A new spending analysis from International Data Corp (IDC) predicts worldwide revenues will double this year — from $6.1 billion in 2016 to 13.9 billion in 2017. Furthermore, AR/VR spending is expected to accelerate over the next several years, achieving a CAGR of 198 percent over the 2015-2020 forecast period and reaching $143.3 billion in 2020.
Despite all the headlines and conference coverage of virtual reality (VR) for education over the last year, the technology is still gaining speed — residing at that sweet spot in the hype cycle where, when you place headsets on people and gently guide them to turn around to gain a full view, they tend to gasp and say, "Oh, wow."
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/27/17
THE Journal has highlighted a few grassroots VR, AR and mobile products that are using crowdfunding websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter to develop immersive learning technologies.
Teachers in the Upper St. Clair School District in Allegheny County, PA, have been training with virtual reality (VR) tools this month, so they can eventually bring the world to their classrooms.
Discovery Education and 3M have launched the first Young Scientist Global Virtual Field Trip for kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms with exclusive access to 3M Headquarters’ “World of Innovation” in St. Paul, MN. The event will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST Feb. 23.
In an effort to engage students in immersive learning, an Iowa elementary school within the Davenport Community School District has begun using Oculus Rift VR headsets and VR curriculum from VictoryVR in their science classes.
Soon-to-be K–12 teachers at East Carolina University’s College of Education are using a virtual reality program that simulates a typical classroom, offering them the opportunity to practice classroom management techniques and instructional strategies in an immersive environment.
The 37th Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC), Jan. 24-27, will feature 19 startup companies in its FETC Startup Pavilion, located in the Orange County Convention Center’s exposition hall.
The sixth annual California Project Lead the Way Conference starts Monday in Riverside. About 1,400 students, educators and business professionals are expected to gather at the Riverside Convention Center through Wednesday to witness student inventions and designs, built to solve real-world problems.
Education technologies are, by their nature, capricious. So it makes sense to consider what could drive innovation among classrooms for the new year. Our panel of K-12 experts weighs in.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/12/17