In the future, according to a group of German researchers, users of virtual reality will be able to interact with each other more easily, more naturally and in real time between real and virtual worlds. A scene from the real world could, for example, be transferred into VR, after which feedback could be reflected back into the real situation.
A new study from the University of Maryland found that people recall information better when it is presented to them in a virtual environment, as opposed to a desktop computer.
An open immersive virtual reality interface for pre-university and first-year students allows them to explore engineering disciplines, such as structural or hydraulics, as part of engaging their interest in STEM careers.
Microsoft and a UK-based institution have teamed up to launch a "future of fashion" incubator, a short-term intensive program where students work together on multi-disciplinary projects. The London College of Fashion, a constituent college of the University of Arts London, co-created curriculum with Microsoft for the semester-long program, which brings together students from the Fashion Business School, the School of Design & Technology and the School of Media & Communication.
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a virtual reality environment to train drones to fly fast around obstacles. Dubbed "Flight Goggles," the software causes drones to "see" virtual obstacles in space that is actually clear of physical objects — giving drones a way to fail during flight training without being involved in repeated, time-consuming accidents.
Many postsecondary professional schools are recognizing that they must develop innovative programs to address the changing environment that surrounds them as well as the new requirements their graduates currently face. Here, CT talks with Dean and Professor of Information Thomas A. Finholt at the University of Michigan School of Information to find out what changes UMSI is anticipating.
This summer, 16 institutions across K-12 and higher education will receive furniture, design, installation and on-site training for a new active learning classroom, thanks to Steelcase Education's fourth annual Active Learning Center Grant. Valued at about $67,000 per classroom, the grant "supports active learning strategies in classrooms where teachers are already striving to implement related practices by installing a learning space with furniture designed to encourage student engagement and success," according to a news announcement.
An active learning space at Dawson College in Canada has taken interactive display tech to the extreme. The classroom walls boast 56 feet of digital workspace where students can collaborate on coursework. The room is outfitted with eight Nureva Walls from Nureva, a Calgary-based maker of visual collaboration and audio conferencing technologies.
A new facility at Florida International University will give students hands-on experience with the creative, administrative and business aspects of virtual reality. Part of the institution's College of Communication, Architecture and the Arts, the new STAR Labs is described as a studio for altered reality, and will house a lab, theater, classrooms and offices.
When MOOCs generated a huge demand for video production at Princeton University, the institution responded with organizational change, an AV upgrade and a new commitment to sharing campus resources.
