Meta Partners with UK Startup Bodyswaps to Bring VR Learning to 100 Colleges and Universities

UK virtual reality (VR) soft skills company Bodyswaps and Meta Immersive Learning have announced a partnership to give 100 colleges and universities across the U.K., U.S., Ireland, Canada, France, and Belgium access to VR hardware and software through $150 million in grants from Meta and Bodyswaps' full soft skills learning library.

Bodswaps will provide grantees with unlimited free access to its learning library, focusing on soft skills career training through realistic simulations and AI-enabled feedback using the XR learning platform. "Students can practice and fail safely without repercussions while building the communication, teamwork and leadership skills needed for successful careers," Bodyswaps said. Institutions can choose which modules and courses they want, such as clear communication, active listening, resolving conflict, job interview skills, and others.

Meta Immersive Learning is investing $150 million in grants to "help develop the next generation of metaverse creators," it said, and will supply Meta Quest 2 VR headsets. "To understand the true value and potential of immersive technologies for learning, we must first increase access and opportunity to nonprofits, educational institutions, and key communities," said Leticia Jauregui, Global Head of Meta Immersive Learning. Grant applications are open now and will close Dec. 20, 2022. Visit this page to apply.

To learn more about Bodyswaps, visit their main page. Read more about how Meta Immersive Learning is engaged in increasing access to learning through technology.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • abstract pattern of shapes, arrows and circuit lines

    Internet2 Announces a New President and CEO to Step Up in October

    Internet2, the member-driven nonprofit offering advanced network technology services and cyberinfrastructure to the research and education community has completed its search, which began this past May, for a new president and CEO to take the helm.

  • shield with an AI microchip emblem hovering above stacks of gold coins

    AI Security Spend Surges While Traditional Security Budgets Shrink

    A new Thales report reveals that while enterprises are pouring resources into AI-specific protections, only 8% are encrypting the majority of their sensitive cloud data — leaving critical assets exposed even as AI-driven threats escalate and traditional security budgets shrink.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    MIT Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    A recent report out of the MIT Media Lab found that despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return.

  • young man in a denim jacket scans his phone at a card reader outside a modern glass building

    Colleges Roll Out Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US has announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campuswide. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.