's Experience Lab, with 16 Meta Quest 2 Oculus headsets that allow users to interact within computer-generated environments, is helping professors add new dimensions and sensory aspects to their lessons.

The state of Colorado has launched a pilot program at the Pueblo Regional Center that uses virtual reality technology to train staff to better serve individuals with developmental disabilities and other health needs.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working with cities to use visualizations to make urban heat island data more accessible. For Washington, D.C., this work led to a virtual reality experience.

An all-female Catholic high school in Ohio is trying to give its students a leg up in health sciences with immersive 3D virtual reality software that visualizes the human body at different scales and positions.

Three Norwalk schools will incorporate virtual reality, 3D printers, artificial intelligence and other tools from their Verizon Innovative Learning Labs into other subjects, giving students experience with emerging tech.

Southern University in Louisiana will use a $6.2 million grant to expand broadband Internet and create interactive VR spaces and tools for the training of future middle-school teachers and university faculty.

Optimism about the viability of extended, augmented and virtual reality ed-tech tools to enhance instruction and boost participation is growing among educators, according to a survey from ISTE and the XR Association.

In an experimental course at the University of Texas at San Antonio, students use VR headsets to participate in discussions, watch interactive videos of rocket launches, view footage from NASA telescopes and tour the ISS.

According to a recent analysis by the research and advocacy organization Common Sense Media, the seven most popular VR devices in schools collect so much user data that they present serious privacy concerns.

Danbury police officers were able to explore Axon Network's virtual reality training simulator fit for critical thinking and de-escalation. The department did not purchase the equipment, but plan to if it aligns with their budget.

Administrators from the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Michigan say that users and providers of emerging XR technologies should be conscious of privacy, security and safety challenges.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has launched a pilot program using virtual reality technology to improve engagement and relationships between incarcerated parents and their children.