Ryerson U Intros AR-Enhanced Science Labs

augmented reality lab

Ryerson University is working with an augmented reality company to develop a series of labs for science courses. The project is based on InfernoAR from NexTech AR Solutions.

The initial launch of RALE, the Ryerson Augmented Learning Experience, will focus on first-year chemistry, biology and physics students in the Faculty of Science. Some 5,000 students will get access to an AR-enhanced learning experience during the fall and winter terms.

The initial $250,000 agreement includes an annual license fee for the InfernoAR platform plus access to other software produced by NexTech and development of the AR labs. The initial build will cover 20 labs. Functionality will include interactive videos, Zoom sessions with lab technicians and fellow lab partners, as well as AR lab exercises that enable students to beam home the lab materials they need for their experiments.

augmented reality lab

"At Ryerson we took the bold step of re-imagining a virtual lab," said David Cramb, dean of the faculty of science, in a press release. "With inputs from staff, students and faculty we designed and developed a completely collaborative environment that ensures an immersive and fun learning experience for our students. The incorporation of augmented reality into the STEM learning environment will change pedagogy forever."

A video showing RALE version 1.0 has been uploaded to Vimeo.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • InCommon Academy in action with an Advance CAMP unconference activity at the Internet2 Technology Exchange

    Community-Driven IAM Learning with Internet2's InCommon Academy

    Internet2's InCommon Academy Director Jean Chorazyczewski examines how the academy's community-driven identity and access management learning opportunities support CIOs, IT leaders, and their IAM teams in R&E.

  • businessman juggling cubes

    Anthology Restructures, Focuses on Teaching and Learning Business

    Anthology has announced a strategic restructuring, divesting its Enterprise Operations, Lifecycle Engagement, and Student Success businesses and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an effort to right-size its finances and focus on its core teaching and learning products.

  • Jasper Halekas, instrument lead for the Analyzer for Cusp Electrons (ACE), checks final calibration. ACE was designed and built at the University of Iowa for the TRACERS mission.

    TRACERS: The University of Iowa Leads NASA-Funded Space Weather Research with Twin Satellites

    Working in tandem, the recently launched TRACERS satellites enable new measurement strategies that will produce significant data for the study of space weather. And as lead institution for the mission, the University of Iowa upholds its long-held value of bringing research collaborations together with academics.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.