Tulsa High School to Set Up AR/VR Immersive Learning Lab
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/05/20
An
Oklahoma high school will be implementing an immersive learning lab
that uses augmented reality and virtual reality. Nathan
Hale High,
which is part of Tulsa
Public Schools,
recently signed with ImaginX,
a company that sets up custom AR and VR operations for education
environments as well as other segments. The project has been driven
in the district by Principal Shelia Riley. Students at her school
participated in an online national
debate
during the summer, which used virtual reality to allow students to
compete.
The
new lab at the high school will provide a theater-style setting,
numerous VR headsets and hands-on tactile engagement to create mixed
reality content. According to the company, VR "workbenches"
will integrate with the school's 3D printers, allowing students to
view learning objects, modify them and then print them via the
printers. The enterprise solution offered by ImaginX includes a
cloud-based platform for running and managing augmented and virtual
reality applications and a library of content, including 3D objects
and environments, along with tools for creating more.
In
2019, Riley visited Oral
Roberts University
to learn about how the institution was using immersive technologies
in its Global
Learning Center.
The university worked with EON
Reality
to develop its initial solution, which was recognized by Educause in
2016 as an "Innovator of the Year." That's the kind of
environment, Riley said in a press release, that she'd like to
introduce to her students. "I am elated that technology has
evolved to the point that education can be advanced to new levels of
engagement while taking blended learning to a new level," she
explained. "Oral Roberts University created the perfect
environment, where educators can see the depth and breadth of
immersive learning, while helping us find the right solutions and
partners to make it a reality at Nathan Hale High School."
"This
is kind of program that can make Tulsa Public Schools a
top-of-the-line brand, not only within Tulsa, but the entire State of
Oklahoma," added Jerry Griffin, a member of the Tulsa Public
School Board. "This is the type of program that we will be
talking about in our long-range planning journey to see implemented
in all the schools, not just Nathan Hale. This is a branding item and
I am really excited about it."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.