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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.

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