VR/AR

The York County School Division is working with Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center to build virtual-reality modules for students to practice languages in real-world scenarios.

While VR hardware costs remain a major adoption barrier for K-12, experts say the technologies could provide an outlet for students with autism or social anxiety to practice social and emotional skills.

With help from a community foundation grant, a middle school in Wisconsin purchased 30 pairs of virtual reality goggles to take students on virtual field trips to faraway places and times in history.

A private Catholic college in Albany opened a new facility that houses cutting-edge XR equipment including 20 computer stations, more than 30 headsets loaded with VR applications, mobile VR labs and drone technology.

If the recent past is any indication, higher education this year is likely to see financial stress, online learning, a crisis of faith in leadership, emerging tech such as AI and VR, cybersecurity threats, and a desperate need for skilled IT staff.

Virtual-reality headsets at the Kanawha County American Job Center transport West Virginia students to career sites such as transmission towers, construction zones or emergency situations.

A new virtual reality program, created by Discovery Education in partnership with Edge at Hudson Yards, allows students to explore the skylines of New York City and learn about the work of architects and engineers.

First and second graders at Western Primary School in Indiana are piloting virtual reality games created by an assistant professor of computer science and informatics at Indiana University Kokomo.

The district used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) COVID-19 relief funds to buy Avantis Education ClassVR tools for 17 schools. The technology will be available to students this academic year.

Thirteen school districts near the Mexico border will use U.S. Department of Education GEAR UP grants to buy ClassVR headsets from Avantis Systems, which come with access to a library of educational media.

The new Extended Reality Technology Center will bring together researchers from computer science, engineering, IT, fine arts and humanities departments to create new technology and curricula.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' RISE grant helped fund nursing simulators and a renewable energy certificate at Northeastern Junior College, as well as a renewable energy mobile lab for high school students.

In order to get the most out of virtual reality tools, schools and universities need to train educators how to use them and address accessibility concerns that may come with adopting related programs.

A private, health-care-focused university in Dallas has partnered with VictoryXR to build a 3D “digital twin” replica campus where students can use VR headsets to participate in virtual courses and lab activities.

The movement to create online virtual campuses, or “metaversities,” continues even as slowly dropping costs have yet to make it widely accessible. The professional development required is another hurdle.

Virtual-reality labs opened this year at three charter-school campuses in Southern Nevada, with headsets, augmented-reality apps and 3D printers to teach students about immersive technology and digital product innovation.

Lakeside High School in Ohio is using virtual-reality technology to simulate hands-on experiences in various subjects and allow students to explore topics, places and content without leaving campus.

Virtual reality has had a mixed reception in higher education, but few applications have caught on more than in nursing and health-care fields, where the technology is giving students practice with high-risk scenarios.