How often do you hear comments like "We're just not there yet…" or "This is a technology that is just too slow to adoption…"? CT talks with veteran education technology leader Ellen Wagner, to ask for her perspectives on the adoption of impactful technologies — in particular the factors in our leadership and development communities that have the power to influence change.
A New Zealand university is committing $4.5 million alongside $3.2 million in government funding to research immersive gaming. The University of Canterbury in Christchurch is using the money to assemble an international team of academic experts for its new Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative.
A university library in New Zealand has added a virtual tour to help patrons find their way around the main facility, which includes some 2,000 individual and group study spaces. The University of Otago's Central Library in Dunedin now features two 55-inch screen display kiosks that allow students and others to explore the open plan building via 360-degree immersion.
A Michigan university has awarded a "merit" grant to an instructor working to develop standards and best practices for moving courses to virtual reality.
A researcher in Germany has developed technology for automatically detecting the usability and user-friendliness of virtual environments.
McGraw-Hill has announced a collaboration with ed tech startup Alchemie to develop augmented reality and three-dimensional learning tools for chemistry courses.
Matrox has begun showing off a new recorder that it co-developed with Panopto. The Matrox Maevex 6020 Remote Recorder is a dedicated recorder specifically designed to work with the video management system from Panopto for live streaming and recording.
Immersive technologies can help students understand theoretical concepts more easily, prepare them for careers through simulated experiences and keep them engaged in learning.
A Florida university will be launching an immersive lab for its students, to help them learn how to work with augmented and virtual reality. Florida International University's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts will open the new Immersive Studios for Altered Reality at its Biscayne Bay campus, in time for the fall semester.
The education sector is forecast to spend more than $6 billion annually on augmented and virtual reality technologies by 2023. Funding for the technologies remains a major hurdle to adoption, but price points for equipment are dropping rapidly.
